n-Propylamine CAS 107-10-8

What is n-Propylamine?

n-Propylamine is the straight-chain primary amine of the propyl series — an amino group on the terminal carbon of a three-carbon chain, C₃H₇NH₂. It is the linear counterpart of isopropylamine, with which it shares a molecular formula and almost nothing else commercially.

It is a clear, colourless, mobile liquid boiling at about 48 °C, with a sharp ammoniacal odour. The flash point sits near −37 °C, which makes it one of the more hazardous amines to handle from a fire standpoint: the vapour space above the liquid is in the flammable range at any ordinary temperature, and vapours are heavier than air.

It is miscible with water in all proportions and strongly basic, with a conjugate acid pK_a near 10.6. Left open to air it picks up carbon dioxide and forms a carbamate that discolours the liquid and crusts around the closure, which is why drums are kept sealed and colour-sensitive grades are nitrogen-blanketed.

Commercially, n-propylamine is a genuine fine chemical intermediate rather than a single-market product. It installs the n-propylamino group across agrochemical and pharmaceutical synthesis, serves as a building block for rubber chemicals and corrosion inhibitors, and is used as a base and as a flotation reagent. Volumes are modest compared with the branched isomer, and specifications are correspondingly varied.

Why n-propylamine specifically

• Linear, unhindered nitrogen. The terminal amino group is sterically open, so it reacts readily with acid chlorides, epoxides, chlorotriazines and carbonyl compounds where a branched amine would be slower.
• Two reactive N-H bonds. It can form amides, imines, ureas and heterocycles that still carry a free N-H for further substitution — chemistry that is closed to di- and tripropylamine.
• Distinct from the iso isomer. The n-propylamino and isopropylamino groups give different molecules with different biological and physical properties. In a registered product the two are not substitutes.
• Convenient liquid handling. Boiling at about 48 °C it ships in ordinary drums rather than pressure vessels, unlike the lower amines — though its very low flash point means the fire precautions are not lighter.

How n-PA is Manufactured

n-Propylamine is made by aminating n-propanol, or by reductive amination of propionaldehyde. Either route produces the di- and tripropylamines alongside the mono product, so the separation train is what determines final quality.

• Amination or reductive amination. n-Propanol and excess ammonia are passed over a supported metal or solid acid catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure with hydrogen present. An alternative route reductively aminates propionaldehyde with ammonia and hydrogen over a nickel or cobalt catalyst.
• Ratio control. A high ammonia-to-alcohol ratio suppresses further alkylation and pushes the distribution toward the mono amine. Surplus di- and tripropylamine are recycled to the reactor.
• Separation. The crude mixture is resolved by fractional distillation with ammonia recovery. Water forms an azeotrope with propylamine, so drying is a distinct operation rather than a by-product of fractionation.
• Drying and finishing. The mono cut is dried to specification and filled into drums, IBCs or tanks, with nitrogen blanketing where colour and water specification matter.

Typical Commercial Specification

Figures below are representative of standard commercial grade. Tighter agrochemical and pharmaceutical grades with lower water and metals are available — send us the specification you work to and we will quote against it.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Reactivity in practice

The chemistry runs through the nitrogen lone pair and the two replaceable N-H hydrogens, with the straight chain leaving the nitrogen sterically open:

• Amidation and acylation. Reaction with acid chlorides, anhydrides or esters gives N-propyl amides — a recurring motif in agrochemical and pharmaceutical actives.
• Substitution on activated heterocycles. Displaces chloride from chlorotriazines, chloropyrimidines and related systems to install the n-propylamino group.
• Reaction with carbon disulphide and isocyanates. Gives dithiocarbamates, thioureas and substituted ureas used in rubber chemistry, fungicides and herbicides.
• Epoxide opening and alkylation. Opens epoxide rings to propylamino alcohols, and further alkylation gives the secondary and tertiary amines and quaternary salts.

n-Propylamine vs Isopropylamine

n-Propylamine and isopropylamine share the formula C₃H₉N and a molecular weight of 59.11, and differ only in whether the amino group sits on the end of the propyl chain or on its middle carbon. That single difference changes boiling point, steric bulk and — far more importantly — which registered products the molecule can go into. They are not interchangeable.

Stated plainly: the branched isomer dominates the market, almost entirely because glyphosate is formulated as its isopropylamine salt and because the isopropylamino group appears on both triazine herbicides and beta-blocker pharmaceuticals. The straight-chain isomer is a smaller, more diverse market. Where a registered product specifies one isomer, the other is a different molecule requiring its own approval, not a cheaper equivalent.

Industries We Supply n-PA To

The same molecule leaves our warehouse for very different factories. What changes between them is not the CAS number but the grade, the packing and the documentation each sector expects.

Where n-PA is Used

n-Propylamine is a broad-use intermediate rather than a single-market product. These are the end uses our customers buy it for, roughly in order of volume.

In agrochemical synthesis

n-Propylamine appears across crop protection as the source of the n-propylamino arm on herbicide and fungicide structures, and as the amine half of substituted ureas and thioureas. Plants running registered actives specify the isomer purity tightly, because an isopropylamino analogue is not an impurity in the ordinary sense — it is a different compound, and in a registered technical active it is a regulatory problem rather than a yield problem.

In pharmaceutical manufacture

Used to form N-propyl amides and sulphonamides, to open epoxides into propylamino alcohols, and to build N-propylated heterocycles. API producers run the tightest specifications in the market, with residual alcohol, secondary amine carry-over and metals all needing to clear ICH limits, so standard technical grade is rarely acceptable without upgrading.

In rubber and polymer chemistry

Reaction with carbon disulphide gives dithiocarbamates used as fast accelerators, and reaction with isothiocyanates or carbon disulphide derivatives gives the substituted thioureas used in chloroprene and specialty elastomer cure systems. Consistency of the amine distribution matters more here than extreme purity.

In corrosion inhibitor and oilfield chemistry

Mannich condensation and amide formation install the propylamino group in film-forming inhibitors for pipeline, refinery and downhole service. Blenders care more about consistency, colour and water content than about the last tenth of a percent of assay.

Quality Control & Testing

Every lot is released against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis. The methods behind the numbers are standard across the industry, and we are happy to share them or to work to your own in-house test protocol.

• Assay and amine distribution — gas chromatography, which resolves mono-, di- and tri-n-propylamine, separates the isopropyl isomer and quantifies residual ammonia and propanol in one run.
• Water content — Karl Fischer titration. Water is the specification that most often decides whether a lot performs in acid-chloride chemistry.
• Distillation range — a fast, revealing check. A broadened range usually signals amine or isomer carry-over before any instrument confirms it.
• Colour — APHA / Hazen against a standard. Colour drift signals air ingress, carbon dioxide pickup or metal contamination.
• Metals — iron in particular, since it catalyses discolouration and can poison downstream catalysts.
• Non-volatile residue — evaporation residue, a quick check for carry-over of heavies from the column train.

Common Process Problems & Likely Causes

When n-propylamine misbehaves in a plant, the cause is usually one of a short list of things. This table is the shortcut our technical desk works through before anyone opens a complaint file.

Packaging, Storage & Shipping

• Standard packing. 150 kg net in lined steel or HDPE drums, with 1000 L IBCs for larger users.
• Bulk packing. Road tankers and ISO tank containers for continuous processes.
• Inert blanketing. Nitrogen-blanketed at fill where the grade and end use call for it, to protect colour and water specification in storage.
• Storage. Cool, shaded, well-ventilated and bunded area away from heat, ignition sources, oxidisers and acids, with containers kept tightly closed.
• Materials of construction. Stainless steel, carbon steel or suitable lined vessels. Avoid copper, brass, bronze, aluminium and mercury, all of which are attacked by amines.
• Shelf life. Typically 12 months in unopened original packing under those conditions. Beyond that, re-test rather than assume.
• Fire precautions. The flash point is well below any ambient temperature, so the drum store is a flammable atmosphere zone in practice. Bonding, earthing and explosion-proof fittings are not optional here.
• Transport classification. UN 1277, Propylamine, Class 3 flammable liquid with subsidiary risk 8 corrosive, Packing Group II — shipped with full dangerous-goods documentation.
• Container loading. Palletised and secured for FCL; LCL consolidation and tank arrangements available by volume.

Hazards & Safe Handling

n-Propylamine is extremely flammable and corrosive, and must be handled by trained personnel under a proper risk assessment. The classifications below are indicative — the current SDS supplied with your consignment is the governing document.

• Exposure control. Handle in a closed system or under local exhaust ventilation. The flash point is far below ambient, so the vapour space above the liquid is always in the flammable range.
• PPE. Chemical-resistant gloves, chemical goggles and face shield, chemical-resistant clothing, and respiratory protection suited to the task.
• Ignition control. Vapours are heavier than air, travel along the ground to a distant ignition source and flash back. Bonded, earthed and explosion-proof equipment, and no ignition sources in the zone.
• Incompatibilities. Strong oxidising agents, strong acids, acid chlorides, nitrites, mercury, and copper, brass, bronze and aluminium equipment.
• Spill response. Eliminate ignition sources and ventilate. Contain, absorb with inert non-combustible material and collect in a labelled closed container. Do not wash to drain.
• Environment. Do not allow to enter drains, surface water or groundwater. Dispose through a licensed chemical waste contractor.
• Fire. Extremely flammable. Use alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide; cool exposed containers with water spray. Decomposition releases nitrogen oxides — use self-contained breathing apparatus.
• First aid. Move to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing immediately, wash skin with plenty of water, flush eyes for at least 15 minutes, and seek medical attention with the SDS to hand.

Regulatory & Compliance Notes

n-Propylamine is an established industrial chemical and is listed on the major national chemical inventories. Because obligations differ by territory, volume and use, the notes below are orientation rather than legal advice — confirm your own position with your regulatory adviser before importing.

• Inventory status. Listed on the principal chemical inventories in the major importing regions. Ask us for the inventory confirmation relevant to your destination country.
• Isomer identity. n-Propylamine and isopropylamine are separate substances with separate CAS numbers and separate registrations. Make sure your import documentation, inventory listing and end-use approval all name the isomer you are actually buying.
• Import registration. Several territories require the importer to hold a registration or notification before a consignment lands. Start that process early — it is the most common cause of delay at destination.
• Hazard communication. Supplied with an SDS compliant with the format applicable to your region, and labelled in line with the GHS classification for the product.
• Dangerous goods. UN 1277, Class 3 with subsidiary risk 8, Packing Group II. Declarations prepared for IMDG (sea) or IATA (air) as appropriate to the mode.
• Workplace exposure. Occupational exposure limits apply in most jurisdictions. Set your controls against the limit in force where the material will be handled.

We Supply n-PA Worldwide

Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and export partner, not a single-plant trader. We ship n-Propylamine from India to customers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North and South America, handling the export documentation, dangerous-goods paperwork and freight so the material arrives ready to use.

• Incoterms. EXW, FOB, CIF, CFR and DAP quoted to suit your purchasing terms and freight arrangements.
• Ports. Regular shipments through Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mundra, with other Indian ports arranged where it suits the routing.
• Documentation. Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, COA, SDS and dangerous-goods declaration issued as a complete set.
• Flexible volumes. A single drum for laboratory qualification, through LCL consolidations, up to repeat full loads on a supply contract.
• Supply continuity. Because we are independent of any one producer, a plant turnaround or a shipping disruption at one source does not have to become your stock-out.

Buying n-PA from Chelora

We are an independent sourcing and supply partner. For n-propylamine that means matching the grade to the application and, critically, confirming isomer purity — a plant that also runs isopropylamine can carry it over, and in a registered product that is a different molecule, not an impurity.

• Documentation on every lot. Batch-specific COA, current SDS and TDS issued with the consignment, not weeks afterward.
• Samples before commitment. Trial quantities for process qualification ahead of a commercial order.
• Quantities. From a single 150 kg drum through to tank loads and ongoing contract supply.
• Export experience. Dangerous-goods documentation, packing and labelling handled for sea and road freight to any destination.
• Technical support. Direct access to people who know the chemistry, for questions on isomer purity, colour control or materials compatibility.
• Related intermediates. Isopropylamine, the butylamines, the ethylamines and the wider aliphatic amine range from one supplier.

How ordering works

• Send the enquiry. Product, grade or specification, quantity, destination port and the Incoterm you buy on. If you have a spec sheet, attach it — it saves a round trip.
• We quote. Price, lead time, packing and a sample COA, normally within one working day.
• Sample and qualify. For first orders or critical applications, we send a trial quantity so your lab can sign off before you commit.
• Confirm the order. Proforma invoice issued; payment terms agreed against the volume and the relationship.
• Production and QC. Material allocated and released against a batch-specific COA, with a pre-shipment sample where the application calls for it.
• Ship and document. Packed, labelled and loaded with the full export and dangerous-goods document set, and tracked through to arrival.

Related Amines & Intermediates

Buyers of n-propylamine usually source several of these alongside it. Consolidating them on one order cuts freight cost and gives you a single point of contact for documentation.