Tetrahydro-1,4-oxazine · diethylenimide oxide · ≥99% commercial, LR and AR grades
Morpholine is a six-membered ring carrying one oxygen and one nitrogen: a secondary amine that is noticeably milder than the amines around it, because the ring oxygen pulls electron density away from the reactive nitrogen. That deliberate weakness is the point — it is one of the standard neutralising amines for steam and boiler systems, the feed for a family of fast, delayed-action rubber accelerators, and a workhorse solvent and intermediate for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Chelora Amines supplies it worldwide and across India, in UN-specification packaging with a batch-wise COA and SDS.
48.04 + 8.06 + 14.01 + 1.01 + 16.00 = 87.12 g/mol
Morpholine, also called tetrahydro-1,4-oxazine, is a clear, colourless liquid with a weak, fish- and ammonia-like odour. It boils at about 129 °C, freezes near −5 °C, and mixes with water in every proportion.
The comparison worth making is with Piperidine and Cyclohexylamine: all three are cyclic secondary or primary amines of similar ring size, but morpholine's conjugate-acid pKa of about 8.4 is a full two to three points lower. That is a deliberate consequence of the ring oxygen, and it is exactly why morpholine distributes so evenly with steam and neutralises acid gently rather than aggressively — a stronger base would over-correct pH swings in a boiler system.
It is manufactured mainly by cyclodehydration of diethanolamine, with ammonia recycled in the process, and also recovered from some ethanolamine plants as a co-product. Diethanolamine, water and colour are the parameters a specification controls.
| Chemical name | Morpholine (tetrahydro-1,4-oxazine) |
| Common synonyms | Morpholine, tetrahydro-1,4-oxazine, diethylenimide oxide, diethylene oximide |
| CAS number | 110-91-8 |
| EC / EINECS number | 203-815-1 |
| HS / HSN code | 2933 39 (other N-heterocyclic compounds) |
| Molecular formula | C₄H₉NO |
| Molecular weight | 87.12 g/mol |
| Appearance | Clear, colourless liquid |
| Odour | Weak, ammonia- and fish-like |
| Melting point | About −5 °C |
| Boiling point | About 129 °C |
| Density | About 1.007 g/cm³ at 20 °C |
| Flash point | About 31 °C (closed cup) |
| Solubility in water | Completely miscible |
| pKa of conjugate acid | About 8.4 at 25 °C |
| UN number | UN 2054, Class 8, subsidiary risk 3, 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.
Morpholine reacts like a standard secondary amine, but its lower basicity and higher water solubility change where it is chosen over a stronger cyclic amine.
Reacts with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole under oxidation to give MOR/MBS, a widely used fast, delayed-action rubber accelerator.
MBT + C₄H₉NO → MOR/MBSVolatilises with steam and neutralises carbonic acid gently, without the sharper pH swing a stronger amine can cause.
CO₂ + H₂O + amine → bicarbonateReacts with acid chlorides, anhydrides and sulfonyl chlorides to give N-morpholino amides and sulfonamides, common pharma intermediates.
RCOCl + C₄H₉NO → amideForms enamines with ketones and dithiocarbamates with carbon disulfide for rubber and agrochemical intermediates.
CS₂ + C₄H₉NO → dithiocarbamateAlkyl halides and epoxides substitute the ring nitrogen, installing the morpholino group onto a target molecule.
R–X + C₄H₉NO → N-alkylmorpholineIts mild basicity and water miscibility make it a useful pH buffer and reaction solvent in dye and pharma synthesis.
buffering, mid-range pKaProcess notes. Morpholine has a flash point near 31 °C, so treat it as flammable at warm ambient temperature, and it is corrosive by skin contact. Dose into exothermic acylation steps with cooling, and keep transfers closed, earthed and under nitrogen.
Discuss your processMorpholine is made by cyclodehydrating diethanolamine, so the specification is mainly about how completely that feedstock was converted and how much water remains.
Diethanolamine, made from ethylene oxide and ammonia, is the standard feedstock.
Over an acid or metal catalyst at elevated temperature, diethanolamine loses water and cyclises to close the oxygen–nitrogen ring.
The reactor stream carries morpholine with unreacted diethanolamine, water and traces of other ethanolamines.
Water is stripped and distillation separates morpholine from residual diethanolamine and heavier by-products.
Product is tested for assay, diethanolamine, water and colour, then filled under nitrogen into drums, totes or bulk containers.
Residual diethanolamine is the impurity that matters most: it carries two reactive hydroxyls into a reaction expecting only the morpholine nitrogen, and it raises viscosity and colour on ageing. Water content matters wherever the next step is moisture sensitive.
Where a registration dossier or a validated process names limits, send them with the enquiry and we will match the batch rather than send the standard cut.
Twelve months in sealed original packing, kept cool and out of sunlight, is the normal working figure. Morpholine absorbs moisture and carbon dioxide from air; colour rises once a drum has been opened repeatedly.
Keep drums closed between draws, blanket tanks with nitrogen where you can, and re-check assay, water and colour before a critical batch from older stock. A retained sample of every batch is held here.
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 intermediates, salt formation and general synthesis.
Tighter limits on related amines, water and colour for development and pilot work.
The tightest grade we offer, for analytical method work, standards and QC laboratories.
Batches selected or sourced against limits you name, such as water, related amines or colour.
| Parameter | Test method | Typical specification |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual | Clear, colourless liquid |
| Assay (morpholine) | GC | ≥ 99.0 % w/w |
| Diethanolamine | GC | ≤ 0.3 % w/w |
| Water | Karl Fischer | ≤ 0.3 % w/w |
| Colour | APHA | ≤ 15 |
| Non-volatile matter | Gravimetric | ≤ 0.05 % w/w |
Indicative specification for planning. The controlling document is the Certificate of Analysis issued for your batch. If your process needs tighter limits, say so at enquiry stage and we will quote against your specification.
The oxygen in the ring is what sets morpholine apart from its nearest relatives. Basicity falls sharply once oxygen replaces a ring carbon, which is the reason to pick morpholine over piperidine or cyclohexylamine in the first place.
| Property | Morpholine | N-Methylmorpholine | Piperidine | Cyclohexylamine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAS number | 110-91-8 | 109-02-4 | 110-89-4 | 108-91-8 |
| Ring heteroatoms | O and N (N–H) | O and N (N–CH₃) | N only (N–H) | None (exocyclic NH₂) |
| Amine class | Secondary, in-ring | Tertiary, in-ring | Secondary, in-ring | Primary, exocyclic |
| Boiling point | 129 °C | 115–116 °C | 106 °C | ≈ 134 °C |
| pKa of conjugate acid | ≈ 8.4 | ≈ 7.4 | ≈ 11.2 | ≈ 10.6 |
| Typical outlets | Boiler treatment, MOR/MBS accelerator, pharma intermediates | PU catalysis, NMMO/Lyocell, peptide coupling | Pharma intermediates, rubber accelerators | Boiler treatment, CBS accelerator, cyclamate |
Order by full name and CAS number. State Morpholine and CAS 110-91-8 on the enquiry and the purchase order. N-Methylmorpholine is a related but distinct product with its own CAS number — check which one your formulation calls for.
See the full amine rangeBoiler and condensate treatment and rubber accelerators account for most of the volume, with pharmaceutical, agrochemical and dye intermediates taking the balance.
A standard volatile neutralising amine for fossil-fuel and industrial steam systems, often blended with other amines.
Feed for MOR/MBS-type sulfenamide accelerators used widely in tyre and technical rubber compounding.
Introduces the morpholino group into APIs including several marketed anti-infective and anticancer drugs.
Intermediate for fungicides built on the morpholine ring, among other crop-protection actives.
Solvent and intermediate for dye synthesis and textile processing aids.
Volatile corrosion-inhibitor formulations and a general-purpose polar solvent for synthesis.
If you are mapping a value chain, or looking for the product one step down from where you are, this is where Morpholine ends up. Several of these are chemicals we can also source for you.
| Derivative | Made by | End use |
|---|---|---|
| MOR / MBS (N-oxydiethylene-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide) | Oxidative coupling with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole | Rubber accelerator |
| N-Morpholino amides and sulfonamides | Acylation or sulfonylation | Pharmaceutical intermediates |
| N-Substituted morpholines | N-alkylation | API scaffolds, surfactant intermediates |
| Morpholinium salts | Neutralisation with organic or inorganic acids | Volatile corrosion inhibitors |
| Morpholine dithiocarbamates | Reaction with carbon disulfide | Rubber and agrochemical intermediates |
| N-Methylmorpholine | Reductive methylation | Catalysis, NMMO synthesis |
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 and how you store hazardous liquids, and we will recommend the grade, pack size and 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 supplyMorpholine is a flammable, corrosive liquid with a flash point near 31 °C. The notes below are a summary for planning only — work to the Safety Data Sheet supplied with your consignment and to your own site risk assessment.
Morpholine is a regulated dangerous good in transport. That is routine for us, but it shapes what we need from you before a first shipment moves.
| Proper shipping name | Morpholine |
| UN number / class | UN 2054 · Class 8, subsidiary risk 3 |
| Packing group | II |
| Labels | Corrosive and flammable labels |
| Modes | Road, rail and sea (IMDG); air movement within dangerous goods quantity limits |
| Segregation | Away from acids, oxidisers, halogens and foodstuffs |
| Packaging | UN-specification drums, carboys and IBC totes, palletised and strapped for export |
We supply business to business only, against verified company credentials, consignee details and a signed end-use declaration, plus any import permit the destination country requires.
Start account opening| Parameter | Specification | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, colourless liquid | Complies |
| Assay (morpholine) | ≥ 99.0 % w/w | Complies |
| Diethanolamine | ≤ 0.3 % w/w | Complies |
| Water | ≤ 0.3 % w/w | Complies |
| Colour | ≤ 15 | Complies |
Morpholine 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 the amine from related amines and residual solvents 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 regulated formulations.
A sample from every dispatched batch is held here, so a query months later can be settled against the original material.
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 Morpholine. 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.
Morpholine 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.
Morpholine 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 grades are 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.
Tell us your limits on assay, diethanolamine, water and colour and we quote against them, rather than sending the standard cut and letting your QC find out.
Once we know your monthly draw we hold and release material on a schedule, so you carry less inventory of a hazardous product.
Describe the reaction or formulation 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 Morpholine 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 |
Most delays in quoting Morpholine 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 Morpholine 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.