3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline
3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline — widely traded as 3-chloro-o-toluidine or 2-amino-6-chlorotoluene — combines a ring chlorine with an ortho-positioned methyl group on the aniline nitrogen. That extra methyl shifts both the electronics and the steric profile of the amine relative to the plain chloroanilines, which is why chlorotoluidines occupy their own dedicated corner of the azo pigment, agrochemical and rubber chemical industries.
Chelora Chemicals supplies this grade to pigment producers, agrochemical formulators and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, as a low-melting liquid/semi-solid in drums, IBCs and sample packs, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 87-60-5
- IUPAC name
- 3-Chloro-2-methylaniline
- Common synonym
- 3-Chloro-o-toluidine
- Molecular formula
- C7H8ClN
- Molecular weight
- 141.60 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 201-756-6
- MDL number
- MFCD00007766
- SMILES
- Cc1c(N)cccc1Cl
Note: "chlorotoluidine" and "chloro-o-toluidine" cover several distinct substitution patterns. Always confirm CAS 87-60-5 on your purchase order before we quote.
What 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline is used for
3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline is an ortho-toluidine carrying a chlorine at the 3 position — in other words, an aniline with both a methyl and a chlorine substituent arranged around the ring in a specific pattern. Chemists usually reach for it as 3-chloro-o-toluidine, and industrially it sits inside the broader chlorotoluidine family that has long fed the azo pigment industry, where the methyl group's electron-donating character shifts coupling kinetics and shade compared to an unsubstituted chloroaniline.
Beyond colour chemistry, it is used as a building block in agrochemical synthesis — several herbicide and fungicide actives are constructed on chlorinated toluidine scaffolds — and it has been referenced as an intermediate in rubber chemical and antioxidant manufacture, where an activated aromatic amine is a common starting point.
Why the substitution pattern matters
Chlorotoluidines are frequently confused with one another because "chloro" and "toluidine" can combine in several distinct patterns. Always work from the CAS number, not the common name alone:
- 3-Chloro-2-methylaniline / 3-chloro-o-toluidine (CAS 87-60-5) — this product. Amine at C1, methyl at C2, chlorine at C3.
- Other chlorotoluidine isomers — differ in exactly where the chlorine sits relative to the methyl and the amine, and are separate CAS-numbered substances with their own reactivity and applications.
- Plain chloroanilines — carry no methyl group at all; see our Para Chloroaniline and Meta Chloroaniline pages.
If your purchase order simply says "chlorotoluidine" or "chloro-o-toluidine", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct isomer before the order is placed. We supply related chlorinated and methylated anilines as well — see our full aniline intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
This material sits right at the solid–liquid boundary at room temperature: with a melting point of only about 2–3 °C, it can arrive as a colourless to yellow, red-brown or brown liquid, or as a low-melting solid or semi-solid depending on the ambient temperature during transit and storage. A drum that left the source plant as a liquid can reach your dock partly solidified, and vice versa — that is a physical-state change, not a quality defect, and the material re-liquefies cleanly on gentle warming. It is only sparingly soluble in water and dissolves in alcohols but not in benzene or ether according to standard reference data, so choose your process solvent accordingly. Like other aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, and several reference suppliers recommend storage under an inert gas blanket to slow this and to limit oxidative degradation. Read the safety section before planning any handling.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to yellow / reddish-brown liquid or low-melting solid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0 – 99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Refractive index (n20/D) | 1.587 – 1.590 |
| Specific gravity (20 °C) | 1.17 – 1.19 |
| Non-volatile 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 or a colour ceiling, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquid to low-melting solid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 2 – 3 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 245 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 113 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.17 – 1.19 g/mL @ 25 °C |
| Refractive index | n20/D ≈ 1.587 – 1.590 |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | ≈ 2.4 |
| Water solubility | Sparingly soluble (≈ 1 – 4.5 g/L @ 20 °C) |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols; insoluble in benzene and ether per standard reference data |
| Odour | Characteristic aromatic amine odour |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 87-60-5 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
The methyl group sets this chlorotoluidine apart from a plain chloroaniline — it changes shade, reactivity and the finished properties of whatever is built from it.
Azo pigments & dyes
Chlorotoluidines are classic diazo components in the azo pigment industry. The electron-donating methyl group shifts coupling kinetics and finished shade relative to an unsubstituted chloroaniline, and this substitution pattern is chosen specifically where that shade shift is wanted.
- Diazo component in azo pigment chemistry
- Methyl group tunes shade versus plain chloroaniline
- See our full pigment intermediate range
Agrochemical intermediates
Several herbicide and fungicide actives are built on chlorinated ortho-toluidine scaffolds, using both the amine and the ring chlorine as reactive handles during synthesis.
- Herbicide & fungicide scaffold chemistry
- Ask our technical desk to confirm your grade
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Rubber chemicals & antioxidants
Reference suppliers note this class of activated aromatic amine as a starting point for rubber chemical and antioxidant manufacture, where the amine is condensed or oxidatively coupled into the finished additive.
- Antioxidant intermediate chemistry
- Rubber compounding additive precursor
- Confirm end-use spec with our technical desk
Pharmaceutical & fine chemical synthesis
A methylated, chlorinated aniline building block for custom amides, ureas, Schiff bases and heterocyclic chemistry where the extra methyl group is required for the target structure or for steric tuning at nitrogen.
- Amide, urea and heterocycle formation
- Ring chlorine retained for later coupling
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Analytical & research reagent
Well-characterised and reliably available, it is also supplied in smaller volumes as a laboratory reagent and reference standard for analytical and structure-activity work.
- High-purity lots available for R&D
- Batch-specific analytical pack on request
- Small pack sizes from 100 g
Contract & scheduled supply
Pigment and agrochemical plants often run to campaign rather than to a calendar month. We hold inventory and release it against your production schedule rather than in one shipment.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no chlorotoluidine plant — and for a specification-sensitive, isomer-confusable 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 identity, 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 87-60-5 and not a different chlorotoluidine isomer before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, colour and moisture profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. We flag the hazard profile at enquiry stage — not in the small print of a document pack that arrives with the goods.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your R&D team runs a lab batch before the full quantity ever moves.
- Packing chosen for a low-melting material. With a melting point around 2–3 °C, this material can arrive liquid or semi-solid depending on the season and the route — we plan packing and stowage accordingly.
- 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 this grade alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Because this material sits right at its melting point at room temperature, pack format and routing matter more than for a comfortably solid or comfortably liquid aniline. Tell us your climate and charging method and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Steel & HDPE drums
UN-certified drums with a nitrogen blanket option to limit oxidative darkening in transit. The default format for LCL movements and smaller commercial lots.
IBC totes
Composite or steel IBCs with a chemically compatible liner, insulated where the routing crosses a cold-climate leg to keep the material from fully solidifying mid-transit.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples in amber glass or HDPE, stored and shipped under inert gas on request, so your R&D team can qualify colour and purity before committing to volume.
Palletised drum containers
Full 20 ft container loads of palletised drums for contracted campaign volumes, with dunnage and bracing specified for a low-melting cargo that may shift phase in transit.
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
Pigment and agrochemical production often runs to campaign. We hold contracted volume and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as an irritant with organ-toxicity hazards
Published classifications for CAS 87-60-5 vary in detail between suppliers and regions — some list additional acute-toxicity and sensitisation statements alongside the core irritancy and organ-damage entries. The consolidated summary below is a conservative orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection, exposure monitoring and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H302Harmful if swallowed.H315Causes skin irritation.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H370Causes damage to organs.H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
This is a consolidated, conservative hazard set drawn from published reference classifications for CAS 87-60-5. Some regional SDS additionally list acute toxicity by skin contact or inhalation (H312/H331), a respiratory sensitisation entry (H334), or a higher aquatic hazard tier (H410 in place of H411). Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and treat it, not this summary, as the classification of record.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum is opened, not after a spill starts. 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.
- Contain first, whatever the phase. Whether the material is liquid or has solidified, bund the area, collect mechanically, and never wash it to a drain — it is toxic to aquatic life.
- Warm gently to re-liquefy for cleanup, rather than trying to scrape or chip a partly solidified spill, which raises the risk of skin and eye contact.
- Assume skin absorption. Aromatic amines of this type are absorbed through intact skin — contaminated clothing should be removed immediately and the skin washed thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Chlorinated toluidines, like other aromatic amines, are associated with methaemoglobinaemia risk, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Log every spill and exposure. Given the organ-damage hazard statement, a documented incident record is worth keeping even for a minor release.
Storage
- Store cool, at or below room temperature, in a dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Some reference suppliers recommend storage below 15 °C to slow colour development.
- Consider an inert gas blanket. This aniline is noted by reference suppliers as air-sensitive; nitrogen-padded drums or IBCs meaningfully slow oxidative darkening.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Air and light drive the colour drift typical of anilines, and an open container also picks up moisture.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Access-controlled storage on a sealed, bunded floor, given the irritancy and organ-toxicity hazard statements.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. Closed transfer where practical, local exhaust ventilation for open handling, PPE as the last line of defence.
- Skin and eye protection are the priority. Chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses or goggles, and protective clothing given the skin and eye irritation entries and the possibility of skin absorption.
- Respiratory protection where dust or mist may be generated — for example when a partly solidified drum is being warmed and decanted — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance where indicated. Given the organ-damage hazard statement, your occupational health provider and EHS function should confirm whether monitoring applies at your site.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H411 applies — collect spills and washings as chemical waste and dispose of them through a licensed route.
Transport
This material moves as regulated cargo, commonly under UN 3429 for this class of chlorotoluidine. 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, colour, refractive index 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.
What the methyl group changes
Adding a methyl group ortho to the amine does more than add mass — it changes electron density at nitrogen, steric bulk around the reactive centre, and the lipophilicity of everything built downstream. The section below explains the general industrial logic, not a process disclosure.
Start with the toluidine
The methyl group at C2 donates electron density into the ring, activating it toward electrophilic attack relative to a plain aniline, while also crowding the nitrogen sterically.
Diazotise for colour
Sodium nitrite in acid gives the diazonium salt, coupled onto a naphthol or acetoacetarylide component. The methyl group shifts coupling rate and finished shade versus an unsubstituted chloroaniline.
React the amine directly
For agrochemical, pharmaceutical and rubber-chemical routes, the free amine reacts with acid chlorides, isocyanates or oxidants to build the target structure, with the chlorine retained as a further handle.
Finish to grade
Crude product is distilled and standardised, or purified further, to whatever the end market demands — colour target, agro spec or pharmaceutical limit.
Why isomer identity matters even more here
Because chlorine and methyl can occupy several different ring positions relative to the amine, the chlorotoluidine family has more isomers in circulation than the plain chloroaniline family — and confusing them has real consequences:
- Isomeric chlorotoluidines diazotise or react at different rates and give structurally different products — an off-shade chromophore in colour work, or the wrong regiochemistry entirely in agro and pharma synthesis.
- Colour and oxidation products build up faster in a material stored warm and unblanketed, and a batch that has drifted in colour can flag a downstream QC check even when assay is unaffected.
- Residual moisture matters wherever the amine is reacted with a moisture-sensitive reagent such as an acid chloride or isocyanate.
- Physical-state variation — liquid, semi-solid or low-melting solid — needs to be planned for in your charging system, since this material can arrive in any of the three depending on transit conditions.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification and confirmed CAS number rather than a generic "chlorotoluidine" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline CAS 87-60-5 — this product | Chlorotoluidine-based azo pigments Agrochemical intermediates Rubber chemicals |
| Para Chloroaniline CAS 106-47-8 | Phenylurea herbicides Carbanilide antimicrobials Azo pigments |
| Meta Chloroaniline CAS 108-42-9 | Fast Orange GC Base dye chemistry Agrochemical & pharma intermediates |
If your route calls for a different aniline, we supply those as well — see our full range of chlorinated, fluorinated and methylated aniline intermediates, including Para Chloroaniline and Meta Chloroaniline.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
Chlorotoluidines are a specialty niche of the broader aniline market. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Specialty, lower-volume market
Fewer buyers and fewer producers run this exact chlorotoluidine isomer than run the high-volume chloroanilines, so pricing is more sensitive to a single large order entering or leaving the market.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to this molecule runs through toluene and the chlorination–nitration– reduction chain. Movements in toluene, chlorine and hydrogen feed through within a quarter or so.
- Toluene and chlorine set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Fewer qualified producers
Isomer-specific chlorotoluidine production is more concentrated than commodity aniline production, so qualifying a second source in advance carries real weight for continuity of supply.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
Low-melting-point handling premium
Drums, liners and routing chosen to manage a material that hovers at its own melting point add a modest cost versus a comfortably solid or comfortably liquid aniline — worth budgeting for rather than being surprised by.
- Inert-gas blanketing adds a small premium
- Cold-climate legs may need insulated transport
- We plan the routing with you at quote stage
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
Colour & freshness premium
Pigment customers with a tight colour ceiling pay more for freshly produced, tightly packed and, where offered, inert-gas-blanketed material than a generic-grade buyer.
- Tell us your colour spec at enquiry stage
- We can arrange faster transit for colour-sensitive lots
- Nitrogen-padded packing available on request
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Azo pigments & dyes | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low insolubles |
| Agrochemical intermediate | High assay with tight isomer and residue limits |
| Rubber chemical route | Moisture and colour the critical parameters |
| 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 drum
What our technical desk will do
- Confirm the exact isomer. "Chlorotoluidine" covers several distinct CAS numbers — we verify CAS 87-60-5 against your intended structure before quoting, at no cost to you.
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us the step you are running and we will recommend the specification — and say so plainly when a tighter, costlier grade would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the hazard classification at enquiry stage, including where published sources differ, so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision.
- Advise on handling and storage for a material that sits right at its melting point — a genuinely different logistics conversation from a comfortably solid or comfortably liquid aniline.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Confirm the classification that applies at your site. Published SDS for CAS 87-60-5 vary in the acute-toxicity and sensitisation statements they carry; work from the SDS accompanying your specific batch.
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements to this material. 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.
- Downstream article restrictions can apply to certain colourant, agrochemical and rubber-product applications. Your regulatory team should confirm the finished-article position for the end use you have in mind.
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, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered drum
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 87-60-5, the assay and colour 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.
Often bought alongside this grade
Consolidate several intermediates onto one shipment and one invoice. These are the anilines and aromatics our pigment, agrochemical and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme. Every card below opens our full products catalogue, where our team can confirm current availability against the exact CAS number you need.
What buyers ask us about 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline
Why is the appearance described as liquid AND low-melting solid?
Is this the same as "chlorotoluidine" or "chloro-o-toluidine" I've seen quoted elsewhere?
What is the exact hazard classification? Sources seem to differ.
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
Why has my drum darkened in colour during 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 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline
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 sample or a contracted drum-container programme for the year.