Trimethyl orthoformate is mainly used as an intermediate in organic synthesis and is widely used in pharmaceutical synthesis, such as the synthesis of vitamin B1, vitamin B, sulfadiazine, pipemidic acid drugs, antibiotics, etc.; in coatings, it is used to prevent hydration of polyurethane or epoxy coatings The hardened dehydrating agent; can also be used in the synthesis of dyes and fragrances.

　　Trimethyl orthoformate, also known as trimethoxymethane, or methyl orthoformate for short), is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is flammable and decomposes when exposed to water. It is soluble in ethanol, ether, etc.

　　The general formula of ortho acid is RC(OH)3, and the general formula of orthoester is RC(OR')3. The ortho acid is extremely unstable because all three hydroxyl groups are connected to a carbon atom. It has not been isolated, but the ester corresponding to this structure can exist stably.

　　Extended information:

　　Orthoformic acid HC(OH)3 is a hypothetical compound that does not actually exist, so it is impossible to generate trimethyl orthoformate and other compounds through the methylation reaction of orthoformic acid. The manufacturing technology of orthoformic acid is mainly divided into the old method with chloroform as the raw material and the new route with hydrocyanic acid as the raw material.

　　The technical route of using ethyl chloroform as the raw material is divided into two-step method and one-step method. The two-step process has a short process flow, low investment, and mature technology, but it has more waste and pollutes the environment. One-step technology is a clean production technology.