Methyl Ethyl Aniline
Methyl Ethyl Aniline — known across the trade as MEA or 6-ethyl-o-toluidine — is the aniline backbone behind the chloroacetanilide herbicide family. It is the single most important building block for metolachlor and acetochlor, and demand for it tracks the global acreage of maize, soybean and sugarcane.
Chelora Chemicals supplies MEA to agrochemical formulators and intermediate manufacturers worldwide, in drums, IBCs and ISO-tank quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 24549-06-2
- IUPAC name
- 2-Ethyl-6-methylaniline
- Molecular formula
- C9H13N
- Molecular weight
- 135.21 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 246-309-6
- MDL number
- MFCD00007752
- SMILES
- CCC1=CC=CC(=C1N)C
- HS Code
- 2921 49 / 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of substituted anilines varies between destination tariffs.
What Methyl Ethyl Aniline is used for
Methyl Ethyl Aniline is an ortho-disubstituted aromatic amine — an aniline ring carrying a methyl group on one side of the amino function and an ethyl group on the other. That specific 2,6-substitution pattern is the whole point of the molecule. It sterically crowds the nitrogen, and that crowding is what gives the finished herbicide its characteristic chiral behaviour and soil performance.
In practice, MEA is almost never an end product. It is a captive intermediate: plants buy it to acylate and alkylate it into a chloroacetanilide active ingredient. The two that matter commercially are metolachlor (and its resolved form S-metolachlor) and acetochlor — between them, two of the most widely applied pre-emergent grass herbicides in maize and soybean production anywhere in the world.
Why the isomer matters
Buyers occasionally ask for "methyl ethyl aniline" without specifying the isomer. It is worth being precise, because the name is ambiguous in ordinary trade English and the wrong isomer is useless downstream:
- 2-Ethyl-6-methylaniline (CAS 24549-06-2) — this product. Both alkyl groups sit ortho to the amine. This is the herbicide intermediate.
- N-Ethyl-N-methylaniline (CAS 613-97-8) — a tertiary amine where both groups sit on the nitrogen. A completely different molecule, used in dye chemistry.
- 2,6-Diethylaniline (CAS 579-66-8) — the closest analogue, and the intermediate for alachlor, butachlor and pretilachlor rather than metolachlor.
If your specification simply says "MEA", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We also stock 2,6-diethylaniline if that is what your route actually calls for.
Appearance and handling character
MEA ships as a clear to pale-yellow mobile liquid with the pungent, penetrating odour typical of alkyl anilines. It is essentially insoluble in water and slightly lighter than it, so a spill will float rather than disperse — relevant both for bund design and for spill response. Like most anilines it darkens on exposure to air and light, oxidising toward yellow and then amber. That colour drift is cosmetic rather than a purity failure in most applications, but if your process is colour-sensitive, say so and we will ship under nitrogen blanket.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, pale yellow liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 99.0% 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 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 | Liquid at ambient |
| Boiling point | 231 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Melting / freezing point | −33 °C |
| Flash point | ≈ 102 °C |
| Relative density | 0.969 @ 20 °C |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | 2.4 |
| Water solubility | Practically insoluble; floats |
| Organic solubility | Miscible with alcohols, ketones, aromatic & chlorinated solvents |
| Odour | Pungent, amine-like |
Physical constants sourced from the public PubChem record for CAS 24549-06-2 (CID 32485). Values are rounded for readability.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
The overwhelming majority of global MEA consumption goes into two herbicide actives. The remainder is spread across rubber chemicals, dye intermediates and specialty synthesis.
Metolachlor & S-Metolachlor
The dominant outlet. MEA is condensed with methoxyacetone and then chloroacetylated to build the chloroacetanilide structure. S-metolachlor — the enriched S-enantiomer — delivers the same weed control at a materially lower application rate, which is why it has displaced the racemate in most markets.
- Pre-emergent grass control in maize, soybean, sorghum
- Purity and isomer profile of the aniline carry straight through
- Largest single source of global MEA demand
Acetochlor
The second major chloroacetanilide route from this aniline, built via the ethoxymethyl side chain rather than the methoxy-isopropyl one. Widely used in maize and increasingly in cotton and sugarcane programmes across Asia and Latin America.
- Often run in the same plant as metolachlor
- Sensitive to residual moisture in the aniline feed
- Consistent batch-to-batch assay matters for yield
Rubber & polymer additives
Hindered alkyl anilines are precursors to antioxidants and antiozonants that protect elastomers from thermal and ozone degradation. A smaller but steady outlet, usually at technical rather than herbicide-grade purity.
- Amine antioxidant synthesis
- Tyre and technical rubber compounding chains
- Looser colour tolerance than agro use
Dye & pigment intermediates
Alkylated anilines serve as coupling and diazo components in azo chemistry. The steric bulk around the nitrogen shifts shade and lightfastness compared with plain aniline or the toluidines.
- Azo coupling components
- Shade modification in disperse and solvent dyes
- See our full dye intermediate range
Fine & specialty synthesis
Used as a sterically hindered amine building block in ligand synthesis, custom amides and research-scale chemistry where the 2,6-pattern is needed to control reactivity at nitrogen.
- Hindered amide and urea formation
- Ligand and catalyst precursor work
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
Because herbicide production is seasonal, most MEA buyers want tonnage released against a production calendar 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 Methyl Ethyl Aniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no MEA 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 plant 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 — critically for a seasonal herbicide input — 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 programme switches source rather than stalling three weeks before spray season.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 24549-06-2 and not one of the confusable isomers 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.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your R&D team runs a lab batch before the full quantity ever moves.
- Nitrogen blanketing on request. Where colour drift matters to your downstream step, we arrange inert-gas headspace in drums and IBCs.
- Trial drum to full container. Start with one 200 kg drum and scale to ISO-tank contracted supply as your campaign firms up.
- 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 MEA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Pack format drives your landed cost and your handling effort. Tell us how the material will be decanted at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation — not just the one that suits ours.
MS & HDPE Drums
UN-certified drums, palletised and shrink-wrapped. The default for LCL movements and for plants that decant batch-wise. Nitrogen headspace available on request.
IBC Totes
Caged intermediate bulk containers for higher-volume users — fewer handling movements, faster decanting and less drum disposal at your end.
ISO Tanks
Bulk liquid movement where your receiving tank farm allows it. The lowest cost per kilo for repeat, contracted herbicide campaigns.
Samples & Trial Packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D team can qualify the grade before committing to campaign volume.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
Herbicide production is seasonal. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a toxic, absorbable amine
MEA is not a benign solvent. Like the alkyl anilines generally, it is acutely toxic by inhalation, readily absorbed through intact skin, and harmful to aquatic life. 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 and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H302Harmful if swallowed.H312Harmful in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H332Harmful if inhaled.H412Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements as published in the GHS classification aggregated on PubChem for CAS 24549-06-2. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum arrives, not after it leaks. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — section 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Contain, do not flush. The liquid floats on water and is harmful to aquatic life. Dyke the spill and absorb with sand or inert absorbent; never wash it to a drain.
- Treat vapour as the acute risk. Evacuate and ventilate before approaching a large spill; use self-contained breathing apparatus in confined or poorly ventilated areas.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. If medical attention is needed, the responder needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Dispose as regulated waste through a licensed contractor, in line with your local chemical waste regulations.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Flash point is around 102 °C, so it is not a low-flash solvent — but it will burn.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Air and light drive the yellow-to-amber colour drift typical of anilines. Nitrogen blanketing preserves colour on long storage.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Bunded storage. The liquid is water-insoluble and floats — containment matters more than dilution in a spill scenario.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Skin protection is the priority. Alkyl anilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection.
- Engineering controls first. Handle in closed transfer systems or under local exhaust ventilation; the pungent odour is a warning, not a safe exposure indicator.
- Respiratory protection where vapour or aerosol may be generated, per your own exposure assessment.
- Eye protection and an accessible eyewash and safety shower at all transfer points.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H412 applies — collect spills with inert absorbent and dispose of as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
MEA 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.
How this aniline becomes a chloroacetanilide herbicide
Understanding what happens to MEA downstream explains why the specification matters so much — and why an apparently small impurity in the aniline shows up as a yield problem two steps later. The route below is the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the hindered aniline
MEA provides an aromatic amine flanked by a methyl and an ethyl group. That steric crowding around nitrogen is what shapes the finished molecule's behaviour in soil.
Build the side chain
The amine is condensed and reduced — with methoxyacetone for the metolachlor route, or via an ethoxymethyl route for acetochlor — to form the secondary amine.
Chloroacetylate
Reaction with chloroacetyl chloride installs the chloroacetamide group that gives the whole herbicide class its name and its mode of action.
Resolve or formulate
For S-metolachlor the active S-enantiomer is enriched, roughly halving the field application rate. The active is then formulated into the finished product.
Why aniline quality carries through the whole route
Every one of those steps is a condensation or an acylation on the nitrogen. Anything in the feed that competes for that nitrogen, or that carries its own reactive functionality, follows the material down the line:
- Isomeric anilines react in parallel and produce structurally similar by-products that are difficult and expensive to separate from the finished active.
- Residual water hydrolyses chloroacetyl chloride, consuming an expensive reagent and generating HCl in the batch. This is why moisture is specified tightly for acetochlor duty.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the amber drift — can carry into the active and show up as colour in the formulated product.
- 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 "99% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Downstream active |
|---|---|
| Methyl Ethyl Aniline CAS 24549-06-2 — this product | Metolachlor S-Metolachlor Acetochlor |
| 2,6-Diethylaniline CAS 579-66-8 | Alachlor Butachlor Pretilachlor |
| 2,6-Diisopropylaniline CAS 24544-04-5 | Propisochlor and related hindered-amine chemistry |
If your route calls for one of the other two, we supply those as well — see the full agrochemical intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
MEA 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.
Seasonality
Herbicide manufacture runs ahead of the spray season, so aniline demand peaks well before farmers ever open a can. Northern and southern hemisphere campaigns stagger the load through the year.
- Quote early for pre-season tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to MEA runs through alkylated aromatics. Movements in benzene, toluene and the alkylation chain feed through to the aniline within a quarter or so.
- Crude and naphtha set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Specification tier
Herbicide-grade material with tight isomer and moisture limits prices above technical grade destined for rubber chemicals. Paying for a spec you do not need is a common and avoidable cost.
- Tell us the end use, not just the purity
- Technical grade suits non-agro outlets
- We will say when a tighter spec is unnecessary
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls sharply from drums to IBCs to ISO tanks. If your tank farm can take bulk, the saving over a season usually dwarfs the handling change.
- Drums carry the highest packing cost
- ISO tank is cheapest per kilo at volume
- Drum disposal is a hidden cost at your end
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround, an environmental inspection or a monsoon disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. 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 |
|---|---|
| Metolachlor / S-metolachlor | High assay, tight isomer limit, controlled moisture |
| Acetochlor | As above, with moisture the critical parameter |
| Rubber antioxidants | Technical grade; looser colour tolerance acceptable |
| Dye & pigment synthesis | Colour ceiling usually matters more than assay |
| 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.
- Suggest a workable substitute. If MEA is tight or the price has moved against you, we will tell you whether an alternative aniline fits your route rather than simply reporting no stock.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — a drum store in a Gulf summer is a different problem from one 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
- Import controls vary by destination. Because MEA is a herbicide precursor, some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements. 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.
- Dangerous goods documentation is prepared by our export desk and filed before booking, so the consignment is not held at origin for paperwork.
- End-use declarations can be provided where your customs authority requires confirmation of the intended downstream application.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered drum
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 24549-06-2, 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 customers most often order in the same programme.
What buyers ask us about Methyl Ethyl Aniline
Is "Methyl Ethyl Aniline" the same as N-methyl-N-ethylaniline?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
Can I get a sample before committing to an order?
How long does delivery take?
Why does the liquid darken in storage? Is the batch 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 seasonal production plan?
What payment and credit terms do you offer?
Request pricing on Methyl Ethyl Aniline
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 ISO-tank programme for the season.