Products

 

ETHEPHON

 

Plant growth regulator: thylene generator



NOMENCLATURE
Common name ethephon (ANSI, Canada); chorethephon (New Zealand)
IUPAC name 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid 
Chemical Abstracts name (2-chloroethyl)phosphonic acid 
CAS RN [16672-87-0]  EEC no. 240-718-3 

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
Mol. wt. 144.5  M.f. C2H6ClO3P  Form Colourless solid; (tech. is a clear liquid).  M.p. 74-75 ºC  B.p. c.  265 ºC (decomp.)  V.p. <0.01 mPa (20 ºC)  KOW logP <-2.20 (25 ºC, unstated pH)  Henry <1.55 × 10-9 Pa m3 mol-1 (calc.)  S.g./density 1.409.02 (20 ºC) (tech.)  Solubility In water c. 1 kg/l (23 ºC). Readily soluble in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, diethyl ether, and other polar organic solvents. Sparingly soluble in non-polar organic solvents such as benzene and toluene. Insoluble in kerosene and diesel oil.  Stability Stable in aqueous solutions having pH <5. At higher pH, decomposition occurs with the liberation of ethylene. Sensitive to u.v. irradiation.  pKa pKa1 2.5, pKa2 7.2
APPLICATIONS
Mode of action Plant growth regulator with systemic properties. Penetrates into the plant tissues, and is decomposed to ethylene, which affects the growth processes.  Uses To promote pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, capsicums, etc.; to accelerate post-harvest ripening in bananas, mangoes, and citrus fruit; to facilitate harvesting by loosening of the fruit in currants, gooseberries, cherries, and apples; to increase flower bud development in young apple trees; to prevent lodging in cereals, maize, and flax; to induce flowering of Bromeliads; to stimulate lateral branching in azaleas, geraniums, and roses; to shorten the stem length in forced daffodils; to induce flowering and regulate ripening in pineapples; to accelerate boll opening in cotton; to modify sex expression in cucumbers and squash; to increase fruit setting and yield in cucumbers; to improve the sturdiness of onion seed crops; to hasten the yellowing of mature tobacco leaves; to stimulate latex flow in rubber trees, and resin flow in pine trees; to stimulate early uniform hull split in walnuts; etc.  Formulation types EC; SL.  Compatibility Incompatible with alkaline materials and with solutions containing metal ions, e.g. iron-, zinc-, copper-, and manganese-containing fungicides.