Meta Nitrotoluene
A methyl group directs an incoming nitro group ortho and para — which is exactly why the meta isomer is the awkward one. Toluene nitration yields it only as a minor fraction, so every kilogram sold has been separated out of a mixture dominated by the other two. Scarcity, not difficulty, is what you are paying for.
Chelora Chemicals supplies m-nitrotoluene to dye and pigment houses, amine producers and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in UN-approved drums, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 99-08-1
- IUPAC name
- 1-Methyl-3-nitrobenzene
- Molecular formula
- C7H7NO2
- Molecular weight
- 137.14 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 202-728-3
- UN Number
- 1664 · Class 6.1
- SMILES
- Cc1cccc(c1)[N+](=O)[O-]
- HS Code
- 2904 20*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — nitro derivatives of hydrocarbons can sit under different subheadings depending on the destination tariff schedule.
What Meta Nitrotoluene is used for
Meta nitrotoluene is a pale yellow liquid at ordinary room temperature that sets to a crystalline mass around 15–16 °C. Commercially it exists for one principal reason: reduction to m-toluidine.
That aniline is the branch point. It is diazotised into azo dyes and pigments, alkylated into tertiary amines such as N,N-diethyl-m-toluidine, and condensed into a range of speciality and agrochemical structures. Oxidation of the methyl group instead gives m-nitrobenzoic acid, used in further fine chemical work. The meta substitution pattern is not easily reached any other way, which is why buyers come back to this molecule rather than designing around it.
Why the isomer decides everything
- Meta nitrotoluene (CAS 99-08-1) — this product. Reduces to m-toluidine; the scarce, higher-value isomer.
- Ortho nitrotoluene (CAS 88-72-2) — reduces to o-toluidine; a major-volume isomer with its own, quite different regulatory profile. See that page.
- Para nitrotoluene (CAS 99-99-0) — a solid; reduces to p-toluidine and sulphonates to PNTOSA for optical brighteners. See that page.
- Dinitrotoluenes — two nitro groups, a different chain again, and a materially different hazard position.
On this product family the CAS number is not a formality. Always state it on the purchase order — see the full intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
The material ships as a pale yellow to yellow liquid, practically insoluble in water and miscible with alcohol, ether and most organic solvents. It is absorbed through intact skin and is a methaemoglobin former — and because it is a liquid rather than a solid, splash and wetted-surface contact is the realistic exposure scenario rather than dust. The safety section below should be read before any handling is planned.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Pale yellow liquid |
| Assay | 99.0% min |
| Ortho isomer | Reported per batch |
| Para isomer | Reported per batch |
| Dinitrotoluene | Reported per batch |
| Moisture | 0.2% max |
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. On this product the two isomer figures decide what your reduction step will actually produce — tell us your ceilings and we will quote against them rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquid at ambient; sets when cold |
| Setting / melting point | ≈ 15 – 16 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 232 – 233 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 101 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.157 @ 20 °C |
| Water solubility | Practically insoluble |
| Organic solubility | Miscible with alcohol, ether, benzene |
| Vapour pressure | Low at ambient |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 99-08-1 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
Almost every route starts with the same reduction. What differs is what the resulting m-toluidine is turned into afterwards.
m-Toluidine production
Catalytic reduction of the nitro group gives m-toluidine — the actual working intermediate of this chain and the reason most buyers purchase the nitro compound at all.
- Catalytic hydrogenation route
- Isomer content carries through
- Low moisture protects catalyst life
Dye & pigment chemistry
Diazotised m-toluidine couples into azo dyes and pigments where the meta methyl group gives a shade and substantivity that the ortho and para isomers cannot reproduce.
- Azo dye and pigment routes
- Shade sensitive to isomer content
- Colour-critical specification on request
Tertiary amine accelerators
Alkylation of m-toluidine gives tertiary amines such as N,N-diethyl-m-toluidine, used as accelerators in acrylic and dental systems and as dye intermediates.
- Ethylation route
- See N,N-Diethyl-m-Toluidine
- Colour of the amine tracks feed quality
Agrochemical & fine chemicals
The meta-substituted toluidine fragment appears in several crop protection and fine chemical routes where the substitution pattern governs activity or metabolic stability.
- End-use declaration required
- Custom synthesis quantities available
- Technical desk review of your route
Oxidation routes
Oxidation of the methyl group gives m-nitrobenzoic acid and, after reduction, m-aminobenzoic acid — both used in fine chemical and speciality synthesis.
- Reference-grade material on request
- Small DG-compliant packs
- Full analytical documentation available
Contract & scheduled supply
As the minor isomer, this product is made to campaign rather than continuously. Buyers who contract ahead get material; buyers who call spot sometimes wait. 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 Nitrotoluene
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. On a minor isomer that is made to campaign rather than continuously, owning no plant is an advantage: we are not limited to one producer's schedule when yours does not match it.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your isomer limits, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a plant goes down for maintenance, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Isomer confirmed before we quote. Meta, ortho or para — three different anilines downstream, three different prices, and the commonest source of a wasted order on this family.
- Both isomer figures reported. Ortho and para content appear as their own numbers on the COA, because that is what your reduction step actually responds to.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve assay, isomer profile and moisture against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Honest lead times on a scarce isomer. If the next campaign is six weeks away we tell you that at enquiry stage rather than after you have raised the PO.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your laboratory runs a trial before the full quantity ever moves.
- Export machinery handled in-house. UN 1664 classification, approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
Packed the way your plant receives it
A liquid that sets below 16 °C needs a little thought at both ends. Tell us how you will discharge it and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
UN steel drums
Lined or plain MS drums to UN specification for Class 6.1 liquids — the standard commercial format, pallet-stacked and strapped.
IBC / composite tanks
Where your receipt bay is set up for intermediate bulk, composite IBCs cut handling time and reduce the number of open transfers.
Bulk liquid movement
For contracted tonnage, ISO tank movement is available subject to the DG position, with heated discharge arranged where winter temperatures require it.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory and pilot quantities dispatched so your R&D team can qualify the grade first — subject to DG rules for your destination and courier.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with DG documentation filed before the booking is made rather than chased afterwards.
Campaign despatch
Minor-isomer production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
A liquid makes skin contact easier
Meta nitrotoluene is toxic by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes, harmful to aquatic life and a methaemoglobin former. Because it is a liquid, the realistic exposure is a splash or a wetted surface rather than airborne dust — which should shape your controls. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H373May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect classifications commonly published for CAS 99-08-1. Nitrotoluenes as a class are methaemoglobin formers and are associated with effects on blood and liver on repeated exposure. Note that the individual nitrotoluene isomers do not share one classification — the ortho isomer in particular carries a more severe profile. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drums arrive. 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. H411 applies — bund the spill, absorb with inert material and dispose of it as regulated chemical waste.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly with soap and water.
- Expect delayed presentation. Methaemoglobinaemia may appear some hours after exposure. A casualty who feels fine should still be assessed, with the SDS in hand.
- Do not heat a sealed drum locally. If product has set in cold weather, warm the whole drum gently in a controlled space rather than applying a flame or a band heater to one spot.
- Reduction is exothermic. Catalytic reduction of a nitroaromatic releases substantial heat — calorimetry and properly sized relief belong in the process design.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated and access-controlled store, away from direct sunlight, heat and ignition sources. Keeping the store above 16 °C avoids setting and the handling problems that follow.
- Keep drums tightly closed on a sealed and bunded floor with spill kit to hand. A leaking liquid spreads much faster than a spilled solid.
- Segregate from reducing agents, alkalis and strong oxidisers.
- Restrict access. With a toxic-by-skin-contact classification, controlling who enters the store is a genuine control measure.
- Shelf life is typically 24 months or more in sealed original drums. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design skin contact out. Closed transfer, drum pumps and dedicated lines first; ventilation second; PPE last.
- Chemical-resistant gloves, apron and face protection, with contaminated clothing removed, bagged and handled as contaminated waste rather than sent to an ordinary laundry.
- Respiratory protection where transfers are open or where the material is handled warm, per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance. Where repeated-exposure organ toxicity triggers obligations at your site, your occupational health provider owns the detail.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H411 applies — contain and dispose of as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
Liquid nitrotoluenes move as regulated cargo under UN 1664, Class 6.1. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable packing group is 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, ortho and para isomer content, dinitrotoluene and moisture — checked against your purchase specification before release.
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 1664, 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 isomer the ring does not want to give you
A methyl group is an activating, ortho/para-directing substituent. Everything about the economics of this product follows from that one fact. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Nitrate toluene
Mixed-acid nitration gives mostly ortho and para nitrotoluene, with the meta isomer as a small minority of the product.
Separate the isomers
Fractional distillation and crystallisation isolate the meta fraction. This is where the cost of the product sits.
Reduce to m-toluidine
Catalytic reduction converts the nitro group to an amine, carrying any residual isomers through as the corresponding toluidines.
Diazotise or alkylate
From m-toluidine the chain splits — diazotisation into colourants, or alkylation into tertiary amines and speciality products.
Why feed quality carries through the whole route
Reduction is not a purification step. Whatever isomer is in the drum becomes an aniline in your product:
- Ortho and para nitrotoluene reduce to o- and p-toluidine, which carry forward into your downstream chemistry as the wrong substitution pattern. This is the most consequential impurity on the product.
- Dinitrotoluene residues are more reactive again, add to the exotherm and consume hydrogen and catalyst.
- Moisture affects catalyst life and selectivity in the reduction step.
- Colour on the incoming liquid is a quick read on oxidation and storage history, which is why buyers note it alongside the assay.
That is why we quote against your written isomer limits rather than a generic "technical" grade, and why the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Downstream chain |
|---|---|
| Meta nitrotoluene CAS 99-08-1 — this product | m-Toluidine Dyes, amines, specialities |
| Ortho nitrotoluene CAS 88-72-2 | o-Toluidine Dyes, pigments, agro |
| Para nitrotoluene CAS 99-99-0 | p-Toluidine, PNTOSA Dyes, optical brighteners |
We supply across the nitrotoluene family — see the full intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Scarcity is the structural cost
Meta is the minority product of every toluene nitration. Its price is set less by its own demand than by how much of it the ortho and para campaigns happen to generate.
- Expect a premium over o- and p-NT
- Availability moves before price does
- Contract ahead if your use is continuous
Upstream feedstock
Toluene, nitric acid and oleum economics feed through within a quarter or so. Oleum in particular is the dehydrating half of the mixed acid.
- Toluene tracks the aromatics cycle
- See Oleum 23%
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Co-product economics
A nitration line sells all three isomers. If the para market is strong the line runs hard and meta is plentiful; if it is weak, meta tightens even when its own demand has not changed.
- Ask us what the para market is doing
- Isomer prices move together, not alone
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Regulatory pressure
Nitroaromatic production carries effluent, emissions and occupational health obligations that have consolidated capacity into fewer, larger plants. That cost sits inside the price.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Effluent rules shape plant economics
- We check destination rules before quoting
Freight & DG surcharges
Class 6.1 liquid cargo 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. On a minor isomer, 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 |
|---|---|
| Reduction to m-toluidine | Tight o- and p-isomer ceilings; low moisture |
| Dye & pigment chemistry | Isomer limits; colour of incoming liquid |
| Tertiary amine synthesis | High assay; low dinitro residue |
| Agrochemical route | Full impurity profile; end-use declaration |
| Laboratory / reference | Highest available purity, small DG-compliant pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe what you make from it and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the drum
What our technical desk will do
- Confirm the isomer before anything else. Meta, ortho and para serve different chains at different prices, and we settle which one you need in the first reply.
- Set the isomer ceilings with you. They decide what your reduction step actually produces, and they are the numbers most often left vague on a purchase order.
- Be straight about availability. On a minor isomer, an honest lead time is worth more than an optimistic one — we quote the campaign, not a hope.
- 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
- Nitroaromatic obligations are jurisdiction-specific. Several regimes impose exposure monitoring, health surveillance and record retention for this class. Confirm what applies at your site before the first delivery.
- Isomer classifications differ. Do not carry an SDS position across from one nitrotoluene isomer to another — the ortho isomer in particular is classified more severely.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions — we will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Effluent and waste rules matter because of the H411 classification. Check your discharge consent against the material before introducing it.
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 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 99-08-1, your assay and isomer limits, 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
UN 1664 classification filed, DG freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
What buyers ask us about Meta Nitrotoluene
Why is the meta isomer more expensive?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is it used to make?
It is a liquid — can it freeze in transit?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
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
Is it absorbed through the skin?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Request pricing on Meta Nitrotoluene
Send your required assay, isomer ceilings, 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 programme for the year.