Ortho Nitroaniline
Ortho Nitroaniline — ONA or 2-nitroaniline — is one of the classic nitroaniline dye intermediates, best known as C.I. Azoic Diazo Component 6, the diazo base behind the Fast Orange family of azoic dyes used across cotton and viscose dyeing. It is also a general precursor across pharmaceutical, agrochemical and UV-absorber chemistry.
Chelora Chemicals supplies ONA to dye manufacturers, pharmaceutical intermediate producers and agrochemical formulators worldwide, in bags, drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 88-74-4
- IUPAC name
- 2-Nitroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H6N2O2
- Molecular weight
- 138.12 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 201-855-4
- MDL number
- MFCD00007687
- SMILES
- Nc1ccccc1[N+](=O)[O-]
- UN Number
- UN 1661
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of nitroaniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What Ortho Nitroaniline is used for
Ortho Nitroaniline places a single nitro group ortho to the amine — the simplest possible nitroaniline substitution besides the meta and para isomers. That single nitro group deactivates the ring moderately, gives the compound its characteristic orange colour, and makes it a workhorse diazo component in azoic dyeing, the classic cotton and viscose colouring process built around insoluble azo pigments generated directly on the fibre.
Under the Colour Index it is registered as C.I. Azoic Diazo Component 6, traded historically under names including Fast Orange GR Base and Fast Orange GR Salt. Beyond dye chemistry, ONA is also reduced to 2-aminophenol and other diamine/aminophenol intermediates for further dye, pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis.
Where it sits in the nitroaniline family
- 2-Nitroaniline / ONA (CAS 88-74-4) — this product. Nitro ortho to the amine, lowest melting point of the three simple isomers.
- 4-Nitroaniline / PNA (CAS 100-01-6) — nitro para to the amine; see our separate product page, the reduction precursor to para-phenylenediamine.
- 3-Nitroaniline — the meta isomer, used across a distinct set of dye and agrochemical routes.
If your purchase order simply says "nitroaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct isomer before the order is placed. We supply the sister isomers as well — see our full nitroaniline range.
Appearance and handling character
ONA ships as an orange crystalline solid with a musty odour, melting around 72 °C. It is only sparingly soluble in water and sinks and mixes slowly with it, but dissolves well in ethanol and acetone. Read the safety section below before planning handling: ONA is toxic, poses an explosion risk under specific incompatible conditions, and is sensitive to prolonged light exposure, so treat it with the same discipline as any classified nitroaromatic amine.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Orange crystals, powder or flakes |
| Assay | 98.5% min |
| Melting range | 70 – 74 °C |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.5% max |
| Infrared spectrum | Conforms to structure |
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 or a specific colour ceiling, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Crystalline solid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 70 – 73 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 284 °C |
| Flash point | ≈ 168 °C |
| Density | ≈ 1.255 g/cm³ |
| Water solubility | Insoluble / poorly soluble |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in ethanol, acetone |
| Odour | Musty |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 88-74-4 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
ONA's volume is concentrated in azoic dye chemistry, with meaningful outlets in pharmaceutical, agrochemical and UV-absorber synthesis.
Azoic dyeing — C.I. Azoic Diazo Component 6
The classic outlet. ONA is diazotised on the fibre or in a preparation bath and coupled with a naphthol to generate an insoluble orange azo pigment directly in the material — the basis of the Fast Orange range for cotton and viscose.
- Azoic diazo component for cotton/viscose dyeing
- Purity governs coupling strength and shade
- See our full dye intermediate range
Pharmaceutical intermediates
Reduced to 2-aminophenol or otherwise built upon, ONA is a recognised feedstock across pharmaceutical intermediate synthesis routes.
- Reduction to 2-aminophenol and related intermediates
- GMP-adjacent documentation available on request
Agrochemical intermediates
The reactive amine and nitro functionality support ONA's use as a building block in certain agrochemical active-ingredient and intermediate synthesis routes.
- Agrochemical intermediate synthesis
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
UV absorbers
2-Nitroaniline chemistry contributes to certain UV-absorbing compound syntheses used in plastics, coatings and textile finishing to protect materials from photo-degradation.
- UV-absorber intermediate synthesis
- Consistent purity supports consistent absorption profile
Fine & research chemistry
A well-characterised, widely used nitroaromatic building block for custom research chemistry, method development and process work across academic and industrial laboratories.
- Research and process-development quantities
- Technical desk support on new routes
Contract & scheduled supply
Dye, pharmaceutical and agrochemical plants run to production campaign, not calendar month. We hold inventory and release it against your production plan rather than in one shipment.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Ortho Nitroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no nitration plant — and for a high-volume dye 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 tolerance, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line, so a plant disruption does not stall your dyehouse production schedule.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 88-74-4 and not the para or meta isomer before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, melting range and colour against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. We say what the classification is 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 dyehouse or R&D team runs a coupling 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.
- Consolidation onto one bill of lading. Ship ONA 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 it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Multi-wall paper & PE bags
Laminated multi-wall bags with an inner liner, palletised and shrink-wrapped. The default for LCL movements and batch-wise charging.
Fibre & HDPE drums
UN-certified drums with liner for longer sea transits and humid destinations, meeting the packing requirements for this hazard classification.
Jumbo / FIBC bags
Bulk bags with liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements and lower packing cost per kilo.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your dyehouse or R&D team can run a coupling trial before committing to 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 and pharmaceutical-intermediate production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle it as a toxic, light-sensitive solid
Ortho Nitroaniline is toxic if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled, and reference sources note it may be sensitive to prolonged light exposure and can form dangerously reactive mixtures with certain oxidisers. 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, storage planning and emergency response.
Typical hazard indicators
H301+H311+H331Toxic if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled.H372Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.H412Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Reference sources also note that ONA can react vigorously with concentrated sulfuric acid above roughly 200 °C, is incompatible with acids, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides and strong oxidisers, and forms extremely reactive addition compounds with certain highly nitrated reagents. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and plan storage segregation accordingly.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the pallet arrives, not after a bag splits. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Sweep, do not hose. Collect spilled solid mechanically into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Suppress dust. Dry sweeping of a fine solid generates an inhalable aerosol — use vacuum collection or dampen carefully in line with the SDS.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Nitroanilines can cause methaemoglobinaemia. The treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand for a targeted response.
- Keep away from concentrated sulfuric acid and strong oxidisers at all times, in storage and in the event of a spill.
Storage
- Cool, dark, well-ventilated store, given the material's noted light sensitivity, in addition to standard segregation from heat and ignition sources.
- Keep containers tightly closed and segregated from strong acids, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides, chloroformates and strong oxidisers.
- Access-controlled storage, restricting who can reach the store, is good practice for a classified toxic solid.
- 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. Chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection.
- Respiratory protection where dust may be generated, per your own exposure assessment.
- Never combine with concentrated sulfuric acid or magnesium-type reducing metals outside a deliberately engineered and risk-assessed process.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H412 applies — collect spills as solid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
ONA moves as regulated cargo under UN 1661. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made — 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, moisture, melting range and appearance — 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 1661 declared correctly, with IMDG or IATA paperwork 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.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
ONA 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.
Textile dyeing demand cycles
Azoic dyeing demand for cotton and viscose tracks textile production, which has its own regional seasonal pattern.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to ONA runs through benzene and nitration–reduction chemistry. Movements in benzene and nitric acid feed through within a quarter or so.
- Benzene and nitric acid set the floor
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from 25 kg bags to drums to jumbo bags. Bulk formats also cut the number of times an operator opens a pack.
- Small bags carry the highest packing cost
- FIBC is cheapest per kilo at volume
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo under UN 1661, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround or a feedstock disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. Single-sourced buyers feel this hardest.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
Purity tier
Pharmaceutical and UV-absorber use typically demands tighter residue and colour limits than dyehouse-grade material, which shifts the quote accordingly.
- Tell us your end use and we quote the right tier
- Overspecifying a dye-grade order wastes money
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 88-74-4, the assay and colour 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. Browse our full range of nitroaniline and dye intermediates — our sourcing desk will confirm exact availability and specification against the CAS number you need.
What buyers ask us about Ortho Nitroaniline
What is C.I. Azoic Diazo Component 6?
Can I use para-nitroaniline instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
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?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on Ortho Nitroaniline
Send your required assay, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial bag or a contracted container programme for the year.