1,4 Butanediol (BDO)

1,4 Butanediol (BDO) by Ashland is a biodegradable, co-monomer in classical diol-condensation reactions with terephthalic acid to produce polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). It produces polyurethanes with diisocyanates and yields polyesters with diacids. It is a versatile diol precursor to numerous derivatives such as esters, carbamates, polyesters and urethanes. 1,4 Butanediol (BDO) can be converted to simple esters and halides, dehydrated to tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dehydrogenated to gamma-butyrolactone.