Refractive Index of Common Esters
The refractive index of a substance is a measure of how much light is bent or refracted as it passes through that substance. Esters typically have refractive indices in the range of 1.38 to 1.45. However, the exact value can be affected by various factors, including the molecular structure of the ester, temperature, and wavelength of light.
The following table provides a curated list of refractive index values for common esters measured at wavelength (λ) of 589 nm.
| Temperature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Methyl acetate (C3H6O2) | 20 | 1.3614 |
| Ethyl acetate (C4H8O2) | 20 | 1.3723 |
| Butyl acetate (C6H12O2) | 20 | 1.3941 |
| Isopropyl acetate (C5H10O2) | 20 | 1.3773 |
| Propyl acetate (C5H10O2) | 20 | 1.3844 |
| Ethyl butyrate (C6H12O2) | 25 | 1.3898 |
| Methyl propionate (C4H8O2) | 20 | 1.3775 |
| Ethyl propionate (C5H10O2) | 20 | 1.3844 |
| Isobutyl acetate (C6H12O2) | 20 | 1.3902 |
| Butyl butyrate (C8H16O2) | 25 | 1.4029 |
| Ethyl formate (C3H6O2) | 20 | 1.3598 |
| Butyl formate (C5H10O2) | 25 | 1.3874 |
| Methyl butyrate (C5H10O2) | 20 | 1.3878 |
| Propyl butyrate (C7H14O2) | 25 | 1.3976 |
| Methyl isobutyrate (C5H10O2) | 20 | 1.384 |
| Ethyl isobutyrate (C6H12O2) | 25 | 1.3873 |
| Butyl isobutyrate (C8H16O2) | 20 | 1.402 |
| Isopropyl butyrate (C7H14O2) | 20 | 1.393 |
| Isobutyl butyrate (C8H16O2) | 25 | 1.4005 |
| Methyl valerate (C6H12O2) | 25 | 1.3970 |
| Ethyl valerate (C7H14O2) | 20 | 1.402 |
| Butyl valerate (C9H18O2) | 25 | 1.4120 |
| Isopropyl valerate (C8H16O2) | 25 | 1.4055 |
| Isobutyl valerate (C9H18O2) | 20 | 1.4046 |
| Methyl hexanoate (C7H14O2) | 20 | 1.4049 |
| Ethyl hexanoate (C8H16O2) | 20 | 1.4073 |
| Butyl hexanoate (C10H20O2) | 20 | 1.4152 |
| Isopropyl hexanoate (C9H18O2) | 20 | 1.405 |
| Isobutyl hexanoate (C10H20O2) | 20 | 1.3824 |
| Methyl octanoate (C9H18O2) | 20 | 1.417 |
| Ethyl octanoate (C10H20O2) | 20 | 1.4178 |
| Butyl octanoate (C12H24O2) | 25 | 1.4232 |
| Isopropyl octanoate (C11H22O2) | 25 | 1.4147 |
| Methyl decanoate (C11H22O2) | 20 | 1.4259 |
| Ethyl decanoate (C12H24O2) | 20 | 1.4256 |
| Isopropyl decanoate (C13H26O2) | 25 | 1.4221 |
| Methyl dodecanoate (C13H26O2) | 20 | 1.4292 |
| Ethyl dodecanoate (C14H28O2) | 20 | 1.4311 |
| Butyl dodecanoate (C16H32O2) | 20 | 1.4096 |
| Isopropyl dodecanoate (C15H30O2) | 25 | 1.4280 |
| Methyl benzoate (C8H8O2) | 20 | 1.5164 |
| Ethyl benzoate (C9H10O2) | 25 | 1.5035 |
| Butyl benzoate (C11H14O2) | 25 | 1.4940 |
| Isopropyl benzoate (C10H12O2) | 25 | 1.4890 |
| Isobutyl benzoate (C11H14O2) | 25 | 1.4940 |
| Phenethyl acetate (C10H12O2) | 25 | 1.5171 |
Related Tables
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017. 3) Yaws, Carl L. The Yaws Handbook of Physical Properties for Hydrocarbons and Chemicals. Netherlands: Elsevier Science, 2015. 4) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).