Ortho Ethyl Aniline
Ortho Ethyl Aniline — OEA or 2-ethylaniline — is an ortho-alkylated aniline supplied as a clear liquid. The ethyl group sitting next to the amino group gives it a steric and electronic profile distinct from plain aniline, which is exactly why formulators reach for it in agrochemical intermediate chemistry, azo dye and pigment synthesis, and a range of pharmaceutical and rubber-chemical building blocks.
Chelora Chemicals supplies OEA to agrochemical formulators, dye houses and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in drums, IBCs and bulk quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 578-54-1
- IUPAC name
- 2-Ethylaniline
- Molecular formula
- C8H11N
- Molecular weight
- 121.18 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 209-424-2
- MDL number
- MFCD00007751
- SMILES
- CCc1ccccc1N
- HS Code
- 2921 49*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of alkylated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What Ortho Ethyl Aniline is used for
Ortho Ethyl Aniline is an aniline carrying a single ethyl group ortho to the amino group. That one substitution changes the picture in two ways: it crowds the nitrogen sterically, which shapes how readily the amine acylates or condenses, and it leaves a lipophilic ethyl handle on the ring that carries through into whatever is built from it. The result is a workhorse intermediate across agrochemical, colour and fine chemical manufacture.
In practice OEA is bought to be reacted onward — acylated into herbicide and crop-protection intermediates, diazotised for azo dye and pigment work, or condensed into pharmaceutical and rubber-chemical building blocks. Very little of it reaches an end formulation unchanged.
Why the isomer and substitution pattern matter
Ethylaniline exists as three ring-substituted isomers plus the N-alkylated form, and each serves a different corner of the industry:
- 2-Ethylaniline / Ortho Ethyl Aniline (CAS 578-54-1) — this product. Ethyl group ortho to the amine, giving steric hindrance at nitrogen.
- 3-Ethylaniline (CAS 587-02-0) — the meta isomer, used in its own dye and fine-chemical routes where the 1,3 substitution pattern is required.
- 4-Ethylaniline (CAS 589-16-2) — the para isomer, with the ethyl group opposite the amine, favoured in some polymer and dye intermediate chemistry.
- N,N-Diethylaniline (CAS 91-66-7) — the tertiary amine formed by alkylating the nitrogen itself rather than the ring, used in dye and optical-brightener chemistry.
If your purchase order simply says "ethylaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. See our full range of aniline and amine intermediates for the sister isomers and related alkylanilines we supply, including the doubly-ethylated 2,6-diethylaniline.
Appearance and handling character
OEA ships as a colourless to pale yellow or light amber clear liquid, with a melting point of about -44 °C — meaning it stays liquid in virtually any store or transit condition. It is only slightly soluble in water but dissolves readily in alcohols, toluene and most organic solvents. Like other primary aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, drifting from colourless through yellow toward amber and red-brown over time. Read the safety section before planning handling: this is a toxic aromatic amine absorbed through the skin, and controls should be designed in from the outset.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% 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 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 | Clear liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ -44 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 216 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 99 °C (closed cup) |
| Relative density | ≈ 0.98 |
| Refractive index | ≈ 1.559 (20 °C) |
| Water solubility | Slightly soluble |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols, toluene & most organic solvents |
| Odour | Faint, amine-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 578-54-1 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
OEA is a general-purpose alkylaniline rather than a single-outlet one. Its volume is spread across agrochemical intermediates, colour chemistry, pharma and specialty synthesis.
Agrochemical intermediates
The largest single outlet. OEA is acylated to build crop-protection intermediates — the ortho ethyl group's steric bulk is often exactly what a formulator wants at that step. Purity and isomer control here directly affect downstream yield.
- Acylation to amide/urea agro intermediates
- Isomer purity affects reaction selectivity
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Azo dyes & pigments
Diazotised OEA is coupled onto naphthol and acetoacetarylide components to build azo dyes and pigments. The ortho ethyl substituent shifts shade and improves fastness relative to unsubstituted aniline chemistry.
- Diazo component in azo dye synthesis
- Isomer content shows up directly as off-shade
- See also related alkylaniline dyes intermediates
Pharmaceutical intermediates
The 2-ethylphenyl fragment appears across several established synthesis routes, and OEA is a convenient way to install it — through amide formation, ring construction or N-arylation chemistry.
- Amide, urea and sulfonamide formation
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- See our full pharma intermediate range
Rubber chemicals
Alkylanilines of this type feed into rubber antioxidant and accelerator synthesis routes, where the aromatic amine core provides the radical-scavenging or vulcanisation chemistry the finished additive needs.
- Antioxidant & antidegradant precursor chemistry
- Consistent assay protects downstream reaction yield
- Ask about our rubber-chemical intermediate range
Fine & specialty synthesis
A well-behaved aryl amine building block for custom amides, ureas, Schiff bases and ligand work where the ortho-ethyl substitution and its steric profile are specifically required.
- Custom amide and urea formation
- Steric profile useful in ligand design
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
Agrochemical and dye intermediate plants run to campaign, not to a calendar month. Most OEA buyers want tonnage released against a production plan rather than in one shipment. We hold inventory and release it to your schedule.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Ortho Ethyl Aniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no aniline plant — and for a specification-sensitive intermediate like this one, that independence works in your favour. We are never obliged to push you whatever a captive unit happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your colour ceiling, 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 578-54-1 and not the meta or para isomer, or the N,N-diethylated grade, before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and colour profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. This material is toxic by all three exposure routes, 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 a liquid, light-sensitive amine. Sealed drums, inert-gas headspace and dark stowage all matter for a material that oxidises in air and light. We plan these 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 OEA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
As a liquid, air- and light-sensitive amine, pack format drives both your landed cost and the colour quality of the material on arrival. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
MS / lacquered steel drums
UN-certified drums, nitrogen-blanketed and sealed, the default format for LCL movements and for plants charging batch-wise by hand.
IBC totes
Stackable intermediate bulk containers for plants moving toward mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements and lower packing cost per litre than drums.
Bulk liquid transport
For full-container and campaign-tonnage buyers, ISO tank containers or flexitanks cut packaging cost and handling entirely for large recurring orders.
Samples & trial packs
Amber-glass or lined-can 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
Agrochemical and dye intermediate production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a toxic aromatic amine
This is the point on the page that matters most. Ortho ethyl aniline is toxic by all three principal exposure routes — oral, dermal and inhalation — and is absorbed through intact skin like most aromatic amines. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection, exposure monitoring and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H373May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Hazard statements reflect classifications commonly published for CAS 578-54-1 across REACH registration and supplier SDS data. Current harmonised classifications for this CAS do not carry a carcinogenicity entry, but classifications are periodically reviewed — always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and treat it as the document that shapes your controls.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum is opened, not after a spill. 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. Absorb spilled liquid onto inert material and collect into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Ventilate the area. Vapour from a spill can accumulate in enclosed spaces — increase ventilation and avoid ignition sources given the flash point of roughly 99 °C.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Aromatic amines of this type can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Record significant exposures. H373 flags a repeated-exposure organ effect, so most occupational regimes expect an exposure record where a significant incident occurs.
Storage
- Cool, dark, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Recommended storage below about 15 °C where practical to slow colour drift.
- Keep containers tightly closed under inert gas where possible. Air and light drive the colourless-to-amber drift typical of anilines, and an open drum also picks up moisture.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Access-controlled storage. Restricting who can reach the store is part of the control for a toxic aromatic amine, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 12–18 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 charging first, ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Alkylanilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection.
- Respiratory protection where vapour or mist may be generated — particularly during drum-opening and transfer — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance where indicated. H373 signals a repeated-exposure organ effect; your occupational health provider and EHS function own the detail of any monitoring programme.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Collect spills as liquid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
OEA 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.
The two routes out of this aniline
Almost everything made from OEA leaves by one of two doors: acylation of the amine, or diazotisation. Understanding which one you are using explains why the specification matters and which impurity will hurt you. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the aniline
OEA provides a primary aromatic amine with an ethyl group locked ortho to the nitrogen, shaping how readily the amine reacts at that position.
Door one — acylate
Reaction with an acid chloride or anhydride gives an amide, the entry point into agrochemical and fine-chemical intermediate chemistry.
Door two — diazotise
Sodium nitrite in acid at low temperature gives the diazonium salt, which is coupled onto a naphthol or acetoacetarylide to build an azo dye or pigment.
Finish to grade
The crude product is purified, washed and dried, then standardised to whatever the end market demands — colour target, agro spec or pharmaceutical limit.
Why aniline quality carries through the whole route
Both doors act 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 acylate or diazotise in parallel and give structurally similar products — a contaminated amide in agro work, an off-shade chromophore in colour work.
- Residual water is tolerable in some steps but destroys an acid chloride reagent on the amide route, wasting reagent and generating HCl in the batch.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the amber drift — dull a finished shade and can show as colour in an otherwise clear liquid.
- 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 "98% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| Ortho Ethyl Aniline CAS 578-54-1 — this product | Agrochemical intermediates Azo dyes & pigments Pharma & rubber chemicals |
| 2,6-Diethylaniline CAS 579-66-8 | Chloroacetanilide herbicides Rubber & polymer chemistry |
| N,N-Diethylaniline CAS 91-66-7 | Dyes & optical brighteners |
If your route calls for one of the others, we supply those as well — see our full aniline & amine intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
OEA 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.
Agrochemical demand cycles
Crop-protection buyers order ahead of the sowing season in major agricultural markets, which pulls hard on ethylaniline supply at predictable times of year.
- Quote early for pre-season campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to OEA runs through aniline and ethylene or ethanol alkylation chemistry. Movements in benzene, ammonia and ethylene feed through to the aniline within a quarter or so.
- Benzene and ethylene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory review
Aromatic amine classifications are periodically reviewed by regulators. A tightened classification raises the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material, and 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 litre falls from drums to IBCs to ISO tanks — and bulk formats also cut the number of times an operator opens a container.
- Drums carry the highest packing cost
- ISO tanks are cheapest per litre at volume
- Less manual handling means less 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 |
|---|---|
| Agrochemical intermediates | Tight isomer limit, controlled moisture |
| Azo dyes & pigments | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low insolubles |
| Pharmaceutical chain | Tight isomer limit; metals and residues reported |
| Rubber chemicals | High assay with consistent colour |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction you are running and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the drum
What our technical desk will do
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us the step you are running and we will recommend the specification — and say so plainly when a tighter, costlier grade would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the acute-toxicity classification at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision, rather than meeting it for the first time on the label.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — cold-climate stores need less anti-colour-drift protection than a store in the tropics.
- 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 classifications are periodically reviewed. Several regimes impose exposure monitoring and record-keeping for toxic aromatic amines. 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.
- Downstream article restrictions can apply to certain colourant and consumer applications. Your regulatory team should confirm the finished-article position for the end use you have in mind.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 578-54-1, 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, dye and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme — browse the full range on our products page.
What buyers ask us about Ortho Ethyl Aniline
Is this material classified as a carcinogen?
Can I use the meta or para isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
Why does the liquid darken in storage?
How should we store it, and what is the shelf life?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
- Batch certificate of analysis
- GHS-format safety data sheet
- Dangerous-goods declaration with UN number, class and packing group
- Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or airway bill
- Certificate of origin and any destination-specific forms
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on Ortho 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 container programme for the year.