Diethyl ether is a transparent liquid with a sweet smell. Diethyl ether is also known as DEE, ether, ethyl ether, ethyl oxide, and diethyl oxide. Since it is highly flammable, it must be handled with extreme care. Once used as an anesthetic, diethyl ether is now more commonly used as a solvent in the manufacture of smokeless gunpowder and explosives and in the extraction of alkaloids, fats, oils, resins and waxes. It plays a critical role as a solvent in the production of cellulose plastics such as cellulose acetate.