Methacrylic acid appears as a clear colorless liquid (or low-melting solid) with a pungent odor. Corrosive to metals and tissue. Flash point 170°F. Melting point 61°F. May polymerize exothermically if heated or contaminated. If the polymerization takes place inside a container, the container may rupture violently. Less dense than water. Vapors heavier than air. Used to make plastics. Methacrylic acid is an alpha,beta-unsaturated monocarboxylic acid that is acrylic acid in which the hydrogen at position 2 is substituted by a methyl group. It derives from an acrylic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a methacrylate.

1. Core Downstream Applications:Preparation of methyl methacrylate (MMA), and further production of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), molding compounds and optical materials.

2. Coatings & Adhesives:Synthesis of acrylic resins and emulsions for automotive coatings, industrial anti-corrosion coatings, construction adhesives and sealants.

3. Polymer Materials:Production of special rubber, ion exchange resins, water-absorbent resins and textile dyeing & finishing auxiliaries.

4. Other Fields:Used in dental materials, paper chemicals, lubricant additives and functional monomer synthesis.