Triethylenetetramine (TETA) CAS 112-24-3

What is Triethylenetetramine (TETA)?

Triethylenetetramine is the third rung of the ethyleneamine ladder — four nitrogens joined by three ethylene bridges, with six active amine hydrogens. That functionality makes it one of the standard epoxy curing agents, with a longer pot life and a tougher cured network than DETA.

There is one thing a buyer must understand about TETA before anything else: commercial TETA is not a single compound. What is sold under the name is a distribution containing linear TETA alongside its branched isomer tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, the cyclic diaminoethylpiperazine, and piperazinylethylethylenediamine. The proportions differ substantially between producers and grades, and they determine how the product behaves.

Physically it is a viscous, pale-yellow to amber liquid boiling at about 266 °C with a flash point near 135 °C. It is fully miscible with water, strongly hygroscopic, absorbs carbon dioxide from air, and darkens readily on exposure — more so than the lower ethyleneamines.

Commercially, TETA is dominated by epoxy curing, with substantial further use in asphalt adhesion promoters, lubricant and fuel additives, corrosion inhibitors and polyamide resins. In purified form as the dihydrochloride it is also a pharmaceutical — trientine, used as a copper chelator — which is a reminder that grade here spans an extraordinary range.

Why triethylenetetramine specifically

• Six active hydrogens with a workable pot life. More functionality than DETA but a slower, more manageable ambient cure — the balance most general-purpose epoxy systems want.
• A tougher cured network. The longer chain between crosslinks gives more flexibility and impact resistance than a DETA cure, at a modest cost in glass-transition temperature.
• Sold as a distribution, which is tunable. Because grades differ in linear content, a formulator can buy a defined performance rather than a defined molecule — provided the grade is specified.
• High-boiling and comfortable to handle. A flash point near 135 °C means no flammable headspace and no pressure in ordinary storage.

How TETA is Manufactured

TETA is produced as a higher co-product of ethylenediamine manufacture. Unlike EDA and DETA, what comes off the column is a family of structural isomers rather than one compound.

• Ethyleneamine synthesis. Either ethylene dichloride is reacted with ammonia under pressure, or monoethanolamine is aminated with ammonia and hydrogen over a supported metal catalyst. Chain extension gives progressively higher ethyleneamines.
• Isomer formation. At the four-nitrogen stage the chain can extend linearly, branch at a nitrogen to give tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, or close into a piperazine ring to give diaminoethylpiperazine and related cyclics. All four species boil close together.
• Grade separation. Commercial grades are cuts from that distribution. Technical grades contain a mix; high-linear and distilled grades are purified further to raise the linear content, at corresponding cost.
• Pharmaceutical purification. Trientine for medicinal use requires isolation of the linear isomer and conversion to the dihydrochloride under pharmaceutical conditions — a different manufacturing operation entirely from technical TETA.

Typical Commercial Specification

Figures below are representative of technical commercial grade. High-linear and distilled grades with defined isomer content are available — send us the specification you work to and we will quote against it.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Reactivity in practice

Six active hydrogens across four nitrogens, with the exact arrangement depending on which isomer. Four reaction types cover nearly all commercial use:

• Epoxide ring opening. Each active hydrogen opens an epoxide ring, giving a crosslinked network with longer segments between junctions than a DETA cure — hence the greater toughness.
• Amide and imidazoline formation. Condensation with fatty acids gives amides and, with cyclisation, imidazolines used in asphalt additives, softeners and corrosion inhibitors.
• Succinimide formation. Reaction with alkenyl succinic anhydride gives multi-nitrogen succinimide dispersants with higher soot-handling capacity than the DETA version.
• Chelation and salt formation. Four nitrogens with two-carbon spacing chelate metals strongly, which underlies both industrial chelant use and the medicinal copper-chelating action of trientine.

TETA vs EDA, DETA and TEPA

The ethyleneamines form a ladder: each step adds one more ethylene bridge and one more nitrogen. Going up it, the boiling point and viscosity rise steeply, the number of active amine hydrogens increases, and — importantly — the product stops being a single compound and becomes a distribution of linear, branched and cyclic isomers. They all come off the same plant and move together on availability.

Stated plainly: EDA and DETA are genuine single compounds; TETA and TEPA as sold are distributions of isomers with a nominal name, and the linear content is what a formulator actually pays for. Going up the ladder, each additional nitrogen adds crosslink functionality and basicity while raising viscosity and lowering volatility — so a lower member cures faster and smells more, and a higher one builds a denser network and stays where it is put. Substituting across the ladder is always a reformulation.

Industries We Supply TETA To

The same product name leaves our warehouse for very different factories — and in TETA's case the material genuinely differs between them, because grade means isomer distribution rather than just purity.

Where TETA is Used

TETA is dominated by epoxy curing, with several substantial markets beside it. These are the end uses our customers buy it for.

As an epoxy curing agent

TETA is the natural step up from DETA when a formulator needs a longer pot life and a tougher cured network. Six active hydrogens across four nitrogens give a high crosslink density, but the longer segments between junctions leave more flexibility and impact resistance than DETA's tighter network. The cost is a slightly lower glass-transition temperature and a higher hardener loading. The critical point in practice is the isomer distribution: because the branched and cyclic species carry different active hydrogen counts and reactivities, two technical grades can give measurably different cure profiles and mechanical properties at the same nominal mix ratio.

In asphalt adhesion promoters

Bitumen does not bond well to wet aggregate, and water working into that interface is what strips a road surface apart. Amine adhesion promoters work by sitting at the bitumen-aggregate interface with the amine end bound to the mineral surface and the hydrocarbon end in the binder. TETA derivatives — amides and imidazolines made with fatty acids — are widely used for this, and their multiple nitrogens give more anchoring points than a simple amine can.

In lubricant dispersants

Reacting TETA with a polyisobutylene-substituted succinic anhydride gives a succinimide with four nitrogens in the polar head rather than DETA's three. More nitrogens means more capacity to adsorb soot and oxidation products, which matters in modern diesel engines running high exhaust gas recirculation and correspondingly high soot loadings. The choice between DETA, TETA and TEPA in a dispersant is largely a choice of soot-handling capacity.

As pharmaceutical trientine

At the far end of the quality range, purified linear TETA converted to the dihydrochloride is a medicine — a copper chelator used to treat Wilson's disease in patients who cannot tolerate the first-line treatment. This is a completely different manufacturing and regulatory operation from technical TETA, requiring isolation of the linear isomer under pharmaceutical conditions. It is worth knowing that the same CAS number spans both ends of that range.

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.

• Isomer distribution — gas chromatography quantifying linear TETA, TAEA, DAEP and PEEDA. This is the single most important analysis on this product and should be on every batch certificate.
• Amine value and AHEW — titration. Epoxy formulators derive the mix ratio from this, and it moves with the isomer distribution.
• Colour — Gardner or APHA against a standard. TETA darkens more readily than the lower ethyleneamines and colour carries into clear coatings.
• Water content — Karl Fischer titration. Strongly hygroscopic, and carbon dioxide uptake compounds the drift in an open container.
• Viscosity — a practical check correlating with distribution and heavies, and directly relevant to mixing and metering.
• Metals and residue — iron and evaporation residue, relevant in coating and chelant service.

Common Process Problems & Likely Causes

When TETA misbehaves in a plant, the cause is usually one of a short list of things — and with this product, the first place to look is almost always the isomer distribution.

Packaging, Storage & Shipping

• Standard packing. 200 kg net in lined steel or HDPE drums, with 1000 L IBCs for larger users.
• Bulk packing. Road tankers and ISO tank containers for epoxy, asphalt and lubricant additive producers.
• Grade identification. Because TETA grades differ in composition rather than only in purity, label and segregate grades carefully in store. Two drums that look identical can behave differently.
• Carbon dioxide exclusion. TETA absorbs carbon dioxide from air, consuming amine functionality and raising the effective AHEW. Keep containers sealed and blanket bulk storage.
• Inert blanketing. Nitrogen-blanketed at fill where colour matters. The ethyleneamines darken on air contact more readily than most amines, and they also absorb carbon dioxide to form carbamate.
• Materials of construction. Stainless steel or suitable lined vessels. Avoid copper, brass, bronze, aluminium and mercury.
• Shelf life. Typically 12 months in unopened original packing under those conditions. Beyond that, re-test rather than assume.
• Transport classification. UN 2259, Triethylenetetramine, Class 8 corrosive, Packing Group II — shipped with full dangerous-goods documentation.

Hazards & Safe Handling

Triethylenetetramine is corrosive and a skin and respiratory sensitiser. It 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.

• Sensitisation. The ethyleneamines are recognised skin sensitisers, and several are respiratory sensitisers as well. Once a worker is sensitised, exposures previously tolerated can provoke a reaction, so preventing first contact matters far more than managing repeat contact. This is the dominant occupational concern across this whole family.
• Exposure control. Handle in a closed system or under local exhaust ventilation. Where the material is warmed or sprayed, vapour and mist exposure rise sharply and need their own controls.
• PPE. Chemical-resistant gloves rated for amines, chemical goggles and face shield, and chemical-resistant clothing. Glove breakthrough time is worth checking rather than assuming.
• Mixed-system handling. In a two-part epoxy system the uncured mixture carries the hazards of both hardener and resin. Applicators handling mixed material need controls for both, which is often where site assessments fall short.
• Incompatibilities. Strong oxidising agents, strong acids, acid chlorides, nitrites and isocyanates — the amine-isocyanate reaction is violently exothermic. Also copper, brass, bronze and aluminium.
• Spill response. Contain, absorb with inert non-combustible material and collect in a labelled closed container. Ventilate. Do not wash to drain.
• Environment. Harmful to aquatic life. Do not allow to enter drains, surface water or groundwater. Dispose through a licensed chemical waste contractor.
• First aid. Remove contaminated clothing immediately, wash skin with plenty of water and soap, flush eyes for at least 15 minutes, and seek medical attention with the SDS to hand. Report any skin or breathing reaction, which may indicate developing sensitisation.

Regulatory & Compliance Notes

Triethylenetetramine is a long-established industrial chemical listed on the major national inventories, with a sensitiser classification and — unusually — a parallel existence as a pharmaceutical. 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.
• 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.
• Sensitiser labelling and training. As a skin and respiratory sensitiser, TETA triggers specific labelling and, in several jurisdictions, training and health surveillance obligations for workers handling epoxy systems — applicators downstream as well as formulators.
• Pharmaceutical grade is a different product. Trientine for medicinal use requires the purified linear isomer manufactured under pharmaceutical conditions. Technical TETA is not suitable and must not be represented as such. If your end use is medicinal, say so at enquiry — it is a different supply chain.
• Water-contact and food-contact coatings. Where a cured TETA system will contact drinking water or food, the finished coating usually needs approval under the relevant scheme at destination.
• Dangerous goods. UN 2259, Triethylenetetramine, Class 8 corrosive, Packing Group II. Declarations prepared for IMDG (sea) or IATA (air) as appropriate.

We Supply TETA Worldwide

Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and export partner, not a single-plant trader. We ship Triethylenetetramine (TETA) 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 TETA from Chelora

We are an independent sourcing and supply partner. For TETA that means one thing above all: establishing which grade you qualified on. TETA is a distribution rather than a compound, and sourcing on the name alone is how formulators end up with unexplained cure variation between deliveries.

• Documentation on every lot. Batch-specific COA including the full isomer distribution and amine value.
• Grade consistency. Material sourced against the grade you qualified on, not simply against the product name.
• Samples before commitment. Trial quantities for formulation qualification ahead of a commercial order.
• Quantities. From a single 200 kg drum through to repeat tank loads on contract supply.
• Export experience. Class 8 dangerous-goods documentation, packing and labelling handled for sea and road freight.
• Related intermediates. EDA, DETA, TEPA, piperazine, AEEA, IPDA and the wider epoxy hardener 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 Ethyleneamines & Epoxy Hardeners

Buyers of TETA usually source several of these alongside it — they come off the same plant and move together on availability. Consolidating them on one order cuts freight cost and gives you a single point of contact for documentation.