2,6-Diethylaniline
2,6-Diethylaniline — DEA — is a symmetrically ortho,ortho'-diethylated aniline supplied as a clear liquid. The two ethyl groups flanking the amino group create significant steric bulk around the nitrogen, which is precisely the property that makes this molecule the standard entry point into chloroacetanilide herbicide chemistry, along with roles in rubber chemicals, polyurea curing agents and specialty dye synthesis.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,6-Diethylaniline to agrochemical formulators, rubber and polymer chemical manufacturers worldwide, in drums, IBCs and bulk quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 579-66-8
- IUPAC name
- 2,6-Diethylaniline
- Molecular formula
- C10H15N
- Molecular weight
- 149.24 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 209-445-7
- MDL number
- MFCD00007753
- SMILES
- CCc1cccc(CC)c1N
- HS Code
- 2921 49*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of dialkylated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,6-Diethylaniline is used for
2,6-Diethylaniline is an aniline carrying two ethyl groups, one on each carbon flanking the amino group. That symmetrical 2,6-substitution does something very specific: it wraps steric bulk around the nitrogen on both sides, which controls the regiochemistry of everything condensed onto it and is the reason this exact substitution pattern — not the ortho-mono-ethylated or meta isomers — is the standard building block for a major class of agricultural chemistry.
In practice DEA is a captive intermediate: plants buy it to condense with chloroacetyl chloride and an aldehyde/alcohol component to build chloroacetanilide herbicides, or to react into rubber and polyurea chemistry. Very little of it is ever sold on as-is.
Why the exact substitution pattern matters
Diethylaniline exists in more than one substitution pattern, and a swap is not recoverable once the batch is committed:
- 2,6-Diethylaniline (CAS 579-66-8) — this product. Ethyl groups symmetrically flanking the amine, the pattern chloroacetanilide herbicide chemistry is built on.
- N,N-Diethylaniline (CAS 91-66-7) — the tertiary amine formed by ethylating the nitrogen itself rather than the ring, used in an entirely different set of dye and optical-brightener routes.
- 2-Ethylaniline / Ortho Ethyl Aniline (CAS 578-54-1) — the mono-ethylated relative, with only one ethyl group and a different reactivity profile at nitrogen.
If your purchase order simply says "diethylaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. See our full range of aniline and amine intermediates for the sister isomers and related alkylanilines we supply, including ortho ethyl aniline.
Appearance and handling character
DEA ships as a colourless to pale yellow, sometimes reddish-brown clear liquid, with a melting point of only about 3–4 °C — meaning a cool store or a winter transit can bring it close to its freezing point, though it re-melts cleanly on gentle warming. It is only slightly soluble in water (around 0.67 g/L) but dissolves readily in alcohols and ethers. Like other primary aromatic amines it is air- and light-sensitive and darkens on storage. Read the safety section before planning handling: current classification flags a suspected genetic-defect hazard alongside acute and irritant effects, and that should shape your controls from the outset.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.2% max |
| Colour (APHA) | Reported per batch |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.0% max |
| 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 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 | Clear liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 3 – 4 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 243 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 123 °C (closed cup) |
| Relative density | ≈ 0.906 |
| Refractive index | ≈ 1.545 (20 °C) |
| Water solubility | Slightly soluble (≈ 0.67 g/L) |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols & ethers |
| pKa (predicted) | ≈ 4.13 |
| Odour | Faint, amine-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 579-66-8 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
DEA's demand is concentrated rather than spread thin — a large share of global volume goes into one well-established herbicide chemistry, with meaningful secondary outlets in rubber, polymer and insecticide chemistry.
Chloroacetanilide herbicides
The principal outlet. DEA is condensed with chloroacetyl chloride and an alkoxymethyl or alkyl fragment to build the chloroacetanilide family of pre-emergence herbicides used widely in corn, soybean and other row-crop weed control.
- Key precursor in chloroacetanilide chemistry
- Assay and isomer purity drive reaction yield
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Insecticide intermediates
The same steric profile that suits herbicide chemistry also carries into other crop-protection actives, including thiourea-type insecticide intermediate chemistry built on the 2,6-diethylphenyl fragment.
- Thiourea / carbodiimide-linked intermediate chemistry
- Tight isomer limits typically apply
- See our crop-protection intermediate range
Rubber & polymer chemicals
DEA feeds into carbodiimide chemistry used as a hydrolysis stabiliser in polyurethane and PVC systems, and into RIM-PUR (reaction injection moulded polyurea) curing agent chemistry, where a hindered aromatic diamine controls cure speed.
- Carbodiimide hydrolysis-stabiliser precursor
- Hindered-amine curing agent chemistry
- Ask about our polymer intermediate range
Dyes & fine chemical synthesis
A minor but established outlet: the hindered 2,6-diethylphenyl fragment appears in specialty dye and fine chemical routes where the steric bulk around nitrogen is itself the wanted property.
- Amide and urea formation with a hindered amine
- Custom synthesis and ligand work
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Analytical & environmental reference use
DEA is also a recognised environmental metabolite of the chloroacetanilide herbicides it helps build, and is used as an analytical reference standard in residue and degradation-pathway studies.
- Analytical-grade material available on request
- Certificate of analysis with every batch
- Ask about high-purity reference grades
Contract & scheduled supply
Herbicide and rubber-chemical plants run to campaign, not to a calendar month. Most DEA 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 2,6-Diethylaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no aniline 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 colour ceiling, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a plant goes down for maintenance ahead of a sowing season, or a monsoon disrupts a road corridor, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 579-66-8 and not the N,N-diethylated grade or the mono-ethylated isomer, before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and colour profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. Current classification flags a suspected genetic-defect hazard alongside skin and eye irritation, and we say so 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 near-ambient freezing point. With a melting point of only 3–4 °C, transit and storage temperature planning matter more than for most liquid anilines. 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 DEA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
As a liquid with a near-ambient freezing point, pack format and stowage temperature both drive your landed condition on arrival. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
MS / lacquered steel drums
UN-certified drums, nitrogen-blanketed and sealed, the default format for LCL movements and for plants charging batch-wise by hand.
IBC totes
Stackable intermediate bulk containers for plants moving toward mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements and lower packing cost per litre than drums.
Bulk liquid transport
For full-container and campaign-tonnage buyers, ISO tank containers or flexitanks cut packaging cost entirely — routed to avoid extended exposure near the freezing point where practical.
Samples & trial packs
Amber-glass or lined-can 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 production runs to a sowing-season campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a mutagenicity-flagged aromatic amine
This is the point on the page that matters most. 2,6-Diethylaniline carries a suspected genetic-defect (mutagenicity) classification alongside skin and eye irritation and oral toxicity, and like other aromatic amines is absorbed through the skin. 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.H315Causes skin irritation.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H341Suspected of causing genetic defects.
Hazard statements reflect the classification commonly published for CAS 579-66-8 across supplier SDS data. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch, and treat the mutagenicity entry (H341) as the one that most shapes your controls — substitution review and minimising exposure are the priority for this hazard class.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum is opened, not after a spill. 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, do not hose. Absorb spilled liquid onto inert material and collect into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Ventilate the area. Vapour from a spill can accumulate in enclosed spaces — increase ventilation and avoid ignition sources given the flash point of roughly 123 °C.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Aromatic amines of this type can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Minimise exposure by design for a mutagen-flagged material. For an H341-classified substance, substitution review and closed handling are the priority controls, not PPE alone; involve your EHS function early.
Storage
- Cool, dark, well-ventilated store, above the freezing point where practical. With a melting point of only 3–4 °C, a cold winter store can bring the material close to solidifying — it re-melts cleanly, but plan for it.
- Keep containers tightly closed under inert gas where possible. Air and light drive the colour drift typical of anilines, and an open drum 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. For a mutagen-flagged substance, restricting who can reach the store is part of the control, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 12–18 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. For an H341-classified substance the hierarchy of control matters: closed transfer and mechanical charging first, ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Alkylanilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection.
- Respiratory protection where vapour or mist may be generated — particularly during drum-opening and transfer — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance and exposure records. Where a mutagenicity classification triggers obligations at your site, your occupational health provider and EHS function own the programme detail.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Collect spills as liquid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
DEA 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, colour 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 route out of this hindered aniline
Almost everything made from DEA leaves through amide-forming chemistry that takes advantage of the steric bulk around its nitrogen. Understanding the route explains why the specification matters and which impurity will hurt you. The steps below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the hindered aniline
DEA provides a primary aromatic amine flanked by two ethyl groups, controlling the regiochemistry of every condensation performed on the nitrogen.
Condense with chloroacetyl chloride
Acylation gives the chloroacetamide — the direct precursor step into the chloroacetanilide herbicide family.
Install the N-alkoxyalkyl group
Further alkylation with an aldehyde/alcohol component builds the finished herbicide active or a closely related intermediate.
Finish to grade
The crude product is purified, washed and dried, then standardised to whatever the end market demands — agro spec, rubber-chemical spec or analytical reference purity.
Why aniline quality carries through the whole route
Everything downstream acts on this nitrogen. Anything in the feed that competes for it, or carries its own reactive functionality, follows the material down the line:
- Off-pattern alkylanilines (mono-ethylated or N,N-ethylated impurities) acylate in parallel and give structurally similar by-products that are difficult to purge from a herbicide-grade active.
- Residual water destroys chloroacetyl chloride on contact, wasting reagent and generating HCl in the batch — moisture control is the single most-watched parameter on this route.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the amber drift — can carry through as colour in the finished active or intermediate.
- Heavy residues concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "98% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,6-Diethylaniline CAS 579-66-8 — this product | Chloroacetanilide herbicides Insecticide intermediates Rubber & polyurea chemistry |
| Ortho Ethyl Aniline CAS 578-54-1 | Agrochemical intermediates Azo dyes & pigments |
| N,N-Diethylaniline CAS 91-66-7 | Dyes & optical brighteners |
If your route calls for one of the others, we supply those as well — see our full aniline & amine intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
DEA is not a commodity with a screen price, and its demand is more concentrated than a general-purpose aniline. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Sowing-season demand
Chloroacetanilide herbicide production runs ahead of the major row-crop sowing seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres, which pulls hard on DEA supply at predictable times of year.
- Quote early for pre-season campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to DEA runs through aniline and ethylene alkylation chemistry. Movements in benzene, ammonia and ethylene feed through to the aniline within a quarter or so.
- Benzene and ethylene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
A mutagenicity classification raises the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material, and both the intermediate and the herbicides built from it face periodic regulatory review in major agricultural markets.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Herbicide-registration status varies by market
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per litre falls from drums to IBCs to ISO tanks — and bulk formats also cut the number of times an operator opens a container, an important consideration for an H341-classified material.
- Drums carry the highest packing cost
- ISO tanks are cheapest per litre 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 right ahead of the season it's needed most. 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 |
|---|---|
| Chloroacetanilide herbicides | High assay, tight moisture, low off-pattern isomer |
| Insecticide intermediates | Tight isomer limit; metals and residues reported |
| Rubber & polyurea chemistry | High assay with consistent colour |
| Analytical reference standard | High purity with full analytical pack |
| 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
- 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 mutagenicity classification at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision, rather than meeting it for the first time on the label.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — the near-ambient freezing point matters more in a cold-climate winter store than in a tropical one.
- 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
- Mutagenicity classification brings specific obligations in several regimes, including substitution review and exposure minimisation expectations. Confirm what applies at your site before the first delivery.
- Import controls vary by destination, and the herbicides ultimately built from this intermediate carry their own registration status in each market. 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 restrictions can apply to certain agrochemical end uses in specific jurisdictions. Your regulatory team should confirm the finished-product 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 pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 579-66-8, 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.
Often bought alongside this grade
Consolidate several intermediates onto one shipment and one invoice. These are the anilines and aromatics our agrochemical, rubber and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme — browse the full range on our products page.
What buyers ask us about 2,6-Diethylaniline
Is this material classified as a carcinogen?
Is this the same as N,N-diethylaniline?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The drum arrived partly solidified. 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 2,6-Diethylaniline
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 drum or a contracted container programme for the sowing season.