N-butanol, also named 1-butanol with CAS No.71-36-3, is a saturated aliphatic alcohol and one of the most fundamental bulk organic chemicals traded globally in the petrochemical supply chain. Appearing as a clear, colourless volatile liquid with a mild alcoholic odour, this chemical stands out for its balanced solubility and stable chemical reactivity, making it irreplaceable across coating manufacturing, pharmaceutical synthesis, plastic processing and agrochemical production.
1. Key Physical & Quality Specifications for Export Grade N-Butanol
International buyers primarily source two mainstream grades: industrial refined grade and high-purity premium grade, with strict test indicators defined for cross-border trade inspection.
• Industrial Grade (General Export Standard): Purity ≥99.5% wt; water content ≤0.1% wt; chromaticity (Pt-Co) ≤10 Hazen units; acidity calculated as acetic acid ≤0.003% wt; boiling range 116~119°C at standard atmospheric pressure. This grade meets the demand of most conventional solvent and ester synthesis scenarios.
• High-Purity Grade (Pharmaceutical & Electronic Use): Purity ≥99.8%~99.99%; trace impurities including isobutanol and aldehydes are strictly controlled below 0.05%; metal ion content reaches ppb level for electronic cleaning applications.
Basic physical constants remain consistent across qualified batches: density 0.808~0.811 g/cm³ at 20°C, closed cup flash point 35°C, slightly soluble in water and fully miscible with ethanol, ether, acetone and other organic solvents. Every export batch is attached with a full Certificate of Analysis (COA) listing all test values for customer incoming quality control.
2. Main Industrial Downstream Applications
2.1 Chemical Intermediate Production (Largest Consumption Field)
N-butanol acts as a core raw material to synthesize butyl acetate, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) plasticizer, butyl glycol ether and butyl acrylate. Butyl acetate, the biggest derivative, serves as the primary solvent for solvent-based paints, wood coatings and printing inks worldwide. Plasticizers produced from n-butanol improve the flexibility and processing performance of PVC, synthetic rubber and polymer materials.
2.2 Coating & Ink Industry
As a latent solvent for nitrocellulose lacquers, amino baking paints and automotive topcoats, n-butanol adjusts coating viscosity effectively, eliminates surface blushing during high-humidity construction, and upgrades paint flow and gloss finish. Printing ink manufacturers widely adopt it to stabilise ink fluidity and prevent rapid solvent volatilization during printing processes.
2.3 Pharmaceutical & Fine Chemical Industry
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it works as an extraction solvent for antibiotics, vitamins and hormone APIs, and is also applied to synthesise pharmaceutical intermediates and food-grade artificial flavours. High-purity n-butanol is further used for degreasing and cleaning of optical components and semiconductor auxiliary processing.
2.4 Agrochemical & Daily Chemical Fields
Agrochemical factories utilise n-butanol to dissolve active ingredients inside herbicides, pesticides and fungicides to enhance formulation stability. For daily industries, it is added into industrial degreasers, water-based cleaning agents and essence formulations as a coupling solvent to blend water and oil phases evenly.
3. Hazard Classification & International Shipping Requirements (Critical for Export Trade)
N-butanol is classified as a flammable liquid dangerous good with UN number UN1120, Hazard Class 3, Packing Group III under IMDG and IATA regulations; GHS hazard label carries the signal word "Danger" due to flammability and irritation risks to skin, eyes and respiratory tract.
Export Shipping Rules
1. Packaging: Standard export packing adopts 160kg galvanized iron drums; bulk shipments use stainless steel ISO tank containers. Complete Dangerous Goods Packaging Certificate (DG Packing Certificate) is mandatory for customs clearance.
2. Transport Restrictions: Shipment must avoid direct sunlight, high temperature and open flame sources during transit; mixing transport with strong oxidisers is strictly prohibited. Road and sea carriers need to equip fire-fighting devices and static elimination facilities.
3. Mandatory Export Documents: Full set includes commercial invoice, packing list, COA, SDS (Safety Data Sheet), inspection certificate, DG packing certificate and customs declaration forms; most destination ports require SDS to follow GHS global standards.
