"MEK substitute" is ethyl acetate??

I buy it whenever I find it at Lowes and I use it consistently. I cannot perceive any issues from it, although I am not a chemist nor a professional.

This works. By mixing styrofoam pieces with this, you end up with pretty much the same glue as what's known on the market as "Q Dope" which is used for certain things in electronics, like keeping coil windings in place and such. I had already mixed up some, but used acetone as I didn't have any of this available, but the acetone and styrofoam, although the latter readily dissolves, end up not mixing all that well. According to my sources, the ethyl acetate is the best solvent for this with the benefit that if I restart my lep hobby, stopped since covid, I'll have an alternative killing method. Since I didn't have any, I usually just placed everything in the freezer for 20 min or so.

Thanks to you all for confirming, just placed a pick up order with Lowe's. I don't think in my lifetime, I'll ever use it all but it will be nice to have at a decent price.

Colin12303:

Ethyl acetate is indeed made from ethanol and acetic acid, but it doesn't happen just by mixing equimolar amounts of the two materials.
The reaction is general acid- and base-catalysed, but is an equilibrium process which produces a mole of water as by-product. You have to have specialized equipment to continuously remove the ethyl acetate product from the higher-boiling water by distillation, or the reaction won't go to completion. Unless you're a chemical engineer or organic chemist with access to pilot plant equipment, you'll not be able to make much ethyl acetate on your own. (I'm an organic chemist by training, but I self-identify as a lepidopterist!)

jh

As tempting as it may be to "try" and make Ethyl Acetate it can be difficult to produce due to the need for a reflux apparatus and distillation equipment (depending on your synthesis method)
I have very rarely used EA, I bought 25ml a while back and still have most of it stored in sealed vials. Instead I have used chloroform since I was 16 with great success.

Chloroform is very easy to make, you just stop by a pool supply store chlorine or pick up a gallon of concentrated bleach and a tin of acetone at your hardware store. Once you calculate your stoichiometry you can cool the gallon of bleach in the freezer and your acetone. This reaction is known as the haloform reaction and is basically a reaction between a keto methyl group and halogen gas (in this case NaOCl) to produce chloroform and sodium acetate.
The sodium acetate stays in the water solution of the bleach and the chloroform liquid sinks to the bottom. The water can be easily decanted and the chloroform separated for use. 

I used to use bleach to make the chloroform to then add to my killing jar but now I opt for solid calcium hypochlorite in my jar. To recharge all I have to do is add a small amount of acetone. The reaction in the jar is exothermic so adding too much can cause a problem. Its also important to not forget the specimens in the jar too long otherwise they will turn beige or white as the chlorine reacts over time. 

I was hoping one of the chemists would chime in here regarding the prior post (whether or not I can use an HDPE container for long term storage) but my own research into this suggests not, much to my surprise. So, I have come across a possible alternative:

i.imgur.com/7yL4kON.jpg


By the way, I don't trust storage in the can that it came in from Lowes. In the past, I have had similar acetone cans decay to the point where fluid was released. If I have no other choice, I'll keep it in the can and I'll just have to check on it every so often.

Thanks in advance.

in regards to your previous post, I keep my acetone in metal containers and it works fine. I assume it would be similar for ethyl acetate since it’s not corrosive. I imagine that the corrosion with ethyl acetate would be as a result of decomposition into acetic acid which is corrosive. My suggestion, grab a amber or tinted empty wine bottle and keep your ethyl acetate in it. There is no plastic and there is a reduced possibility of decay since the tint reduces the light effect on decomposition. Many lab storage bottles are tinted for light sensitive compounds.
If you do use a clear glass container do some reading about EAs light sensitivity if you plan to store it long term. I also assume that your product must have some stabilizer in it to prevent decay.

Conclusion: use a wine bottle with a cork or metal lid.