2,4-Dichloroaniline
2,4-Dichloroaniline — 2,4-DCA in the trade — is the ortho-para dichlorinated aniline that sits at the crossroads of colour and crop protection. It diazotises cleanly for azo pigments and dyes, and it phosgenates into the isocyanate route that builds substituted ureas and anilides for agrochemical and pharmaceutical use.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,4-DCA to pigment houses, dye manufacturers, agrochemical producers and fine chemical plants worldwide, in bags, drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 554-00-7
- IUPAC name
- 2,4-Dichloroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H5Cl2N
- Molecular weight
- 162.01 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 209-057-8
- Common synonyms
- 2,4-DCA · 2,4-Dichlorobenzenamine
- SMILES
- Nc1ccc(Cl)cc1Cl
- HS Code
- 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of halogenated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,4-Dichloroaniline is used for
2,4-Dichloroaniline carries chlorine ortho and para to the amino group. That pairing does two useful things at once. The ortho chlorine crowds the nitrogen just enough to steady the diazonium salt made from it, and both chlorines pull electron density out of the ring, deepening the shade and lifting the fastness of any azo chromophore built from the molecule. The para position being blocked also means electrophilic chemistry has fewer places to go, which makes downstream reactions cleaner.
In practice 2,4-DCA is a captive intermediate with two main doors out: diazotisation for colour chemistry, and conversion to the isocyanate for urea and anilide chemistry in crop protection and pharmaceutical synthesis. Very little of it is ever sold on unchanged.
Why the isomer matters
"Dichloroaniline" is not a specification. Six isomers exist, they are indistinguishable on a packing list, and in colour work the wrong one is worse than useless — it still couples, just to the wrong shade:
- 2,4-Dichloroaniline (CAS 554-00-7) — this product. Ortho and para chlorines. Melting point around 59–62 °C.
- 2,5-Dichloroaniline (CAS 95-82-9) — the azo pigment workhorse, melting far lower at around 47–50 °C.
- 3,4-Dichloroaniline (CAS 95-76-1) — the phenylurea herbicide intermediate for diuron, linuron and propanil.
- 2,6-Dichloroaniline (CAS 608-31-1) — the sterically hindered isomer behind several pharmaceutical actives.
If your purchase order simply says "DCA", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We supply all the commercially important isomers — see the full intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
2,4-DCA ships as white to cream, beige or pale brown crystals, flakes or powder melting around 59–62 °C. That is high enough to survive most temperate storage intact but low enough that an uncooled container on a tropical routing can soften or fuse the contents. It is only slightly soluble in water and dissolves readily in alcohols, ketones and aromatic solvents. Like all primary aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, drifting toward grey-brown — cosmetic in most synthesis routes, but not in colour work.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to beige crystals / flakes |
| Assay (GC) | 99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Melting range | 58 – 62 °C |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.0% max |
| Insolubles / residue | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. If your process demands a tighter assay, a specific isomer limit, a colour ceiling or a controlled moisture figure, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Crystalline solid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 59 – 62 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 245 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 115 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.57 |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | ≈ 2.9 |
| Water solubility | Slightly soluble |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols, ketones, aromatic & chlorinated solvents |
| Stability | May darken on storage in air and light |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 554-00-7 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
2,4-DCA splits fairly evenly between colour chemistry and the isocyanate route into crop protection and fine chemicals, with a long tail of specialty synthesis.
Azo pigments & dyes
Diazotised and coupled onto naphthol or acetoacetarylide components, 2,4-DCA builds insoluble monoazo pigments and disperse dyes. The two chlorines deepen shade, raise heat stability and cut migration in polymer systems relative to plain aniline.
- Diazo component in azo chemistry
- Isomer content shows up directly as off-shade
- Colour of the feed matters as much as assay
Agrochemical intermediates
Converted to 2,4-dichlorophenyl isocyanate, the aniline opens the substituted urea and carbamate routes used across crop protection — or it is acylated directly into anilide chemistry where a 2,4-dichlorophenyl fragment is wanted on the active.
- Substituted urea and anilide chemistry
- Moisture critical at the isocyanate step
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Pharmaceutical intermediates
A dichlorinated aryl amine building block for amide, urea and heterocyclic ring chemistry, where the halogen pattern contributes both metabolic stability and a handle for later functionalisation.
- Amide, urea and sulfonamide formation
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- Tighter grades available on specification
Phenylhydrazine derivatives
Diazotisation followed by reduction gives 2,4-dichlorophenylhydrazine, a building block for pyrazole and indole systems used across agrochemical and pharmaceutical discovery and manufacture.
- Pyrazole and indole ring construction
- Heterocyclic active ingredient routes
- Purity of the aniline sets the hydrazine quality
Fine & specialty synthesis
A well-behaved substituted aniline for custom amides, Schiff bases and ligand work, where the chlorines can also serve as handles for later cross-coupling chemistry.
- Custom amide and imine formation
- Chlorines retained for later coupling
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
Pigment plants run shade campaigns and agro plants run to season. Most 2,4-DCA buyers want tonnage released against a production plan rather than in one shipment. We hold inventory and release it to your schedule.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply 2,4-Dichloroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no dichloroaniline plant — and for a specification-sensitive intermediate like this one, that independence works in your favour. We are never obliged to push you whatever a captive unit happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your isomer tolerance, your colour requirement, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a plant goes down for maintenance, or a monsoon disrupts a road corridor, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 554-00-7 and not one of the other five dichloroaniline isomers before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and impurity profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Melting point checked on receipt. On the dichloroanilines, melting range is the quickest practical tell that you have the isomer you ordered. We check it, and we recommend you do too.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your laboratory runs a trial before the full quantity ever moves.
- Packing chosen for your climate. With a melting point around 60 °C, pack format and stowage matter on a tropical routing. We plan both with you.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Hazard classification, UN-approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Consolidation onto one bill of lading. Ship 2,4-DCA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Pack format drives your landed cost and your handling effort. Tell us how the material will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation — not just the one that suits ours.
Multi-wall paper & PE bags
Laminated multi-wall bags with an inner liner, palletised and shrink-wrapped. The default for LCL movements and for plants charging batch-wise by hand.
Fibre & HDPE drums
UN-certified drums with liner for longer sea transits and humid destinations. Better protection against moisture pick-up, air ingress and caking than bagged material.
Jumbo / FIBC bags
Bulk bags with liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements, lower operator contact and materially lower packing cost per kilo.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D or colour laboratory can qualify the grade before committing to campaign volume.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
Colour and agro production both run to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a toxic, absorbable amine
2,4-DCA is not a benign solid. It is acutely toxic by all three routes, readily absorbed through intact skin, a skin sensitiser, very toxic to aquatic life, and — unusually among the dichloroanilines — it carries a serious eye damage classification rather than mere irritation. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H317May cause an allergic skin reaction.H318Causes serious eye damage.H373May cause organ damage through prolonged or repeated exposure.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect the GHS classification commonly published for CAS 554-00-7. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the pallet arrives, not after a bag splits. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Eye exposure is a medical emergency. H318 means irreversible damage is possible. Irrigate immediately and at length, and get the casualty to medical attention rather than assessing severity on the spot.
- Sweep, do not hose. The material is very toxic to aquatic life. Collect spilled solid mechanically into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Suppress dust. Dry sweeping of a fine solid generates an inhalable aerosol — use vacuum collection or dampen carefully in line with the SDS.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Chloroanilines can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. The melting point is around 60 °C, so an uncooled store in a hot climate can soften or fuse the contents.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Air and light drive the colour drift typical of anilines, and an open bag also picks up moisture that hurts the isocyanate route.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids, nitrites and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Bunded, sealed-floor storage. The compound is very toxic to aquatic life — containment matters more than dilution in a spill scenario.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Eye protection is not optional here. With a serious-eye-damage classification, goggles or a face shield at every transfer point, plus an eyewash station that is tested and reachable within seconds.
- Skin protection. Chloroanilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection. H317 also applies, so sensitisation is a real risk for repeat handlers.
- Engineering controls first. Charge under local exhaust ventilation or in a closed transfer system; the faint odour gives no useful warning of exposure.
- Respiratory protection where dust may be generated — particularly when breaking a caked drum or emptying a bulk bag — per your own exposure assessment.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H410 applies — collect spills as solid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
2,4-DCA moves as regulated cargo. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable UN number, class and packing group are stated on your shipping documents and SDS — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, melting range and impurity profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering hazards, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, toxicology and disposal — issued in the language your destination requires.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN number, hazard class, packing group and IMDG or IATA declaration prepared and filed before the container is booked, with correctly marked and labelled packaging.
Certificate of Origin
Chamber-attested where required, plus preferential-origin forms where a trade agreement gives your import duty relief at the destination.
Third-party inspection
SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas sampling and inspection arranged on request before loading, giving you independent verification of what actually ships.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies is exactly what arrives. Retention samples held against the batch.
The two routes out of this aniline
Like its para-chlorinated cousin, 2,4-DCA leaves by one of two doors: the diazonium salt or the isocyanate. Which one you are using determines which impurity in the feed will cost you money. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the dichlorinated aniline
Chlorine ortho and para to the amine deactivates the ring, steadies the diazonium salt and leaves the 2,4-dichlorophenyl fragment on everything built downstream.
Door one — diazotise
Sodium nitrite in acid at low temperature gives the diazonium salt, which is coupled onto a naphthol or acetoacetarylide to build an azo pigment or dye.
Door two — phosgenate
Conversion to 2,4-dichlorophenyl isocyanate opens the urea and carbamate routes. Water in the feed destroys reagent and generates HCl in the batch.
Finish to grade
The crude product is crystallised, washed and dried, then standardised to a shade target or purified to an agro or pharmaceutical specification.
Why aniline quality carries through the whole route
Both doors act on the nitrogen. Anything in the feed that competes for that nitrogen, or that carries its own reactive functionality, follows the material down the line:
- Isomeric anilines diazotise or phosgenate in parallel and give structurally similar products — an off-shade chromophore in colour work, a hard-to-separate urea in agro work.
- Residual water is tolerable in diazotisation but destroys phosgene or acid chloride on the isocyanate route, wasting expensive reagent and generating acid in the batch.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species behind the grey-brown drift — dull a finished shade and cost you tinting strength.
- Insolubles and heavy residues add filtration load, lengthen the batch cycle and reduce the number of passes you get from a crystallisation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "99% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Isomer | Melting point & principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 554-00-7 — this product | ≈ 59 – 62 °C Azo colours, urea & anilide chemistry |
| 2,5-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-82-9 | ≈ 47 – 50 °C Azo pigments and dyes |
| 3,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-76-1 | ≈ 69 – 71 °C Diuron, linuron, propanil |
| 2,6-Dichloroaniline CAS 608-31-1 | ≈ 36 – 39 °C Pharmaceutical actives |
Melting point is the quickest practical check that the drum in front of you holds the isomer you ordered. We supply all four — see the full intermediate range — so send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
2,4-DCA is not a commodity with a screen price. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Two demand cycles
Colour demand tracks coatings, ink and plastics; agro demand tracks the spray season. The two pull on the same aniline at different points in the year, which keeps the market from going quiet for long.
- Quote early for pre-season tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to 2,4-DCA runs through chlorinated benzenes and the nitration–reduction chain. Movements in benzene, chlorine and hydrogen feed through to the aniline within a quarter or so.
- Chlorine and benzene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Specification tier
Pigment-grade material with a colour ceiling, and isocyanate-route material with tight moisture control, both price above general technical grade. Paying for a spec you do not need is a common and avoidable cost.
- Tell us the end use, not just the purity
- Moisture matters more than colour on the agro route
- We will say when a tighter spec is unnecessary
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from 25 kg bags to drums to jumbo bags. If your charging system can take a bulk bag, the saving over a campaign usually dwarfs the handling change.
- Small bags carry the highest packing cost
- FIBC is cheapest per kilo at volume
- Disposal of packing is a hidden cost at your end
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround, an environmental inspection or a monsoon disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. Single-sourced buyers feel this hardest.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Azo pigments & dyes | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low insolubles |
| Isocyanate / urea route | High assay with moisture the critical parameter |
| Anilide chemistry | High assay; isomer limit worth setting |
| Pharmaceutical chain | Tight isomer limit; metals and residues reported |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction you are running and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the bag
What our technical desk will do
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us which door you are leaving by — diazonium or isocyanate — and we will recommend the specification, including saying plainly when a tighter grade would add nothing.
- Confirm the isomer before you commit. On the dichloroanilines this is the failure mode we see most often. We check the CAS and the melting range rather than trusting a product name on a packing list.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — a bagged store in a Gulf summer is a different problem from one in northern Europe, especially for a solid melting around 60 °C.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into a limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Import controls vary by destination. Chlorinated anilines attract registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements in some jurisdictions. We check the destination rules before quoting, not after you have raised the PO.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions. Confirm your obligations under the applicable inventory regime for your import volume — we will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Environmental classification matters here. With a very-toxic-to-aquatic-life entry, discharge consents and waste routing at your site should be settled before the first delivery rather than after an incident.
- Dangerous goods documentation is prepared by our export desk and filed before booking, so the consignment is not held at origin for paperwork.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 554-00-7, the assay and impurity limits you work to, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched if you are qualifying a new source. Batch COA shared for your approval before the material is released.
Ship and track
DG classification filed, freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
What buyers ask us about 2,4-Dichloroaniline
How do I check I have received the right isomer?
What purity do you normally supply?
Why is the eye hazard singled out on this product?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The material arrived caked or partly fused. Is it off-spec?
Why does the solid darken in storage?
How should we store it, and what is the shelf life?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
- Batch certificate of analysis
- GHS-format safety data sheet
- Dangerous-goods declaration with UN number, class and packing group
- Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or airway bill
- Certificate of origin and any destination-specific forms
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on 2,4-Dichloroaniline
Send your required assay, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial bag or a contracted container programme for the year.