3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene
3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene — 3,4-DCNB — is the direct precursor to 3,4-dichloroaniline, the single most important building block in the substituted-urea and anilide herbicide family: diuron, linuron and propanil all trace back to it. It also feeds dye, pigment and pharmaceutical chemistry wherever two adjacent chlorines and a reducible nitro group are needed on the same ring.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 3,4-DCNB to agrochemical formulators, dye houses and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in bags, drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 99-54-7
- IUPAC name
- 1,2-Dichloro-4-nitrobenzene
- Molecular formula
- C6H3Cl2NO2
- Molecular weight
- 192.00 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 202-764-2
- MDL number
- MFCD00007207
- SMILES
- [O-][N+](=O)c1ccc(Cl)c(Cl)c1
- HS Code
- 2904 20*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of dichloronitrobenzene isomers varies between destination tariffs.
What 3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene is used for
3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene carries two chlorines on adjacent ring carbons and a nitro group para to one of them. In practice the molecule has essentially one job: catalytic or chemical reduction of the nitro group gives 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA), keeping both chlorines in place. From there the route runs straight into the phenylurea and anilide herbicide family — diuron, linuron and propanil are all built on the 3,4-dichlorophenyl fragment this molecule supplies.
Because that single reduction step is so central to the agrochemical supply chain, 3,4-DCNB is bought almost entirely as a captive intermediate by plants running their own reduction and downstream urea or anilide synthesis. A smaller volume moves into dye, pigment and pharmaceutical chemistry, where the same 3,4-dichlorophenyl pattern is required.
Why the isomer and the parent chemistry matter
3,4-DCNB should not be confused with its close relatives — each is a different molecule feeding a different chain:
- 3,4-Dichloronitrobenzene (CAS 99-54-7) — this product. Reduces cleanly to 3,4-dichloroaniline, the precursor for diuron, linuron and propanil.
- 3,4-Dichloroaniline (CAS 95-76-1) — the reduction product of this molecule, and the material most agrochemical plants actually condense into the finished herbicide. We supply this grade too — see our full product range.
- 2,5-Dichloroaniline and other dichloroaniline isomers — structurally similar but chemically distinct, feeding separate dye and agrochemical routes.
If your purchase order simply says "dichloronitrobenzene", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct isomer — and confirm whether you actually need the nitro compound or its reduced aniline — before the order is placed.
Appearance and handling character
3,4-DCNB ships as a pale yellow to yellow-brown crystalline solid or fused mass, melting around 40 °C — close enough to typical ambient conditions that material can arrive softened or partly fused on a warm routing. It is only very sparingly soluble in water and dissolves in hot alcohol, ether and most common aromatic solvents. Read the safety section before planning any handling: this material is classified for acute toxicity, skin sensitisation and eye irritation, is very toxic to aquatic life, and several supplier safety data sheets flag it under suspected mutagenicity — the batch SDS is the document that should shape your controls.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Pale yellow to yellow-brown crystals / fused mass |
| Assay (GC) | 95.0% min |
| Isomeric impurities | 2.0% max |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Melting range | 38 – 43 °C |
| Acidity (as HCl) | 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 reduction step needs a tighter isomer limit 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 near ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 39 – 41 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 255 – 256 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 123 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.48 (55 °C, molten) |
| Vapour pressure | ≈ 0.01 hPa (20 °C) |
| Water solubility | Very slightly soluble (≈ 0.15 g/L) |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in hot alcohol, ether & aromatic solvents |
| Odour | Faint, characteristic aromatic-nitro odour |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 99-54-7 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
3,4-DCNB is a concentrated, single-outlet intermediate: almost every tonne produced is headed for one reduction step and the herbicide chemistry that follows it.
Phenylurea & anilide herbicides
The core outlet. Reduction to 3,4-dichloroaniline, followed by phosgenation and condensation with dimethylamine, gives diuron; the related sequence gives linuron and propanil. Isomeric purity in the feed carries straight through to the finished actives.
- Precursor to diuron, linuron and propanil
- Isomer content shows up as an off-spec active
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Dyes & pigments
3,4-Dichloroaniline, made by reducing this material, is itself a widely used diazo component for azo pigments and dyes — the two chlorines deepen shade and improve fastness in the same way a single para-chlorine does in the parent chloroaniline chemistry.
- Diazo component after reduction
- Isomer purity affects shade consistency
- See also our chloroaniline grades
Pharmaceutical & specialty intermediates
The 3,4-dichlorophenyl fragment appears across several established pharmaceutical and specialty-chemical families. 3,4-DCNB, via its aniline, is a standard way to install it through amide, urea or heterocyclic ring-forming chemistry.
- Amide, urea and sulfonamide formation
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Fine & custom synthesis
A well-characterised di-chlorinated nitroaromatic for laboratories running custom reduction, substitution or coupling chemistry where the 3,4-dichlorophenyl pattern is required and neither chlorine should be disturbed.
- Nitro group retained as a reduction handle
- Both chlorines stable under typical reduction conditions
- Custom purity and pack size on request
Reduction & toll-processing feed
Several of our agrochemical customers buy 3,4-DCNB specifically to run their own catalytic hydrogenation to 3,4-dichloroaniline in house, keeping that reduction step — and its yield economics — under their own control.
- Feed for in-house catalytic hydrogenation
- Consistent isomer purity protects catalyst life
- We also supply the reduced aniline directly if preferred
Contract & scheduled supply
Herbicide active-ingredient plants run to campaign, tied to the agricultural season, not to a calendar month. Most 3,4-DCNB 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 3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no dichloronitrobenzene plant — and because this material sits directly upstream of a season-driven herbicide active, that independence matters. 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 isomer purity, your assay, your price point and your delivery window — timed, where it matters, against the agricultural season your finished herbicide serves.
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 ahead of a planting season.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 99-54-7 and not another dichloronitrobenzene or dichloroaniline grade before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, isomer content and moisture against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. We say what the classification covers 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 your climate. With a melting point around 40 °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 3,4-DCNB 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 it will be charged at your end — batch-wise by hand, or mechanically into a hydrogenation reactor — and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
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 and caking than bagged material.
Jumbo / FIBC bags
Bulk bags with liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging into a hydrogenation reactor. Fewer handling movements and lower packing cost per kilo.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D team 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
Herbicide active-ingredient plants build stock ahead of the planting season. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as an acutely toxic, aquatic-hazard intermediate
This is the point on the page that matters most. 3,4-Dichloro nitro benzene is acutely toxic if swallowed, inhaled or in contact with skin, is a skin sensitiser and eye irritant, and is very toxic to aquatic life. Several supplier safety data sheets also flag it under suspected mutagenicity — a classification detail that varies by source and should be confirmed against your specific batch SDS. 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, exposure monitoring and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H302Harmful if swallowed.H312Harmful in contact with skin.H332Harmful if inhaled.H317May cause an allergic skin reaction.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect classifications commonly published for CAS 99-54-7 across supplier safety data sheets; some sources additionally list suspected mutagenicity and carcinogenicity statements. Classifications vary by supplier and by regulatory regime — always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and treat it as the document that decides your controls.
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.
- Sweep, do not hose. The material is very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects. 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.
- Treat as a skin and eye hazard. The sensitisation and eye-irritation entries mean chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection are not optional, even for brief handling.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Nitroaromatic exposure can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Record the exposure. Where your SDS lists a mutagenicity or carcinogenicity entry, most occupational regimes expect an exposure record to be created and retained. That is a decision for your EHS function.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. The melting point is only around 40 °C, so an uncooled store in a hot climate can soften or fuse the contents into a cake.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Limits moisture pick-up and keeps the assay stable across a long transit.
- Segregate from strong oxidising agents and strong bases. As a nitroaromatic with an activated ring position, it is best kept well clear of these reactive classes.
- Access-controlled storage. For a material with skin-sensitisation and mutagenicity flags on some SDS versions, restricting who can reach the store is part of the control, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. Closed transfer and mechanical charging first, ventilation second, PPE last — particularly important where this material feeds a hydrogenation reactor.
- Skin and eye protection are the priority. Chemical-resistant gloves, coveralls and eye protection given the sensitisation (H317) and eye-irritation (H319) entries.
- Respiratory protection where dust may be generated — particularly when breaking a caked drum or emptying a bulk bag — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance and exposure records. Where your SDS lists mutagenicity or carcinogenicity flags, your occupational health provider and EHS function should confirm what obligations apply at your site. We flag the classification; the programme is yours to run.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H411 applies — collect spills as solid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
3,4-DCNB 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, isomeric impurity content, moisture and acidity — 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.
One reduction, one dominant route
Unlike a general-purpose aniline, almost all of the chemistry that matters here runs through a single step. The pattern below is the general industrial route, not a process disclosure.
Start with the nitro compound
3,4-DCNB provides a nitro group positioned so that reduction leaves both ring chlorines untouched — the whole point of using this isomer rather than a mono-chlorinated one.
Reduce the nitro group
Catalytic hydrogenation, or a chemical reducing system, converts the nitro group to an amine, giving 3,4-dichloroaniline in high yield when the feed isomer purity is tight.
Phosgenate or condense
3,4-Dichloroaniline is converted to the isocyanate and reacted with an amine to build the substituted urea (diuron, linuron), or acylated directly for anilide herbicides (propanil).
Finish to grade
The crude active is crystallised, washed and dried, then standardised to the agrochemical, dye or pharmaceutical specification the end market requires.
Why isomer purity carries through the whole route
The reduction step is forgiving of many impurities, but not of isomer contamination — anything with a different chlorine substitution pattern reduces to a different aniline that behaves identically enough in the downstream chemistry to be very hard to remove later:
- Isomeric dichloronitrobenzenes reduce in parallel and give structurally similar dichloroanilines — an off-spec active ingredient at the end of a long, expensive synthesis.
- Residual moisture is generally tolerable ahead of catalytic hydrogenation but can affect catalyst performance and reaction rate over a long campaign.
- Catalyst poisons — trace sulfur or heavy-metal residues from an earlier nitration step — shorten catalyst life in continuous hydrogenation operations.
- Colour bodies from oxidation or thermal stress can carry through into the finished aniline and, from there, into the finished dye or active.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "95% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene CAS 99-54-7 — this product | Reduces to 3,4-dichloroaniline Feeds diuron, linuron, propanil |
| 3,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-76-1 | Diuron Linuron Propanil |
| Ortho Nitro Chloro Benzene CAS 88-73-3 | Ortho-phenylenediamine Benzimidazole fungicides |
If your route calls for the reduced aniline directly rather than the nitro precursor, or for a different dichloronitrobenzene isomer, we supply those as well — see our full product range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
3,4-DCNB 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.
Agricultural-season demand
Because most volume feeds diuron, linuron and propanil manufacture, demand tracks the planting seasons of the regions those herbicides serve, not a flat annual curve.
- Quote well ahead of the relevant planting season
- Spot buying near season peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to 3,4-DCNB runs through ortho-dichlorobenzene and mixed-acid nitration. Movements in chlorine, benzene and nitric/sulfuric acid feed through within a quarter or so.
- Chlorine and benzene set the floor
- Acid and energy costs weigh on nitration economics
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
The acute-toxicity and aquatic-hazard classification — and, on some SDS versions, a mutagenicity flag — raise the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material. That cost sits inside the price.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Some markets restrict certain end uses
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from 25 kg bags to drums to jumbo bags — and bulk bags also cut the number of times an operator opens a pack ahead of a hydrogenation reactor.
- Small bags carry the highest packing cost
- FIBC is cheapest per kilo at volume
- Less manual handling means less exposure
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 — a real risk when your own downstream campaign is timed against a planting season.
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Diuron / linuron / propanil route | High assay with tight isomer limit for the reduction step |
| Dyes & pigments | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low residue |
| Catalytic hydrogenation feed | Low moisture; catalyst-poison residues reported |
| 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 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 classification at enquiry stage — including any mutagenicity flag on the SDS you will receive — so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision.
- 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 that softens around 40 °C.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into an isomer limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Hazard classification obligations are jurisdiction-specific. Some regimes impose exposure monitoring, health surveillance and record retention depending on the classification your batch SDS carries. Confirm what applies at your site before the first delivery.
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements to this material, particularly given its role in agrochemical manufacture. 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 product registration for the finished herbicide active is a separate matter from importing this intermediate, and sits with your regulatory affairs team.
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 pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 99-54-7, the assay and isomer 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, nitrochlorobenzenes and aromatics our agrochemical, dye and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme. Each of the grades below is part of our wider range — visit the products page for current availability and specifications.
What buyers ask us about 3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene
What is this material actually used for?
Is this classified as hazardous?
Can I use a different dichloronitrobenzene isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The material arrived softened or partly fused. Is it off-spec?
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 3,4-Dichloro Nitro Benzene
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 timed to your production season.