Ethylene carbonate is a carbonate ester of ethylene glycol and carbonic acid. At room temperature (25 °C) ethylene carbonate is a transparent crystalline solid, practically odorless and colorless, and somewhat soluble in water. In the liquid state (m.p. 34-37 °C) it is a colorless odorless liquid

Applications[edit]

Ethylene carbonate is used as a polar solvent with a molecular dipole moment of 4.9 D,[4][5] only 0.1 D lower than that of propylene carbonate. It can be used as a high permittivity component of electrolytes in lithium batteries.

Ethylene carbonate is also used as plasticizer, and as a precursor to vinylene carbonate, which is used in polymers and in organic synthesis.