Monoethylamine (MEA) · 70% aqueous solution, alcoholic solutions and anhydrous gas
Ethylamine is the primary amine that puts an N-ethyl group into a molecule, and the workhorse nitrogen source behind triazine herbicides. Chelora Amines supplies it worldwide — to agrochemical, pharmaceutical, rubber chemical, dye and oilfield plants across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, as well as throughout India. Packed in carboys, drums, IBC totes or cylinders, shipped in UN-specification packaging with a batch-wise COA and SDS.
24.02 + 5.04 + 14.01 + 2.02 = 45.08 g/mol
Ethylamine, also written monoethylamine, is ammonia with one hydrogen replaced by an ethyl group. It is a primary amine: the nitrogen keeps two hydrogens, so it can be acylated, alkylated, condensed with a carbonyl or built into a ring. The extra carbon compared with methylamine makes it slightly more basic and noticeably more soluble in organic phases, which is why some processes specify it even where a methyl group would fit.
In its pure form it is a colourless gas just above room temperature, boiling at 16.6 °C, with a sharp ammoniacal smell. The practical forms are a 70% solution in water, which is the standard commercial pack, a 30–33% solution in ethanol, methanol or THF for moisture-sensitive work, and anhydrous liquefied gas in cylinders and ISO tanks for large synthesis plants.
Industrially it is made by reacting ethanol with ammonia over an acidic or metal-promoted catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure, with some producers running a reductive amination of acetaldehyde or a direct addition of ammonia to ethylene. All routes give mono-, di- and triethylamine together, separated by distillation — which is why an ethylamine specification always states the diethylamine and triethylamine content.
| Chemical name | Ethylamine (ethanamine) |
| Common synonyms | Monoethylamine, MEA, aminoethane, mono-ethyl amine |
| CAS number | 75-04-7 |
| EC / EINECS number | 200-834-7 |
| HS / HSN code | 2921 19 (other acyclic monoamines; the full national code is stated on your invoice) |
| Molecular formula | C₂H₅NH₂ (C₂H₇N) |
| Molecular weight | 45.08 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colourless gas or volatile liquid; clear colourless liquid as a solution |
| Odour | Strong ammoniacal, fish-like |
| Melting point | −81 °C |
| Boiling point | 16.6 °C (anhydrous) |
| Density | 0.689 g/cm³ (anhydrous, 15 °C); about 0.80 g/cm³ for the 70% aqueous solution |
| Vapour pressure | About 1.2 bar at 20 °C (anhydrous) |
| Solubility in water | Completely miscible |
| pKa of conjugate acid | About 10.7 at 25 °C |
| pH | Strongly alkaline in aqueous solution |
| Flammability limits in air | Approximately 3.5 – 14 vol % |
| Auto-ignition temperature | About 385 °C |
| UN number | UN 1036 (anhydrous, Class 2.1); UN 2270 (aqueous solution 50–70%, Class 3 with subsidiary 8) |
Figures are typical literature values for orientation. Values for the material you order are stated on its Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet.
Two properties explain almost everything ethylamine is used for: the nitrogen lone pair makes it a strong base, and the small ethyl group leaves that nitrogen open and nucleophilic. These are the reaction types process chemists reach for it to do.
Displaces chlorine from cyanuric chloride at controlled temperature to install the N-ethylamino group. This is the step behind several of the best known selective herbicides, usually run with a second amine at the next position.
C₃N₃Cl₃ + C₂H₅NH₂ → ethylamino triazineWith acid chlorides, anhydrides and esters it forms N-ethyl amides — a common single step in pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis. An excess of amine or a separate base soaks up the acid released.
RCOCl + C₂H₅NH₂ → RCONHC₂H₅Condenses with aldehydes and ketones to give an imine that is reduced in situ to a secondary N-ethyl amine. Alcoholic ethylamine solutions are preferred here, because water shifts the imine equilibrium backwards.
R₂C=O + C₂H₅NH₂ → R₂CH–NHC₂H₅Reacts with mineral and organic acids to give water-soluble ethylammonium salts, used to make herbicide salt formulations soluble and to buffer acidic process streams.
C₂H₅NH₂ + HCl → C₂H₅NH₃⁺Cl⁻Adds across isocyanates to give N-ethyl ureas, and reacts with carbonates and chloroformates to give N-ethyl carbamates — intermediates for herbicides, thiocarbamates and drug candidates.
RNCO + C₂H₅NH₂ → RNHCONHC₂H₅With carbon disulfide and a base it gives ethyldithiocarbamate salts, used as flotation collectors in mineral processing and as intermediates for rubber and fungicide chemistry.
C₂H₅NH₂ + CS₂ → dithiocarbamateDisplaces halide from alkyl and activated aryl halides to give secondary amines. Over-alkylation is the usual risk, and it is controlled by running a large excess of ethylamine and keeping the temperature down.
R–X + C₂H₅NH₂ → R–NHC₂H₅Because the conjugate acid has a pKa near 10.7, ethylamine mops up HCl and other acids generated during a reaction, keeping the pH where the main chemistry works.
pKa ≈ 10.7 at 25 °CProcess notes. Reactions with ethylamine are usually exothermic, so add it under control and keep cooling available. Sealed vessels build pressure because the boiling point is only just above room temperature — vent or design for pressure rather than heating a closed drum. Where water interferes, move from the 70% aqueous grade to an alcoholic solution or anhydrous gas rather than trying to dry the solution on site.
Discuss your processPractically all commercial ethylamine comes from a catalytic amination route. Knowing how it is made explains why the specification always controls diethylamine, triethylamine and free ammonia — they are made in the same reactor.
Ethanol and ammonia are vaporised and mixed, with the ammonia in excess to push the equilibrium towards the mono-substituted product.
The mixture passes over an acidic alumina, zeolite or metal-promoted catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure, with hydrogen present on metal-catalysed routes.
The reactor delivers mono-, di- and triethylamine together with unreacted ammonia, ethanol and water.
A distillation train, including an extractive column to break the azeotropes, splits the three ethylamines. Off-spec cuts and unreacted feed are recycled to the reactor.
Product is dried for anhydrous grade or diluted to 70% in water, tested, then filled into carboys, drums, totes or cylinders under nitrogen.
Because all three ethylamines leave the reactor together, the real quality question is not simply "how much ethylamine" but "what else came with it". Residual diethylamine will form a tertiary by-product in your reaction, triethylamine will not react at all and simply reports as unusable mass, and free ammonia competes for the same electrophile — which in a triazine step means an unwanted amino-substituted product that has to be removed later.
If your downstream step is sensitive to any of these, say so at enquiry stage and we will match the batch rather than send the standard commercial cut.
In sealed original packing, stored cool and out of sunlight, ethylamine solutions are normally used within twelve months, and we recommend a re-check of assay and colour after that before a critical batch. The material does not "go off" so much as drift: air and carbon dioxide ingress form carbonate and raise the APHA colour, and repeated opening of a part-used drum is the usual cause.
Keep drums closed between draws, blanket bulk tanks with nitrogen where you can, and avoid storing part-used packs next to a heat source. A retained sample of each batch is held here, so if a consignment is ever queried we can test against the original.
Tell us the reaction and the solvent system and we will confirm the form, strength and grade. Commercial grade covers most production use; LR and AR grades are available for laboratory and analytical work.
The everyday commercial form. Easy to pump, store and dose, and suitable wherever water is tolerated in the reaction.
Ethylamine in ethanol, methanol or THF for moisture-sensitive synthesis, reductive amination and fine chemical work.
Liquefied gas for continuous plants and high-volume ethylation, supplied in cylinders, tonners and ISO tanks.
Tighter limits on ammonia, diethylamine and triethylamine for R&D, method development and QC use.
| Parameter | Test method | Typical specification |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual | Clear, colourless liquid, free from suspended matter |
| Assay (ethylamine) | Titration / GC | 69.0 – 71.0 % w/w |
| Diethylamine | GC | ≤ 0.5 % w/w |
| Triethylamine | GC | ≤ 0.2 % w/w |
| Free ammonia | GC | ≤ 0.2 % w/w |
| Colour | APHA | ≤ 15 |
| Non-volatile matter | Gravimetric | ≤ 0.05 % w/w |
| Density at 25 °C | Densitometer | 0.795 – 0.810 g/cm³ |
| Iron (Fe) | AAS | ≤ 2 ppm |
Indicative specification for planning. The controlling document is the Certificate of Analysis issued for your batch. If your process needs tighter limits on diethylamine, triethylamine or water, say so at enquiry stage and we will quote against your specification.
This is the single most common question at enquiry stage, and the answer is decided by your reaction rather than by price. Use the table to narrow it down, then send us the step you are running and we will confirm.
| Point of comparison | 70% aqueous solution | 30–33% alcoholic solution | Anhydrous liquefied gas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Triazine chemistry, salt formation, neutralisation, formulations where water is fine | Reductive amination, amide coupling and moisture-sensitive steps | Continuous plants, high-volume ethylation, gas-phase and pressure reactions |
| Water content | About 30% by weight | Low, controlled to specification | Essentially none |
| Handling | Pump or gravity decant; ordinary liquid handling | As for aqueous, plus flammable-solvent controls | Pressure equipment, trained operators, gas detection |
| Storage | Cool, ventilated, bunded, sealed containers | Flammable-liquid store with earthing and bonding | Gas store or bulk tank, pressure-rated and relief-protected |
| Packs | 25 L carboy, 160 kg drum, 1000 L IBC | Carboys and drums | Cylinders, tonners, ISO tanks |
| Amine per kilogram delivered | Lower — you also pay to move water, though less than with a 40% solution | Middle | Highest |
| Transport classification | UN 2270, Class 3 with subsidiary 8 | UN 2270 or solvent-dependent, Class 3 with subsidiary 8 | UN 1036, Class 2.1 flammable gas |
Three products, one reactor, very different chemistry. Ordering the wrong one is the most expensive mistake a purchase team can make with this family, and abbreviations are usually how it happens.
| Property | Ethylamine | Diethylamine (DEA) | Triethylamine (TEA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAS number | 75-04-7 | 109-89-7 | 121-44-8 |
| Formula | C₂H₅NH₂ | (C₂H₅)₂NH | (C₂H₅)₃N |
| Molecular weight | 45.08 | 73.14 | 101.19 |
| Amine class | Primary — two N–H bonds free | Secondary — one N–H bond free | Tertiary — no N–H bond |
| Boiling point | 16.6 °C | 55.5 °C | 89.5 °C |
| State at 25 °C | Gas; supplied as a solution | Liquid | Liquid |
| pKa of conjugate acid | About 10.7 | About 11.0 | About 10.75 |
| Typical outlets | Triazine herbicides, pharma intermediates, dyes, oilfield chemicals | Rubber accelerators, insect repellents, pharma intermediates, corrosion inhibitors | Acid scavenger, foundry cold-box catalyst, quaternary ammonium compounds |
| Can it be further substituted? | Yes, twice | Yes, once | No — only quaternised |
A warning about "MEA". In the chemical trade those three letters almost always mean monoethanolamine, CAS 141-43-5, which is a completely different product from monoethylamine. The same trap sits on the other two: DEA can mean diethanolamine or diethylamine, and TEA can mean triethanolamine or triethylamine. Always write the full chemical name with the CAS number on the enquiry and the purchase order.
See the full amine rangeMost ethylamine consumption sits in crop protection, with pharmaceutical and specialty chemical synthesis behind it. Here is the full picture, sector by sector.
The dominant outlet. Ethylamine supplies the N-ethyl group in triazine herbicides, and feeds into thiocarbamate and urea herbicides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. It also forms water-soluble salts for liquid formulations.
An N-ethylating agent and building block for bulk drugs — N-ethyl amides and sulfonamides, ethylamino heterocycles, and intermediates for cardiovascular, antimicrobial and CNS actives. Alcoholic solutions are preferred where water would interfere.
Feeds into accelerators, vulcanisation aids and antioxidants, and into blocked-amine curatives, catalysts and chain modifiers for coatings, adhesives and urethane systems.
Used in ethylamino dye intermediates for reactive, disperse and basic dyes, in optical brighteners, and as a base in diazotisation and coupling work.
An intermediate for corrosion inhibitors used in injection and production water, for clay stabilisers, and for dithiocarbamate flotation collectors in mineral processing.
Feeds into chelants, scale and corrosion inhibitors and cationic polymer intermediates used in boiler water, cooling systems and effluent plants.
A raw material for amphoteric and cationic surfactants, emulsifiers, antistatic agents and textile auxiliaries where an N-ethyl head group is wanted.
Goes into fuel and lubricant additives, tanning auxiliaries, photographic and imaging chemicals, and is used as a laboratory base and acid scavenger.
If you are mapping a value chain or looking for the product one step down from where you are, this is where ethylamine ends up. Several of these are chemicals we can also source for you.
| Derivative | Made by | End use |
|---|---|---|
| Ethylamino triazines | Stepwise substitution of cyanuric chloride | Selective pre- and post-emergent herbicides for maize, sugarcane and other broadacre crops |
| Thiocarbamate and urea herbicides | Reaction with carbonyl chlorides, isocyanates or CS₂ | Soil-applied herbicides and selective weed control |
| Ethylamine hydrochloride (CAS 557-66-4) | Neutralisation with hydrochloric acid | Solid, easy-to-weigh reagent for laboratory and pharmaceutical synthesis |
| N-Ethyl amides and sulfonamides | Acylation or sulfonylation | API intermediates, crop-protection actives and fine chemicals |
| N-Ethyl heterocycles | Cyclisation with diketones, dihalides and lactones | API cores, agrochemical actives, catalysts and ionic liquids |
| Ethyl dithiocarbamates | Reaction with carbon disulfide and a base | Flotation collectors in mineral processing and rubber chemical intermediates |
| Ethylamino dye intermediates | Aromatic substitution | Reactive, disperse and basic dyes, optical brighteners and pigments |
| Corrosion inhibitor intermediates | Amidation with fatty acids and imidazoline chemistry | Oilfield, refinery and cooling water treatment packages |
| N-Ethyl ethanolamines | Reaction with ethylene oxide | Gas treating, surfactants, coatings and pharma intermediates |
| Ethylamine-based surfactants | Alkylation and quaternisation | Cationic and amphoteric surfactants, antistatic agents and textile auxiliaries |
Looking for one of these rather than the amine itself? Ask us — several are within our sourcing network, and we can quote the derivative and the raw material together.
Every container carries the Chelora Amines label with product name, strength, net weight, batch number, manufacturing date, UN number and hazard pictograms.
HDPE carboys for lab qualification, pilot batches and low-consumption users.
HDPE and MS drums for the 70% aqueous and alcoholic solutions — the most common pack.
Forklift-ready totes with bottom valves for plants drawing ethylamine every week.
Anhydrous ethylamine in pressure cylinders, tonners and ISO tanks for continuous plants.
Share your monthly consumption, the solvent your process uses and your storage setup, and we will recommend the form, pack size and delivery schedule that keeps your plant running without excess inventory. Export consignments are packed in UN-specification containers, palletised and stretch-wrapped, and shipped FOB, CIF or CFR through Nhava Sheva and Mundra.
Plan my supplyEthylamine is a flammable, corrosive base that boils just above room temperature. The notes below are a summary for planning only — always work to the Safety Data Sheet supplied with your consignment and your own site risk assessment.
Ethylamine is a regulated product in transport and, in several countries, subject to end-use checks. Both are routine for us, but they shape what we need from you before a first shipment moves.
| Item | Aqueous solution | Anhydrous |
|---|---|---|
| Proper shipping name | Ethylamine, aqueous solution (50–70%) | Ethylamine, anhydrous |
| UN number | UN 2270 | UN 1036 |
| Hazard class | Class 3, subsidiary risk 8 | Class 2.1 flammable gas |
| Packing group | Typically II | Not applicable to gases |
| Labels | Flame and corrosion pictograms | Flame pictogram, gas cylinder marking |
| Modes | Road, sea (IMDG) and air subject to quantity limits | Road and sea; air movement heavily restricted |
| Segregation | Away from acids, oxidisers, halogens and hypochlorites | Away from oxidising and flammable-gas cylinders per site rules |
We supply ethylamine only against verified company credentials and a stated industrial end use, and we decline enquiries that cannot be tied to a legitimate manufacturing or research process. This protects both sides and keeps shipments moving through customs without delay.
Start account opening| Parameter | Specification | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, colourless liquid | Complies |
| Assay (GC) | 69.0 – 71.0 % | Complies |
| Diethylamine | ≤ 0.5 % | Complies |
| Free ammonia | ≤ 0.2 % | Complies |
| Colour (APHA) | ≤ 15 | Complies |
Ethylamine is checked before dispatch and each consignment leaves with the paperwork your QC, stores and accounts teams need on day one.
The numbers on a Certificate of Analysis are only useful if you know how they were produced. These are the methods behind the figures on ours, and the checks worth repeating at your own goods-inward.
Separates ethylamine from diethylamine, triethylamine and ammonia in one run, and gives the assay and the impurity profile that matter most to your reaction.
An independent check on total amine content, useful as a quick goods-inward confirmation before a drum is released to production.
Water determination for anhydrous and alcoholic grades, where the water number is often the reason the grade was chosen in the first place.
A visual platinum–cobalt comparison. A rising colour value is the earliest sign that a pack has been exposed to air or held too long.
Fast confirmation that the solution strength is what the label says, and a simple way to spot dilution or the wrong pack.
Gravimetric residue and trace metal checks, which matter for catalytic steps and for any product going into a regulated formulation.
A sample from every dispatched batch is held here, so a query months later can be settled against the original material rather than an argument.
Batch number on the label ties back to the COA, the test record and the supply lot, which is what your auditor will ask to see.
Where your customer or regulator needs an independent result, we can arrange analysis at a NABL-accredited laboratory before dispatch.
Five steps for a first order of ethylamine. Repeat orders follow the same route on a schedule that matches your consumption.
Form and strength, grade, quantity, pack size and delivery location.
We confirm the form for your solvent system and quote, usually within 24 hours.
The batch is tested and the COA, SDS and invoice details are prepared.
Labelled packs move by road, or in UN-spec packaging for export.
Material reaches your gate and repeat dispatches are scheduled to your usage.
Ethylamine is a commodity on a price list and a headache in a warehouse. What separates suppliers is the form flexibility, the paperwork and the answer you get when something is not routine.
Ethylamine sits alongside the other ethylamines, methylamines, ethanolamines and fatty amines we supply. Your purchase team raises one enquiry, compares one quote and manages one vendor record instead of six.
Aqueous, alcoholic and anhydrous ethylamine are all available, so you are not forced to redesign a step around the only grade your supplier happens to carry.
COA, SDS, correct HSN and HS codes, dangerous goods declarations and certificates of origin are prepared with the consignment, not chased afterwards by your logistics team.
Tell us your limits on diethylamine, triethylamine, ammonia or water and we quote against them, rather than sending the standard cut and letting your QC department find out.
Once we know your monthly draw we hold and release material on a schedule, so you carry less inventory of a flammable, corrosive product than you otherwise would.
Describe the reaction rather than the product code and we will tell you which form and grade fits — and say so plainly when a different amine would serve you better.
Buyers who order ethylamine usually source these from the same list. Open any product for its specification, grades and packing, or see the full product range.
Container shipments to buyers on five continents, plus road dispatch inside India. Tell us your country and destination port and we will quote landed terms, transit time and the documentation your customs broker will ask for.
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czechia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and the Caribbean, shipped in UN-specification packaging with full DG documentation.
| Incoterms quoted | EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF and DAP, depending on your destination and preference |
| Load ports | Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mundra, with Chennai and Kolkata used for eastbound routings |
| Container options | Full container loads, and consolidated LCL shipments for smaller quantities |
| Typical container fill | Around 80 drums, or roughly 18 to 20 IBC totes, in a 20 ft container |
| Packing for export | UN-specification drums and totes, palletised, strapped and stretch-wrapped, with DG labelling |
| Air freight | Possible for small quantities of the solution within dangerous goods limits; anhydrous gas is heavily restricted |
| Payment terms | Advance, irrevocable letter of credit or agreed credit terms for established accounts |
| Before first shipment | Company credentials, end-use declaration and any import permit the destination country requires |
Road dispatch from our Mumbai base to industrial clusters in 16 states and Delhi. Open your state for the local industries we serve and the amines they order most.
Most delays in quoting ethylamine come from a missing line in the enquiry, not from availability. Send these eight details and a firm price usually comes back the same day.
Not sure of some of it yet? Send what you have. A description of the reaction step and an approximate monthly volume is enough for us to come back with a recommended form, a pack plan and an indicative price.
Send an enquiryPlain definitions of the words that appear on an ethylamine specification, label and shipping document.
Short answers to what purchase, plant and QC teams ask us most about this product. Anything else, ask us directly.
Send the strength, grade, quantity, pack size and your delivery address or destination port. We come back with a price, the documents that go with the batch and a dispatch or shipping plan, usually within 24 hours.