Meta Chloroaniline
Meta Chloroaniline — m-CA or 3-chloroaniline — is the meta isomer of the chloroaniline family and a long-established feedstock for azo dyes and pigments, agrochemical actives and pharmaceutical intermediates that specifically need chlorine and amine in a 1,3 relationship on the ring — a pattern the para isomer simply cannot supply.
Chelora Chemicals supplies m-CA to dye houses, agrochemical formulators and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, as a liquid in drums, IBCs and tank containers, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 108-42-9
- IUPAC name
- 3-Chloroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H6ClN
- Molecular weight
- 127.57 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 203-581-0
- MDL number
- MFCD00007765
- SMILES
- Nc1cccc(Cl)c1
- HS Code
- 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of halogenated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What Meta Chloroaniline is used for
Meta Chloroaniline is an aniline carrying a single chlorine meta to the amino group — a 1,3 relationship on the ring that the ortho and para isomers cannot reproduce by any amount of downstream chemistry. Wherever a synthesis route specifically calls for that geometry, m-CA is the only chloroaniline that will do the job, which is why it has held a stable, if narrower, place in the aniline market for well over a century.
Its best-known historic outlet is as the diazo component of Fast Orange GC Base (Orange GC Base, Colour Index CI 37005), a classic azo dye/pigment precursor still referenced across the dye trade — a direct illustration of how tightly this molecule is tied to colour chemistry. Alongside that, m-CA feeds agrochemical actives and pharmaceutical intermediates that are built on the meta-substitution pattern.
Why the isomer matters
The three chloroaniline isomers are separate molecules with separate uses, and a substitution downstream is not recoverable:
- 3-Chloroaniline (CAS 108-42-9) — this product. Chlorine meta to the amine. A liquid at ambient temperature, unlike its solid para cousin.
- 2-Chloroaniline (CAS 95-51-2) — the ortho isomer, with its own steric profile at nitrogen and its own dye and pharmaceutical routes.
- 4-Chloroaniline (CAS 106-47-8) — the para isomer, the highest-volume of the three and the backbone of the phenylurea herbicide and carbanilide antimicrobial routes.
If your purchase order simply says "chloroaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We supply the sister isomers and related chlorinated and methylated anilines as well — see our full chloroaniline range.
Appearance and handling character
Unlike the para isomer, m-CA is a clear liquid at room temperature — colourless to pale yellow when freshly distilled, ranging to light orange or brown — because its melting point sits around −10 °C. That removes the caking and fusing concerns that come with a solid aniline, but introduces its own handling points: it is a mobile liquid that pours, splashes and penetrates gasket materials in a way a crystalline solid does not. It is only sparingly soluble in water and dissolves readily in alcohols, ketones, ethers and aromatic solvents. Like all primary aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, drifting from pale yellow toward amber and then brown with no necessary loss of assay. Read the safety section before planning any handling — this is a multi-route toxicant with organ-specific hazard statements, and that should shape your controls from the outset.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow / light orange clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% 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 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 | Clear liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ −10 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 231 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 118 – 123 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.20 – 1.22 g/mL @ 25 °C |
| Refractive index | n20/D ≈ 1.594 |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | ≈ 0.8 – 2.0 |
| pKa (conjugate acid) | ≈ 3.46 @ 25 °C |
| Water solubility | Sparingly soluble (≈ 6 – 6.8 g/L @ 20 °C) |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols, ketones, ethers, aromatic solvents |
| Odour | Characteristic amine odour |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 108-42-9 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
m-CA is a narrower-outlet intermediate than its para cousin, but the applications it does serve depend specifically on the meta chlorine pattern and cannot be substituted around.
Azo dyes & pigments
The signature outlet. Diazotised m-CA is coupled onto naphthol and acetoacetarylide components to give azo colourants — historically known in the trade as Fast Orange GC Base / Orange GC Base. The meta chlorine sets a shade and fastness profile distinct from either the ortho or para isomer.
- Diazo component in azo dye & pigment chemistry
- Colour Index reference: CI 37005
- See our full pigment intermediate range
Agrochemical intermediates
Certain herbicide, fungicide and plant-growth-regulator chemistries are built specifically on the 1,3 chloroaniline pattern. Where a route calls for meta rather than para substitution, m-CA is the aniline of choice and cannot be substituted by 4-chloroaniline.
- Meta-substitution routes only m-CA can supply
- Ask our technical desk to confirm your grade
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Pharmaceutical intermediates
A 3-chlorophenyl fragment appears in several established synthesis routes across heterocyclic and sulfonamide chemistry, where m-CA supplies both the ring and the reactive amine in a single feedstock.
- Amide, urea and sulfonamide formation
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- See also our fluorinated aniline grades
Fine & specialty synthesis
A well-characterised aryl amine building block for custom amides, ureas, Schiff bases and ligand chemistry where the meta-chlorophenyl pattern is required, with the ring chlorine available as a handle for later functionalisation.
- Custom amide and urea formation
- Chlorine retained for later coupling
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Analytical & research reagent
Because m-CA is well characterised and reliably available, it is also used in smaller volumes as a laboratory reagent and reference standard in analytical and toxicology work.
- High-purity lots available for R&D
- Batch-specific analytical pack on request
- Small pack sizes from 100 g
Contract & scheduled supply
Dye and agrochemical plants often run to campaign rather than to a calendar month. Most m-CA 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 Meta Chloroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no chloroaniline 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 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 108-42-9 and not the ortho or para 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 full multi-organ 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.
- Liquid-grade packaging. Drums, IBCs or isotainers matched to quantity and to your climate — a leak-tight liner and correct ullage matter as much for a liquid amine as spec compliance.
- 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 m-CA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
As a liquid, m-CA is packed differently from a solid aniline — the questions are ullage, liner compatibility and venting rather than bag format. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Steel & HDPE drums
UN-certified drums, correctly vented and filled to leave safe ullage for thermal expansion in transit. The default format for LCL movements and smaller commercial lots.
IBC totes
Composite or steel IBCs with a chemically compatible liner for larger commercial lots — fewer container movements and lower per-litre packing cost than drums.
ISO tank containers
For full container-load and contracted campaign volumes, an isotainer removes intermediate packaging entirely and is usually the lowest landed cost per tonne at scale.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities in amber glass or HDPE 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
Dye 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 a multi-organ toxicant
Meta chloroaniline is not classified as a carcinogen under the harmonised classification commonly published for CAS 108-42-9 — a real point of difference from its para isomer — but it remains acutely toxic by every route of exposure, skin-absorbable, and carries organ-damage hazard statements that deserve exactly the same operational discipline. 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
H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H370 / H372 / H373Causes / may cause damage to organs (liver, blood, heart, kidney, CNS) on single or repeated exposure.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect the harmonised classification commonly published for CAS 108-42-9. Note that this isomer is not currently assigned a carcinogenicity statement in the classifications we have reviewed — unlike 4-chloroaniline — but supplier classifications can differ in detail. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch before finalising your risk assessment.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum is opened, not after a hose fails. 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 to drain. The material is very toxic to aquatic life. Bund the spill, absorb with an inert material, and collect into a labelled container.
- Suppress vapour, not just liquid. A liquid amine spill generates vapour at ambient temperature — ventilate the area and avoid ignition sources given the flash point of roughly 120 °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. Chloroanilines can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Log every spill and exposure. Even without a carcinogen classification, the organ-damage hazard statements justify a documented incident record for your EHS file.
Storage
- Store below 30 °C, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Being a liquid, it has no caking risk, but heat accelerates the colour drift typical of anilines.
- Keep containers tightly closed and correctly vented. Air and light drive oxidation and darkening, and a liquid amine also absorbs atmospheric moisture through an open bung.
- 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 bunded, chemical-resistant floor, given the acute toxicity by all three exposure routes.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay for colour and assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. Closed transfer and pump-fed charging first, local exhaust ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Chloroanilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves, apron and face shield for any open transfer or sampling operation.
- Respiratory protection where vapour concentration may build, particularly in confined or poorly ventilated spaces, per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance where indicated. Given the organ-toxicity statements, your occupational health provider and EHS function should confirm whether biological or health monitoring applies at your site.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H410 applies — collect spills and washings as liquid chemical waste and dispose of them through a licensed route.
Transport
m-CA 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, colour, appearance 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.
Why the 1,3 pattern can't be substituted
Aniline chemistry is built on the ring's substitution pattern, and that pattern is fixed before the amine ever reaches a customer's reactor. The section below explains the general industrial logic, not a process disclosure.
Start with the aniline
m-CA provides a primary aromatic amine with chlorine locked in the meta position — a substitution pattern that cannot be reached by further chemistry on the ortho or para isomer.
Diazotise for colour
Sodium nitrite in acid at low temperature gives the diazonium salt, coupled onto a naphthol or acetoacetarylide component to build the azo dyes and pigments the meta isomer is historically known for.
React the amine directly
For agrochemical and pharmaceutical routes, the free amine reacts with acid chlorides, isocyanates or electrophilic heterocycles to install the 3-chlorophenyl fragment intact.
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 purity matters even more on a liquid amine
A liquid aniline mixes far more readily with a trace ortho or para contaminant than a solid ever would, and that has real downstream consequences:
- Isomeric anilines diazotise or react in parallel and give structurally different products — an off-shade chromophore in colour work, or an unwanted by-product in agro and pharma synthesis.
- Colour and oxidation products concentrate faster in a liquid stored warm, 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.
- Heavy residues from distillation concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of usable passes in a purification 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.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| Meta Chloroaniline CAS 108-42-9 — this product | Azo dyes & pigments (Fast Orange GC Base) Agrochemical intermediates Pharmaceutical building blocks |
| Para Chloroaniline CAS 106-47-8 | Phenylurea herbicides Carbanilide antimicrobials Azo pigments |
| 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline CAS 87-60-5 | Chlorotoluidine-based pigments Agrochemical 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 3-Chloro-2-Methylaniline.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
m-CA trades in lower volume than the para isomer, which changes how you should think about timing and sourcing.
Narrower demand base
Being a lower-volume isomer than PCA, m-CA is more exposed to a single large buyer stepping in or out of the market. Confirmed offtake commitments smooth this exposure.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to m-CA runs through chlorobenzene and the nitration–reduction chain common to the isomer family. Movements in benzene, chlorine and hydrogen feed through within a quarter or so.
- Chlorine and benzene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Fewer qualified producers
Fewer plants run this isomer at scale than run the para grade, so qualifying a second source in advance carries more weight here than for a high-volume commodity aniline.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
Liquid freight economics
Cost per kilo generally falls from drums to IBCs to an isotainer, and a liquid also avoids the packing-material cost that a bagged solid carries.
- Drums suit smaller, more frequent lots
- Isotainers are cheapest per tonne at volume
- We help you find the crossover point
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 buyers pay a premium
Dye and pigment customers with a tight colour ceiling pay more for freshly produced, tightly packed material than a generic-grade buyer, since colour drift is time- and temperature-dependent.
- Tell us your colour spec at enquiry stage
- We can arrange faster transit for colour-sensitive lots
- Cold-chain-style routing available on request
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Azo dyes & pigments | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low insolubles |
| Agrochemical intermediate | High assay with tight isomer and residue limits |
| 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 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 full multi-organ toxicity 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 — a liquid amine drummed for a Gulf summer is a different problem from one stored in northern Europe.
- 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
- Confirm the classification that applies at your site. m-CA is not carcinogen-classified in the references we have reviewed, but the acute and organ-toxicity statements can still trigger exposure monitoring or health surveillance obligations under some regimes.
- 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 and consumer 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 container
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 108-42-9, 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 dye, 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 Meta Chloroaniline
Is this material classified as a carcinogen?
Why is this a liquid when Para Chloroaniline is a solid?
Can I substitute Para Chloroaniline if that's what I have in stock?
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 Meta Chloroaniline
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 tank-container programme for the year.