2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA) Supplier in Malaysia
- Also known as
- HEMA
- Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate
- HEMA Monomer
- Glycol Methacrylate
Buyers ordering HEMA on a specification sheet are asking for 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and this page is the Malaysian supply enquiry point for it. The monomer also trades as hydroxyethyl methacrylate, glycol methacrylate and ethylene glycol monomethacrylate, under CAS 868-77-9 and formula C6H10O3.
Its value sits in two groups on one small molecule: a methacrylate double bond that polymerises, and a free hydroxyl that stays behind as a reaction site. The methyl group on that double bond is what separates it from the acrylate analogue, giving a slower cure and a harder, higher glass transition polymer. Dried poly(HEMA) is glassy, yet it takes up water to form a hydrogel, which is why lens and gel chemistry rests on this monomer.
Trade grades separate on purity, methacrylic acid and diester content, colour and MEHQ stabiliser level, and no figure for those is published here because each belongs to the grade actually quoted. Coating and adhesive formulators buy it as a reactive diluent and adhesion promoter; resin, paper, leather and textile plants buy it as a hardening hydroxyl comonomer; hydrogel, lens and dental resin work buys the tighter purities.
Send the purity and impurity limits your formulation holds, the stabiliser expectation, the quantity and the delivery location. Pack format, documentation and timing follow in the quotation. Supply is subject to applicable requirements.
- CAS number
- 868-77-9
- Formula
- C6H10O3
- Grade
- technical, coating, high-purity
- Appearance
- clear, colourless low-viscosity liquid, supplied inhibited
2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate grades and forms
We supply several forms to suit different formulating and dosing setups. If you need a size that is not listed, ask us.
| Grade | Form | Assay | Typical use | Packing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical HEMA monomer | clear, colourless low-viscosity liquid | — | General polymerisation feedstock for acrylic emulsion and solution resins, paper and leather treatment polymers and thermosetting binders, bought against an ordinary monomer specification rather than a tightened one. | Drum or IBC formats are confirmed with the quotation. |
| Coating grade HEMA with a specified stabiliser level | clear, colourless low-viscosity liquid | — | Reactive diluent and adhesion promoter in radiation-cured coatings, inks and varnishes, where the declared stabiliser content decides how the formulation behaves in an open tank and under the lamp. Quote the range the formulation allows. | Drum or IBC formats are confirmed with the quotation. |
| High-purity HEMA with tightened acid and diester limits | clear, colourless water-white liquid | — | Hydrogel, contact-lens, dental composite and acrylic prosthetic resin work, plus any polymer where residual methacrylic acid or ethylene glycol dimethacrylate would change swelling, clarity or cure. Suitability is decided by the finished formulation specification, so state the limits it sets. | Drum or IBC formats are confirmed with the quotation. |
How to buy 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate from ChemTrade
Request a quote for 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate
Use the form below to request a quotation. You can also email sales@chemtrademalaysia.com or send us a message on WhatsApp.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | clear, colourless liquid of low viscosity | — |
| CAS number | 868-77-9 | — |
| Chemical formula | C6H10O3 (CH2=C(CH3)COOCH2CH2OH) | — |
| Molecular weight | approximately 130 g/mol | — |
| Functionality | the 2-hydroxyethyl ester of methacrylic acid; one polymerisable methacrylate group plus one primary hydroxyl available for crosslinking or grafting | — |
| Miscibility | miscible with water and with common polar organic solvents | — |
| Polymer behaviour | the homopolymer is hard and glassy when dry and swells in water to a hydrogel, which is the basis of its lens and gel chemistry | — |
| Stabiliser | commercial material is MEHQ stabilised against premature polymerisation; the declared content is confirmed against the grade quoted | — |
| Grade controls | purity, methacrylic acid content, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (diester) content, water, colour and inhibitor level as the grade requires | — |
2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate applications
Safety and handling
This is a stabilised but polymerisable methacrylate liquid. Store the drums cool and closed, out of sunlight and away from initiators, peroxides and strong oxidisers, and use stock in receipt order, because the stabiliser is consumed over time and a depleted lot held warm can polymerise in the container. Repeated skin contact with methacrylate monomers can lead to sensitisation, so use suitable gloves and eye protection and follow the safety data supplied with the grade quoted. Storage temperature, shelf life and inhibitor content are matters to confirm on that data rather than fixed values published here. Supply is subject to applicable requirements.
Common questions about 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate
What is the difference between 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate?
The methacrylate carries an extra methyl group on the double bond. That slows the cure and produces a harder, stiffer, higher glass transition polymer, while the acrylate analogue reacts faster and gives a softer, tackier film. Because the two behave differently in the same recipe, write the monomer you want in full on the order and quote its CAS number.
Is 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate the same as methyl methacrylate?
No. Methyl methacrylate carries a methyl ester and no free hydroxyl, so it cannot supply the crosslinking or grafting site this monomer is bought for. They are separate products with separate specifications, and each should be requested by name.
Why is HEMA supplied MEHQ stabilised?
A methacrylate monomer polymerises on its own given warmth, time or a trace of initiator, so commercial material is inhibited, typically with MEHQ. The declared content is a real process variable: too little and an open tank thickens, too much and the cure is retarded, which is why formulators specify a window.
Which HEMA grade suits hydrogel, lens or dental composite work?
Those uses turn on residual methacrylic acid, diester content, colour and water, because each of them shifts swelling, clarity and cure rather than just assay. State the limits and documentation your formulation specification sets, and treat suitability for the finished article as a decision for that specification.
What does the hydroxyl group contribute to a HEMA copolymer?
It survives polymerisation and stays on the chain as a reaction site, so formulators use it to crosslink with isocyanates or amino resins, to graft onto other polymers, to improve wetting and adhesion, and to give an acrylic backbone the water affinity a plain alkyl ester cannot.
How do I get a 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate price in Malaysia?
Send the grade or purity target, the stabiliser and impurity limits, the quantity and the delivery point. The monomer is quoted on enquiry with a stated validity period rather than listed at a fixed figure, since a specialty methacrylate offer moves with grade, volume and pack format.