Industrial applications Morpholine is a common additive, in parts per million
concentrations, for
pH adjustment in both
fossil fuel and
nuclear power plant steam systems. Morpholine is used because its
volatility is about the same as
water, so once it is added to the water, its concentration becomes distributed rather evenly in both the water and steam
phases. Its pH-adjusting qualities then become distributed throughout the steam plant to provide
corrosion protection. Morpholine is often used in conjunction with low concentrations of
hydrazine or
ammonia to provide a comprehensive all-volatile treatment chemistry for corrosion protection for the steam systems of such plants. Morpholine decomposes reasonably slowly in the absence of
oxygen at the high
temperatures and
pressures in these steam systems.
Organic synthesis Morpholine undergoes most
chemical reactions typical for other secondary
amines, though the presence of the ether oxygen withdraws electron density from the nitrogen, rendering it less nucleophilic (and less basic) than structurally similar secondary amines such as
piperidine. For this reason, it forms a stable
chloramine. It is commonly used to generate
enamines. Morpholine is widely used in
organic synthesis. For example, it is a building block in the preparation of the antibiotic
linezolid, the anticancer agent
gefitinib (brand name Iressa) and the analgesic
dextromoramide. In research and in industry, the low cost and
polarity of morpholine lead to its common use as a
solvent for chemical reactions.
Agriculture As a fruit coating In nature, fruits make waxes to protect against insects and fungal
contamination, but this can be lost as the fruit is cleaned. Hence a small amount of new wax, made from
shellac, is applied to replace it. Morpholine is sometimes used as an emulsifier and solubility aid for this new coating. The
European Union has forbidden the use of morpholine in fruit coating.
As a component in fungicides Morpholine derivatives used as agricultural
fungicides in cereals are known as
ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors. •
Amorolfine •
Fenpropimorph •
Tridemorph ==See also==