DALLAS – Celanese Chemicals announced the developmental introduction of t-butyl acetate, a solvent that has been proposed for exemption from the definition of a VOC by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company said it has completed pilot production runs of t-butyl acetate, and said samples are available for evaluation.

If the EPA's VOC-exemption recommendation is finalized, t-butyl acetate will offer solvent users a new tool to meet existing and future VOC-emission restrictions, the company said. Celanese says it is the largest producer and marketer of solvent esters in North America and the world's largest producer of acetic acid.