2-Methylpropan-1-amine · monoisobutylamine · ≥99.5% commercial, LR and AR grades
Isobutylamine is the branched four-carbon primary amine, chosen when a molecule needs a bulky isobutyl group but an unhindered, reactive nitrogen. Chelora Amines supplies it worldwide — to pharmaceutical, agrochemical, rubber, surfactant and flavour and fragrance plants across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, as well as throughout India. Packed in carboys, drums, IBC totes or bulk, shipped in UN-specification packaging with a batch-wise COA and SDS.
48.04 + 9.07 + 14.01 + 2.02 = 73.14 g/mol
Isobutylamine, or 2-methylpropan-1-amine, is a clear, colourless, flammable liquid with the ammoniacal odour of the lower alkyl amines. It is miscible with water and with common organic solvents, and boils at about 68 °C, roughly ten degrees below n-butylamine because of the branch in the chain.
Structurally it is the compromise isomer. The methyl branch sits on the second carbon, not on the carbon bearing the nitrogen, so the amine is still a primary amine at a terminal position and reacts almost as readily as the straight-chain isomer, while the finished molecule gains the compact, fat-soluble isobutyl group that improves membrane permeability in drug design and rainfastness in crop protection.
That is why isobutylamine appears where the straight chain would be too flexible and the secondary or tertiary isomers would be too hindered: in API side chains, in sulfonamide and amide intermediates, in rubber accelerators, and in the ester and amide chemistry behind several flavour and fragrance materials.
It is manufactured by reductive amination of isobutyraldehyde, or by reaction of isobutanol with ammonia over a catalyst. Both routes give diisobutylamine and triisobutylamine alongside the primary amine, and the specification controls them together with residual ammonia, water and colour.
| Chemical name | Isobutylamine (2-methylpropan-1-amine) |
| Common synonyms | Monoisobutylamine, 1-amino-2-methylpropane, isobutanamine, iBA |
| CAS number | 78-81-9 |
| EC / EINECS number | 201-145-1 |
| HS / HSN code | 2921 19 (acyclic monoamines and derivatives) |
| Molecular formula | (CH₃)₂CHCH₂NH₂ (C₄H₁₁N) |
| Molecular weight | 73.14 g/mol |
| Appearance | Clear, colourless, mobile liquid |
| Odour | Strong ammoniacal, fish-like |
| Melting point | About −85 °C |
| Boiling point | 67–69 °C |
| Density | About 0.730 g/cm³ at 20 °C |
| Vapour pressure | About 130–150 mbar at 20 °C |
| Flash point | About −20 °C (closed cup) |
| Auto-ignition temperature | About 370 °C |
| Flammability limits in air | Approximately 1.7 – 10 vol % |
| Solubility in water | Miscible |
| pKa of conjugate acid | About 10.4 at 25 °C |
| Refractive index | About 1.397 at 20 °C |
| pH | Strongly alkaline in aqueous solution |
| UN number | UN 1214, Class 3 with subsidiary risk 8, packing group II |
Figures are typical literature values for orientation. Values for the material you order are stated on its Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet.
Isobutylamine reacts like a straight-chain primary amine because the branch is one carbon removed from the nitrogen. The difference shows up downstream, in the shape and solubility of whatever it is built into.
Reacts with acid chlorides, anhydrides and esters to give N-isobutyl amides, a recurring intermediate step in API and crop-protection synthesis.
RCOCl + iBuNH₂ → RCONHiBuGives N-isobutyl sulfonamides with sulfonyl chlorides, used in enzyme-inhibitor and herbicide chemistry.
RSO₂Cl + iBuNH₂ → sulfonamideCondenses with aldehydes and ketones, reduced in situ to secondary isobutyl amines used in API side chains and surfactants.
R₂C=O + iBuNH₂ → amineAdds across isocyanates to give N-isobutyl ureas, and reacts with chloroformates to give carbamates for agrochemical actives.
RNCO + iBuNH₂ → ureaWith carbon disulfide and a base gives isobutyl dithiocarbamates used as rubber accelerators and flotation collectors.
CS₂ + iBuNH₂ → dithiocarbamateDisplaces halide from alkyl and activated aryl halides to install the isobutylamino group, with excess amine controlling over-alkylation.
R–X + iBuNH₂ → R–NHiBuCondenses with aldehydes to give stable imines used as intermediates, corrosion inhibitors and ligands in catalysis.
RCHO + iBuNH₂ → imineNeutralises acids to give isobutylammonium salts used in formulations, extraction and as crystalline handling forms.
acid + iBuNH₂ → saltProcess notes. Additions are exothermic, so dose under control with cooling. The flash point of about −20 °C means vapour is flammable at ambient, and every transfer needs earthing, bonding and ventilation. Where a crystallisation is being developed, remember that the isobutyl group often gives a different crystal habit and melting point from the n-butyl analogue — this is usually the reason it was chosen.
Discuss your processIsobutylamine is produced by catalytic amination, and the route determines the by-products that the specification controls — mainly diisobutylamine, residual ammonia and traces of the starting aldehyde or alcohol.
Isobutyraldehyde, or isobutanol on the alcohol route, is mixed with a large excess of ammonia, with hydrogen fed in for the reductive route.
The mixture passes over a supported nickel, cobalt or copper catalyst, or an acidic alumina, at elevated temperature and pressure.
The reactor produces isobutylamine together with diisobutylamine, water, unreacted ammonia and traces of unconverted aldehyde or alcohol.
Ammonia is recovered and recycled and a distillation train separates the primary amine from the secondary and heavier fractions, with off-spec cuts returned.
Product is dried, tested for assay, isomers, water and colour, then filled under nitrogen into carboys, drums, totes or bulk containers.
Diisobutylamine is the main by-product, and as a hindered secondary amine it behaves quite differently from the product you ordered: in an acylation it gives a tertiary amide, and in a reductive amination it simply does not react. Residual isobutyraldehyde is the other impurity worth naming, because it condenses with the amine itself to give imines that appear as colour and as a slowly rising APHA number.
n-Butylamine carry-over matters where a registered process specifies the branched isomer. If your step, or your registration dossier, is sensitive to any of these, state the limit at enquiry and we will match the batch rather than send the standard commercial cut.
Twelve months in sealed original packing, cool and out of sunlight, is the normal working figure, with a re-check of assay, water and colour before a critical batch from older stock. Carbon dioxide pickup from repeated opening is the usual cause of a rising colour value and a carbamate haze.
Keep drums closed between draws, nitrogen blanket tanks where possible, and store away from heat and sunlight. A retained sample of every batch is held here so a later query can be settled against the original material.
Tell us the reaction and the limits that matter and we will confirm the grade. Commercial grade covers most production use; LR and AR grades are available for laboratory, method development and analytical work.
The standard production grade for pharmaceutical, agrochemical and rubber chemical intermediates.
Tighter limits on diisobutylamine, aldehyde, water and colour for development and pilot work.
The tightest grade we offer, for analytical method work, standards and QC laboratories.
Selected against your own limits where a coupling, crystallisation or registration dossier demands it.
| Parameter | Test method | Typical specification |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual | Clear, colourless liquid, free from suspended matter |
| Assay (isobutylamine) | GC | ≥ 99.5 % w/w |
| Diisobutylamine | GC | ≤ 0.3 % w/w |
| n-Butylamine | GC | ≤ 0.2 % w/w |
| Free ammonia | GC / titration | ≤ 0.2 % w/w |
| Isobutyraldehyde | GC | ≤ 0.1 % w/w |
| Water | Karl Fischer | ≤ 0.3 % w/w |
| Colour | APHA | ≤ 15 |
| Non-volatile matter | Gravimetric | ≤ 0.05 % w/w |
| Density at 20 °C | Densitometer | 0.727 – 0.733 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 isomers, water or colour, say so at enquiry stage and we will quote against your specification.
All four isomers have the formula C₄H₁₁N. Isobutylamine sits between the free-reacting normal isomer and the hindered secondary and tertiary ones, which is exactly why it is specified rather than substituted.
| Property | Isobutylamine | n-Butylamine | sec-Butylamine | tert-Butylamine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAS number | 78-81-9 | 109-73-9 | 13952-84-6 | 75-64-9 |
| Structure | Branch on carbon 2, NH₂ on carbon 1 | Straight chain, NH₂ on carbon 1 | NH₂ on carbon 2, chiral | NH₂ on a fully substituted carbon |
| Boiling point | 67–69 °C | 77–79 °C | 62–64 °C | 44–46 °C |
| pKa of conjugate acid | ≈ 10.4 | ≈ 10.8 | ≈ 10.6 | ≈ 10.7 |
| Steric access at nitrogen | Almost unhindered | Unhindered | Hindered | Strongly hindered |
| Chirality | None | None | Chiral — racemic unless resolved | None |
| Typical outlets | API side chains, sulfonamides, rubber chemicals, fragrances | Rubber accelerators, pesticides, dyes, emulsifiers | Post-harvest fungicides, triazines, chiral intermediates | TBBS accelerator, MTBE chemistry, pharma |
Order by full name and CAS number. Isobutylamine and n-butylamine are frequently confused on purchase orders because both are primary and both are often shortened to “butylamine”. Write the full name and CAS 78-81-9 on the enquiry and the order.
See the full amine rangeIsobutylamine is a specification intermediate rather than a commodity: it is bought because a molecule was designed around the isobutyl group. Here is where it goes.
Supplies the isobutylamino group in amide, sulfonamide and amine side chains, including protease-inhibitor type intermediates and cardiovascular actives. LR and AR grades suit validated processes.
An intermediate for herbicides, fungicides and insecticides where a branched alkylamino group improves activity or rainfastness, and a salt former for liquid formulations.
Feeds dithiocarbamate and thiazole accelerators, antioxidants and blocked-amine curatives for elastomers, adhesives and coatings.
Used to make amine oxides, amphoteric surfactants, quaternary ammonium compounds and phase-transfer catalysts with a branched hydrophobe.
An intermediate for isobutyl amides and imines used in flavour and fragrance chemistry and in specialty ester manufacture.
Goes into film-forming inhibitor packages for oilfield, refinery and metalworking use, and into detergent and dispersant additives for fuels.
Introduces the isobutylamino group into azo and anthraquinone intermediates, optical brighteners and ink additives.
A base and acid scavenger, a Schiff-base reagent for ligand and inhibitor work, and a derivatising agent in analytical chemistry.
If you are mapping a value chain, or looking for the product one step down from where you are, this is where isobutylamine ends up. Several of these are chemicals we can also source for you.
| Derivative | Made by | End use |
|---|---|---|
| N-Isobutyl amides | Acylation with acid chlorides, anhydrides or esters | Pharmaceutical actives, agrochemicals and flavour materials |
| N-Isobutyl sulfonamides | Reaction with sulfonyl chlorides | Enzyme-inhibitor and herbicide intermediates |
| Isobutyl dithiocarbamates | Reaction with carbon disulfide and a base | Rubber accelerators and metal flotation collectors |
| N-Isobutyl ureas and carbamates | Addition to isocyanates or chloroformates | Herbicides, insecticides and polyurethane modifiers |
| Diisobutylamine | Further alkylation or direct manufacture | Hindered base, corrosion inhibitors and extraction chemicals |
| Isobutyl Schiff bases | Condensation with aldehydes | Ligands, corrosion inhibitors and synthesis intermediates |
| Isobutylamino alcohols | Ring opening of epoxides | Surfactants, coating additives and API intermediates |
| Quaternary ammonium compounds | Exhaustive alkylation | Biocides, antistatic agents and phase-transfer catalysts |
| Isobutylammonium salts | Neutralisation with acids | Crystalline handling forms and liquid formulations |
| Branched cationic surfactants | Amidation and quaternisation with fatty chains | Fabric softeners, adjuvants and specialty cleaners |
Looking for one of these rather than the amine itself? Ask us — several sit 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, net weight, batch number, manufacturing date, UN number and hazard pictograms.
HDPE carboys for lab qualification, pilot batches and low-consumption users.
MS and HDPE drums, the standard production pack, with tamper-evident closures.
Forklift-ready totes with bottom valves for plants drawing material every week.
Bulk loads and ISO tank containers for continuous plants and large campaigns.
Tell us the monthly draw, the step the amine feeds and how you store flammables, and we will recommend the pack size and a delivery schedule. Export consignments are packed in UN-specification drums and totes, palletised and stretch-wrapped, and shipped FOB, CIF or CFR through Nhava Sheva and Mundra.
Plan my supplyIsobutylamine is a highly flammable, corrosive base with a flash point around −20 °C. The notes below are a summary for planning only — always work to the Safety Data Sheet supplied with your consignment and to your own site risk assessment.
Isobutylamine is a regulated dangerous good in every mode of transport. The classification is routine for us, but it shapes the packaging, the paperwork and what we need from you before a first shipment moves.
| Proper shipping name | Isobutylamine |
| UN number | UN 1214 |
| Hazard class | Class 3 flammable liquid, subsidiary risk 8 corrosive |
| Packing group | II |
| Labels | Flame and corrosion pictograms, with orientation marks on combination packs |
| Modes | Road, rail and sea (IMDG); air movement within dangerous goods quantity limits |
| Segregation | Away from acids, oxidisers, halogens, hypochlorites and foodstuffs |
| Packaging | UN-specification drums, carboys and IBC totes, palletised and strapped for export |
We supply isobutylamine business to business only, against verified company credentials, consignee details and a stated industrial end use, plus any import permit the destination country requires. That keeps consignments moving through customs and protects both sides.
Start account opening| Parameter | Specification | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, colourless liquid | Complies |
| Assay (GC) | ≥ 99.5 % | Complies |
| Diisobutylamine | ≤ 0.3 % | Complies |
| Water (KF) | ≤ 0.3 % | Complies |
| Colour (APHA) | ≤ 15 | Complies |
isobutylamine 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 isobutylamine from its isomers, homologues and residual ammonia in one run, and gives both the assay and the impurity profile that matter 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, which matters wherever the next step is moisture sensitive or the amine feeds an anhydrous reaction.
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 of identity and strength, and a simple way to spot a wrong pack or a contaminated drum.
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.
The 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 isobutylamine. Repeat orders follow the same route on a schedule that matches your consumption.
Grade, quantity, pack size and delivery location.
We confirm the grade for your process 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.
isobutylamine is a line on a price list and a headache in a warehouse. What separates suppliers is the grade flexibility, the paperwork and the answer you get when something is not routine.
Isobutylamine sits alongside the rest of our amine range, from ethanolamines to fatty amines. Your purchase team raises one enquiry, compares one quote and manages one vendor record instead of six.
Commercial, LR and AR material is 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 isomers, water, ammonia or colour 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 grade fits — and say so plainly when a different amine would serve you better.
Buyers who order isobutylamine 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 within dangerous goods limits; most volume moves by sea |
| 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 isobutylamine come from a missing line in the enquiry, not from availability. Send these 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 grade, a pack plan and an indicative price.
Send an enquiryPlain definitions of the words that appear on a isobutylamine 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 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.