1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene — 1,2,3-TCB or vic-trichlorobenzene — is a chlorinated aromatic solid used as a high-boiling solvent and dye carrier, a dielectric and heat-transfer fluid, and a chemical intermediate feeding into higher-chlorinated benzenes and nitro derivatives such as 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 1,2,3-TCB to dye houses, electrical-fluid formulators and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in drums and bulk quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 87-61-6
- IUPAC name
- 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
- Molecular formula
- C6H3Cl3
- Molecular weight
- 181.44 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 201-757-1
- MDL number
- MFCD00000537
- SMILES
- Clc1cccc(Cl)c1Cl
- HS Code
- 2903 99*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of chlorinated benzene isomers varies between destination tariffs.
What 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene is used for
1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene is a benzene ring carrying three adjacent chlorine atoms. That vicinal substitution pattern gives it a high melting and boiling point for a chlorobenzene, excellent thermal and chemical stability, and a ring that is strongly deactivated toward further electrophilic attack. The result is a robust, high-boiling aromatic used wherever a stable, non-aqueous medium or a further chlorination/nitration feedstock is needed.
In practice 1,2,3-TCB shows up in two quite different roles: as a functional fluid in its own right — solvent, carrier, coolant — and as a captive intermediate that plants nitrate, further chlorinate or otherwise transform into downstream specialty chemicals.
Why the isomer matters
Trichlorobenzene comes in three isomers, and they are not interchangeable in either performance or regulatory profile:
- 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene (CAS 87-61-6) — this product. Three chlorines on adjacent carbons. The vicinal geometry gives the highest melting point of the three.
- 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene (CAS 120-82-1) — the asymmetric isomer, a liquid at room temperature and the highest-volume of the three industrially.
- 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene (CAS 108-70-3) — the symmetric isomer, used in its own niche synthesis and electronic-materials applications.
If your purchase order simply says "trichlorobenzene", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We can also source the other isomers and related chlorinated and nitro-chlorinated benzenes on request — see our full chlorobenzene and nitrobenzene range.
Appearance and handling character
1,2,3-TCB ships as a white to off-white crystalline solid or flake melting around 51–55 °C — a solid in a temperate store, but liable to soften or fuse in an uncooled container on a tropical routing. It is only sparingly soluble in water (on the order of 18 mg/L) and dissolves freely in toluene, benzene and carbon disulfide, with slight solubility in ethanol. It is combustible with a flash point above 110 °C, and like other chlorobenzenes it is persistent and bioaccumulative in the environment — read the safety section before planning storage, transfer or waste handling.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white crystals / flakes |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.2% max |
| Melting range | 51 – 55 °C |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.5% 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, a colour ceiling or a controlled moisture figure, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Crystalline solid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 51 – 55 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 218 – 219 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 113 – 127 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.69 (solid, 20 °C) |
| Partition coeff. (log Kow) | ≈ 4.05 |
| Water solubility | Poorly soluble (≈ 18 mg/L @ 25 °C) |
| Organic solubility | Freely soluble in toluene, benzene, carbon disulfide; slightly soluble in ethanol |
| Odour | Faint aromatic, chlorinated |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 87-61-6 and rounded for readability; individual sources vary slightly. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
1,2,3-TCB earns its place on two fronts: as a stable functional fluid, and as feedstock for further chlorination and nitration chemistry.
Dye carrier & textile auxiliary
High-boiling chlorobenzenes swell synthetic fibre and help disperse dyestuff during dyeing of polyester and other synthetics. 1,2,3-TCB's stability and high boiling point suit it to carrier and auxiliary formulations.
- Dye-bath carrier chemistry
- Stable under dyeing temperatures
- See our full dye-intermediate range
Dielectric & heat-transfer fluid
Chlorinated benzenes are used as dielectric coolants in electrical equipment and as heat-transfer media in glass tempering and other high-temperature processes, valued for thermal and chemical stability.
- Electrical insulation and coolant duty
- Heat-transfer / glass tempering fluid
- High thermal stability at process temperature
Nitration feedstock
Controlled nitration of 1,2,3-TCB gives 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene, a key precursor for fluoroquinolone antibacterial intermediates and certain herbicide actives.
- Feeds our 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene line
- Nitro-position selectivity is spec-critical
- Available paired with the nitro grade on one order
Further chlorination chemistry
As a stepping stone toward tetra- and penta-chlorinated benzenes used in specialty solvent and intermediate chemistry, where higher chlorine content is required for the target application.
- Electrophilic chlorination feedstock
- Regiochemistry carried through to the product
- Custom chlorination grades on request
Solvent for high-melting solids
A high-boiling, chemically stable solvent for recrystallising or processing high-melting organic solids where common low-boiling solvents are unsuitable.
- Laboratory and pilot-scale recrystallisation
- Stable at elevated process temperature
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
Dye-house and specialty-fluid consumption runs to production schedule rather than a calendar month. We hold inventory and release it to your programme 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 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no chlorobenzene plant — and for an isomer-sensitive material 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 87-61-6 and not the 1,2,4- or 1,3,5- isomer, or a nitro-chlorinated grade, before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and impurity profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. This material is classified as harmful and environmentally hazardous, 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 your climate. With a melting point in the low 50s °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 1,2,3-TCB 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 — and for a material that is harmful and environmentally hazardous, it also drives operator and spill exposure. Tell us how it will be charged at your end 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 & steel drums
UN-certified drums with liner for longer sea transits and humid destinations. Steel drums are the usual choice where the material may be handled in molten form.
Jumbo / FIBC bags
Bulk bags with liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements, lower operator contact and materially lower packing cost per kilo.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D 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-house and specialty-fluid production runs to schedule. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a persistent aquatic hazard
This is the point on the page that matters most. 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene is harmful if swallowed and irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, and it carries a very toxic to aquatic life, long-lasting effects classification along with a documented risk of organ damage on repeated exposure. 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.H335May cause respiratory irritation.H336May cause drowsiness or dizziness.H373May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect the harmonised GHS classification commonly published for CAS 87-61-6. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch, and treat the aquatic-hazard and organ-damage entries as the ones that shape 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 and persistent. 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.
- Ventilate molten or heated material. Where the solid is handled molten (above ~55 °C), vapour generation increases — work under local exhaust ventilation.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. The treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand for any exposure incident.
- Contain, don't dilute. Given the aquatic-hazard classification, most sites treat any release toward a watercourse as a reportable environmental incident — check your local requirement in advance.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. The melting point is only about 51–55 °C, so an uncooled store in a hot climate can fuse the contents into a cake.
- Keep containers tightly closed. This limits both vapour loss and moisture pick-up.
- Segregate from strong oxidising agents. As with other chlorinated aromatics, avoid contact with strong oxidisers and open flame — the material is combustible.
- Bunded storage, away from drains and watercourses, given the aquatic-hazard classification.
- Shelf life is typically 24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Minimise dust and vapour generation — closed transfer and mechanical charging where practical, particularly when breaking a caked drum or emptying a bulk bag.
- Skin and eye protection. Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles and coveralls are standard for handling; the material is irritating on contact.
- Respiratory protection where dust or vapour may be generated, per your own exposure assessment — the material can cause respiratory irritation and drowsiness at higher exposure.
- Repeated-exposure monitoring. Given the documented risk of organ damage on prolonged or repeated exposure, sites running continuous operations should build this into their occupational health programme.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H410 applies — collect spills as solid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
1,2,3-TCB moves as regulated cargo in most jurisdictions, generally under a toxic or environmentally-hazardous-substance entry. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable UN number, class and packing group are stated on your shipping documents and SDS — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, melting range and impurity profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering hazards, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, ecotoxicology 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.
From chlorobenzene to specialty intermediate
Most of what leaves this molecule does so through one of two doors: continued electrophilic chlorination, or nitration onto the ring. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the trichlorobenzene
1,2,3-TCB provides a ring already carrying three deactivating chlorines, locking in the vicinal substitution pattern for everything downstream.
Door one — nitrate
Controlled mixed-acid nitration installs a nitro group at the remaining activated position, giving 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene for pharmaceutical and agrochemical routes.
Door two — chlorinate further
Continued electrophilic chlorination under catalysis gives tetra- and penta-chlorinated benzenes used in specialty solvent and intermediate chemistry.
Finish to grade
The crude product is crystallised, washed and dried, then standardised to whatever the end market demands — assay ceiling, colour target or trace-isomer limit.
Why isomeric purity carries through the whole route
Both doors act on a ring position whose reactivity depends on exactly where the three chlorines already sit. Anything in the feed that carries a different substitution pattern follows the material down the line:
- 1,2,4- or 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene traces nitrate or chlorinate at different positions, giving a mixture of regioisomers that is difficult to separate downstream.
- Residual moisture is tolerable in some applications but interferes with mixed-acid nitration, diluting the nitrating mixture and reducing yield.
- Oxidation or colour bodies concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation or crystallisation train.
- Heavy residues can carry through to a dye-carrier or dielectric-fluid application and show up as colour or particulate in the finished fluid.
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 |
|---|---|
| 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene CAS 87-61-6 — this product | Dye carrier / dielectric fluid Nitration feedstock Further chlorination chemistry |
| 2,3,4-Trichloronitrobenzene CAS 17700-09-3 | Fluoroquinolone intermediates Aclonifen herbicide Dye & pigment synthesis |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene CAS 120-82-1 | Herbicide synthesis Dielectric & heat-transfer fluid |
If your route calls for the nitro derivative, we supply it as well — see 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene. For other chlorobenzene isomers, see our full product range and send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
1,2,3-TCB 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.
Downstream demand cycles
Demand from dye carriers, dielectric fluids and downstream nitration chemistry moves at different times of year, and campaign buying for the isocyanate/nitro route tends to cluster ahead of agrochemical and pharma production seasons.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to 1,2,3-TCB runs through benzene and chlorine. Movements in benzene and chlor-alkali pricing feed through to the isomer within a quarter or so.
- Chlorine and benzene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
The aquatic-hazard and persistence profile of chlorinated benzenes raises the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material in several jurisdictions. 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 with an environmentally hazardous solid, bulk bags also cut the number of times an operator opens a pack.
- 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 in most trade lanes, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround, an environmental inspection or a monsoon disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. Single-sourced buyers feel this hardest.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Dye carrier / textile auxiliary | Colour ceiling, low insolubles |
| Dielectric / heat-transfer fluid | High assay, controlled moisture, low colour |
| Nitration feedstock | High assay with moisture the critical parameter |
| Further chlorination | Tight isomer limit; metals reported |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction or fluid duty 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 process. 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 aquatic-hazard and repeated-exposure classifications 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 bagged store in a Gulf summer is a different problem from one in northern Europe, especially for a solid that melts in the low 50s °C.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into a limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Persistence and aquatic-hazard classification. Chlorinated benzenes are monitored as persistent, bioaccumulative substances in several regimes. 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. 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.
- Effluent and discharge limits can apply where this material or its byproducts might reach a wastewater stream. Your environmental team should confirm the position for your process.
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 87-61-6, 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 chlorobenzenes, nitrobenzenes and aromatics our dye, electrical-fluid and agrochemical customers most often order in the same programme. Isomers and related grades we do not yet carry a dedicated page for are listed on our main products page — send us the CAS number and we will confirm availability.
What buyers ask us about 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
Is this material classified as hazardous to the environment?
Can I use the 1,2,4- or 1,3,5- isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The material arrived caked or partly fused. Is it off-spec?
Is this the same material used to make 2,3,4-trichloronitrobenzene?
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 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
Send your required assay, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial bag or a contracted container programme for the year.