Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate, or THFMA, stands out as a specialized methacrylate monomer that plays a crucial part in advanced plastics, coatings, adhesives, and resins. Its chemical backbone, built from a tetrahydrofurfuryl group linked to a methacrylate group, gives it unique traits—combining both the flexibility of furans and the reactive energy of methacrylates. Its official IUPAC name reads 2-(Tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)methyl methacrylate. The molecular formula comes in at C9H14O3, with a molecular weight of 170.21 g/mol. This detail often crops up when regulatory data, like safety sheets or customs documents, reference the HS Code 29161400. That’s how customs officers and chemical distributors know exactly what is passing through the supply chain.
Taking a closer look at THFMA, plenty of its value sits in its liquid state at room temperature, where it ranges from clear to a pale yellow hue. Density measures close to 1.1 g/cm3, making it heavier than water but lighter than many resins. Get your hands on a sample and you won’t find flakes or powder—instead, this chemical flows smoothly and has a faint, ether-like smell. It absorbs into solutions with ease, contributing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties because of its mixed ring and ester features. Most material safety sheets rate it as hazardous; contact can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract, and spills are certainly not something to ignore. Fire hazard enters the conversation as well, with a flash point usually near 105°C, demanding mindful storage away from ignition sources.
Chemists value THFMA for more than just its easy handling in the lab. The combination of a tetrahydrofuran ring with the double bond of methacrylate lays out reactive sites ready for polymerization. This feature creates more flexible plastics and improves adhesion properties, even in damp or chemically aggressive settings. In practice, THFMA finds itself mixed with other acrylates in UV-cured inks, dental composites, and certain specialty plastics built for weather resistance. It gets sources from furfural (typically seen as a biomass derivative) and methacrylic acid, making it not just a tool of industry, but an endpoint in a chemical value chain tracing back to agricultural byproducts.
Raw THFMA rolls out in bulk as a liquid, shipped in drums, IBCs, or tanker trucks for industrial clients. Small orders for research labs show up in various volumes—liters for bigger experiments, down to milliliters for bench-top tests. Don’t expect to see it as flakes, powder, pearls, crystal, or solid form, since its freezing point sits well below storage temperatures, which keeps it as a low-viscosity liquid under most handling conditions. Makers report purity specs above 98% and list inhibitor presence (such as MEHQ) to stop unwanted polymerization during shipping. Documentation details its solubility in common monomers and organic solvents, which lets users design blends for improved toughness, heat resistance, or different surface finishes.
Concerns about hazardous properties ring true for THFMA. While users rarely encounter acute toxicity at ordinary exposure levels, overspray or spills can cause harm. Painful eye and skin contact happen easily without gloves and goggles. Breathing its vapor triggers headaches and upper airway irritation, so ventilation and respirators play a real part in most workplaces. Material safety data lists steps for cleanup—sand and absorbent pads for spills, proper waste labeling, and emergency wash stations near work areas. Disposal involves treating residues like other hazardous chemicals, requiring incineration or certified collection services. Long-term exposure questions remain; so far, most workers avoid chronic issues if they navigate storage, handling, and waste with oversight. THFMA does not count as biodegradable, but careful containment and good practice can stop its environmental impact.
Product designers searching for tough, flexible, and moisture-tolerant plastics return to THFMA over and over. Its molecular structure gives resins a level of toughness and resistance that opens up new uses in coatings, dental applications, and even building products. As a raw material, it supports industries branching from coatings to adhesives, helping deliver lasting performance where simple acrylics or methacrylates break down. It’s not just about having something new—THFMA shows the way chemists weave new combinations from known building blocks, pushing improvements in sustainability when combined with bio-based feedstocks. Each drum represents both a chemical challenge and a pathway to improved materials supporting modern life.
