N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine
N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine sits one alkylation step short of the tertiary amines — and that is the point. With one ethyl group on nitrogen and one N-H still in place, it can be acylated, hydroxyethylated or alkylated a second time, which makes it the working starting point for a whole family of dye couplers rather than an end product in itself.
Chelora Chemicals supplies N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine to dye and pigment manufacturers, fine chemical producers and custom synthesis houses worldwide, in drums and bulk, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 102-27-2
- IUPAC name
- N-Ethyl-3-methylaniline
- Molecular formula
- C9H13N
- Molecular weight
- 135.21 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 203-021-3
- Synonyms
- 3-(Ethylamino)toluene · NEMT
- SMILES
- CCNc1cccc(C)c1
- HS Code
- 2921 49*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — N-alkylated toluidine derivatives can sit under a different subheading from the simple anilines depending on the destination tariff schedule.
What N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine is used for
N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine is m-toluidine with a single ethyl group on the nitrogen. That one substitution already pushes additional electron density into the ring, but the remaining N-H is what gives the molecule its commercial value: it is a handle. Hydroxyethylate it, benzylate it, acylate it or alkylate it again, and you arrive at a specific coupling component rather than a generic activated aromatic.
The dominant outlet is colour chemistry. N-alkyl-m-toluidines are the precursors to the N,N-disubstituted coupling components used across azo dye synthesis, and the meta methyl is there to tune shade, solubility and fastness. A second stream of demand comes from fine chemical and agrochemical producers who need a secondary aromatic amine with this exact substitution pattern as a building block.
Secondary versus tertiary — why it changes everything
- N-Ethyl-m-toluidine (CAS 102-27-2) — this product. Secondary amine, one N-H, reacts at nitrogen and at the ring.
- N,N-Diethyl-m-toluidine (CAS 91-67-8) — tertiary amine, no N-H, reacts only through the ring. See that page.
- m-Toluidine (CAS 108-44-1) — the primary amine upstream of both; diazotises readily, which the alkylated derivatives cannot.
- N,N-Dimethylaniline (CAS 121-69-7) — no ring methyl at all. See that page.
A supplier who treats these as near-substitutes will eventually ship you the wrong one. Put the CAS number on the purchase order and we will confirm it before quoting — see the full intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
The material ships as a colourless to pale yellow or amber clear liquid, liquid across the normal ambient range, practically insoluble in water and miscible with alcohols, acetone, ether and aromatic solvents. Because the N-H is available to oxidise, it darkens somewhat faster than the fully alkylated analogues — one reason nitrogen-blanketed packing is worth specifying if colour matters downstream. It is harmful by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes and should be handled on the assumption that it is absorbed through intact skin.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0 – 99.0% min |
| Free m-toluidine | Reported per batch |
| N,N-Diethyl content | Reported per batch |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Colour (APHA) | 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. On this product the two numbers that usually decide whether a lot is usable are free m-toluidine and the over-alkylated N,N-diethyl content — tell us your ceilings for both and we will quote against them.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquid at ambient |
| Boiling point | ≈ 218 – 222 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 88 – 95 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 0.93 – 0.95 |
| Refractive index | ≈ 1.549 – 1.554 |
| Water solubility | Practically insoluble |
| Organic solubility | Miscible with alcohol, acetone, ether, aromatics |
| Amine class | Secondary (one N-H) |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 102-27-2 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
Almost everything done with N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine starts by using the remaining N-H. That is what separates it from the tertiary amines in the same family.
Dye coupler precursors
Further substitution at nitrogen — hydroxyethylation, cyanoethylation, benzylation — converts this material into the specific coupling components used across azo dye synthesis, where the substituent chosen tunes shade, solubility and fastness.
- Azo and basic dye coupling components
- Shade and fastness tuned at nitrogen
- See our dye intermediate range
Route to tertiary amines
A second alkylation converts the material to the corresponding N,N-dialkyl toluidine — the direct route to tertiary amine accelerators and fully alkylated dye intermediates when a mixed alkyl pattern is wanted rather than a symmetrical one.
- Mixed N,N-dialkyl toluidines
- Controlled second alkylation
- See N,N-Diethyl-m-Toluidine
Agrochemical intermediates
Secondary aromatic amines of this type appear in agrochemical synthesis routes where the nitrogen is subsequently acylated or built into a heterocyclic ring system.
- Acylation and ring-closure routes
- Custom synthesis quantities available
- Technical desk review of your route
Pigment & specialty colourants
Beyond soluble dyes, the same building block supports pigment and specialty colourant routes where a defined alkylamino-toluene fragment is needed in the final chromophore.
- Organic pigment intermediates
- Tight residual-amine limits usually apply
- Custom specification quoted on request
Laboratory & development use
Research and process development groups use small quantities when scoping a new coupling component or evaluating an alternative substitution pattern against an existing shade.
- Reagent-grade material on request
- Small pack sizes available
- Full analytical documentation available
Contract & scheduled supply
Dye intermediate plants run to campaign, not to a calendar month. Most buyers want tonnage released against a production plan rather than in a single 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 N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. On a mono-alkylated amine, where the whole quality conversation is about how tightly a plant holds its alkylation distribution, owning no plant means we can route your order to whichever producer actually holds it.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your impurity ceilings, 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.
- Alkylation level confirmed before we quote. Mono or di, meta or para — we settle that in the first reply, because it is where this product line goes wrong most often.
- Impurity profile reported, not averaged. Free m-toluidine and N,N-diethyl content appear as separate numbers on the COA, because that is what your coupling step actually responds to.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Colour protected in packing. Where shade matters, we arrange nitrogen-blanketed drums so the material you qualified is the material that arrives.
- 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. Hazard classification, UN-approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Pack format drives your landed cost and your handling effort. Tell us how the material will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
MS / HDPE-lined drums
UN-certified drums, the standard format for LCL and smaller commercial movements. Nitrogen blanketing on request where colour matters.
IBC totes
Intermediate bulk containers for full-container liquid loads, reducing packing cost per litre for high-volume users.
Bulk isotainer
For contracted campaign tonnage, bulk isotank shipment offers the lowest cost per kilo and the least handling exposure.
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 intermediate production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Treat it as a skin-absorbed aromatic amine
N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine is harmful by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes and is hazardous to the aquatic environment. 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.H312Harmful in contact with skin.H332Harmful if inhaled.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect classifications commonly published for CAS 102-27-2. Aromatic amines as a class are associated with methaemoglobin formation on significant exposure, and some suppliers list additional organ-toxicity entries. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum arrives, not after a valve leaks. 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 toxic to aquatic life. Absorb with inert material and collect into a labelled container for licensed disposal.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Watch for delayed signs. Methaemoglobinaemia from aromatic amine exposure may present some time after contact. A casualty who feels fine should still be assessed.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. The treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Ventilate before re-entry. Vapour is heavier than air and collects in pits, sumps and low corners of a bunded area.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, out of direct sunlight and away from heat and ignition sources.
- Keep containers tightly closed and preferably under nitrogen. The available N-H makes this material more prone to oxidative colour drift than the fully alkylated analogues.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, acid chlorides, anhydrides and strong acids — a secondary amine reacts readily with all of them.
- Bunded, sealed floor. Aquatic toxicity means spill containment is a control measure, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. Closed transfer and mechanical pumping first, local exhaust ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Aromatic amines of this type pass through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection.
- Respiratory protection where vapour may exceed exposure limits, particularly during drum opening, sampling and transfer, per your own exposure assessment.
- Eye protection as standard — the material is a serious eye irritant.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H411 applies — contain spills and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
The material moves as regulated cargo and is normally consigned as a toxic liquid under 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 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 with free m-toluidine and N,N-diethyl content reported separately, plus moisture and colour — checked against your 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 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.
One N-H left — and that is the handle
The commercial character of this product is set by a single remaining N-H bond. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Mono-alkylate the toluidine
m-Toluidine is ethylated under controlled conditions to favour the mono product — selectivity here is what defines the grade.
Separate the distribution
Unreacted m-toluidine and the over-alkylated N,N-diethyl species are removed by distillation, and what remains is reported on the COA.
Functionalise at nitrogen
Downstream, the N-H is hydroxyethylated, cyanoethylated, benzylated or acylated to give the specific coupling component a dye route requires.
Couple to the chromophore
The finished coupler is reacted with a diazonium salt or condensed into a larger structure, where the meta methyl tunes shade and fastness.
Why feed quality carries through the whole route
On a mono-alkylated amine, the impurities are not random contamination — they are the neighbouring members of the same reaction, and each one misbehaves in a predictable way:
- Free m-toluidine is a primary amine. It diazotises, it couples, and it will build an unwanted chromophore alongside the one you want.
- N,N-Diethyl over-alkylation product has no N-H at all, so it simply refuses to take the downstream functionalisation and ends up as dead weight in the charge.
- Isomeric toluidines carried through from the feed give the methyl group in the wrong position — a shade shift your dye house will see immediately.
- Oxidation products from air and light exposure are coloured species that carry into the finished dye.
That is why the COA on this product reports free amine and over-alkylated content as separate figures instead of folding them into one "total impurities" number, and why we share it for approval before dispatch rather than sending it with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Amine class & behaviour |
|---|---|
| m-Toluidine CAS 108-44-1 | Primary — diazotises |
| N-Ethyl-m-toluidine CAS 102-27-2 — this product | Secondary — functionalise at N |
| N,N-Diethyl-m-toluidine CAS 91-67-8 | Tertiary — reacts at the ring only |
We supply across this series — 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
This 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.
Selectivity costs money
Mono-alkylation is never clean. Holding a tight ceiling on both free amine and the over-alkylated product means recycling streams and more distillation — which is exactly what you are paying for when a tighter grade costs more.
- Tighter impurity limits narrow the source list
- Ask yourself what your route truly needs
- We will tell you when you are over-specifying
Upstream feedstock
The route runs back through toluene, nitrotoluene and m-toluidine. Movements in toluene, nitration economics and ethylating agent cost feed through within a quarter or so.
- m-Toluidine availability sets the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
Aromatic amine production carries real compliance cost — effluent treatment, exposure monitoring, waste handling. That cost sits inside the price and is one reason capacity has consolidated rather than expanded.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Effluent rules shape plant economics
- We check destination rules before quoting
Dye market seasonality
Downstream dye demand follows textile production cycles, and intermediate buying runs a quarter or two ahead of it. Quoting at the top of that cycle costs more than quoting against a contract.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround, an environmental inspection or a monsoon disruption can take capacity offline 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 coupler synthesis | Low free m-toluidine; low N,N-diethyl; colour ceiling |
| Second alkylation | Consistent assay; existing N,N-diethyl content stated |
| Agrochemical route | Residual-amine and moisture limits set by your step |
| Custom synthesis | Full GC profile; retention sample held |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, fast despatch |
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
- Confirm mono versus di before anything else. It is the single most common source of a wasted shipment on this product line, and we settle it in the first reply.
- Match a grade to your process. Tell us what you do at nitrogen next and we will recommend ceilings for free amine and over-alkylated content accordingly.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. Skin absorption and aquatic toxicity are stated at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision.
- 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
- Aromatic amine 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.
- Import controls vary by destination. 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 for that filing.
- Effluent and waste rules matter because of the aquatic classification. Check your site's 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 102-27-2, your assay and impurity ceilings, 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.
Others in the Chelora range
What buyers ask us about N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine
How is this different from N,N-diethyl-m-toluidine?
What purity do you normally supply?
Can you control the over-alkylated impurity?
Why does the material darken during storage?
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
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Request pricing on N-Ethyl-m-Toluidine
Send your required assay, impurity 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 pack or a contracted programme for the year.