Methyl lactate

Methyl lactate (CAS 547-64-8) is the methyl ester of lactic acid, functioning as a biodegradable solvent and pH modifier across food, pharmaceutical, and industrial processing applications.

Where is Methyl lactate used?

• Electronics: photoresist stripper
• Electronics: removes residues from circuit boards without the toxicity profile of chlorinated alternatives
• Personal care: solvent and mild acidulant in skin-conditioning products
• Printing and packaging: solvent carrier in ink formulations, improving flow and substrate adhesion
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: process solvent in active ingredient synthesis and carrier in topical preparations requiring controlled pH
• It supports stable emulsion systems through compatibility with aqueous and organic phases.

Good to know: Buyers should confirm optical purity requirements, as both racemic (DL) and enantiomerically enriched forms are available depending on the application.

Commercial specifications

• Technical grade for industrial solvent applications
• High-purity grades meeting pharmaceutical and food-grade specifications such as USP and FCC standards
• Bulk tanker options are available for high-volume buyers.