MTBE

Science & Engineering abbreviation · Chemistry

MTBE stands for Methyl tert-butyl ether, a chemistry abbreviation.

Ether, (CH3)3COCH3, once blended into US gasoline as an oxygenate to raise octane and cut carbon monoxide emissions. Leaks from underground storage tanks contaminated groundwater, giving it a turpentine-like taste at low levels, and US states began banning it in the early 2000s, when ethanol took its place.

Example: Groundwater near the old gas station still contains MTBE above the state's taste-and-odor threshold.

Usage notes

MTBE dissolves readily in water, moves quickly through soil and resists biodegradation, so a small leak can taint a large aquifer. In laboratories it serves as an extraction solvent that forms peroxides more slowly than diethyl ether. It remains in use as a fuel additive in some other countries.

Related abbreviations

More chemistry abbreviations

• MEK – Methyl ethyl ketone
• MeOH – Methanol
• MOF – Metal-organic framework
• MS – Mass spectrometry
• MSDS – Material safety data sheet
• MSG – Monosodium glutamate
• MW – Molecular weight
• N2O – Nitrous oxide
• NaCl – Sodium chloride
• NaOH – Sodium hydroxide
• NH3 – Ammonia
• NMR – Nuclear magnetic resonance

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.