Product Overview
Monoethanolamine (MEA) is a clear, colorless amino alcohol used across industrial processes that demand a reactive amine with strong alkalinity. Its molecular structure—a primary amine bonded to a hydroxyl group—makes it a workhorse intermediate for surfactant manufacturing, acid gas treating, and pH adjustment in water treatment systems.
This technical grade MEA (CAS 141-43-5) is offered for industrial buyers who need a reliable amine feedstock without the documentation overhead of pharmaceutical or analytical designations. Available in sizes from 1-quart bench quantities to 330-gallon totes, it scales from pilot formulation through full production runs.
Why This Concentration
Technical grade MEA is the standard procurement choice for industrial process use—surfactant synthesis, gas scrubbing, metalworking fluid formulation, and water treatment. It provides the reactivity and alkalinity these operations require without the cost premium of grades carrying additional analytical documentation.
If your process requires traceable purity documentation against a specific standard, confirm that this technical designation meets your incoming QC requirements before ordering. For most industrial formulating, blending, and treating applications, technical grade is the appropriate pick.
Chemical Profile
Monoethanolamine is a clear, colorless liquid with an unpleasant, ammonia-like odor—immediately recognizable on the receiving dock. Its molecular formula is C₂H₇NO (molecular weight 61.08 g/mol, CAS 141-43-5). At 68 °F the liquid is denser than water at 1.016 g/mL, and it is freely miscible—solubility exceeds 100 mg/mL at 68 °F. Vapor pressure is low at room temperature (0.4 mmHg at 68 °F), rising to 6 mmHg at 140 °F, which means noticeable off-gassing in heated processes. Flash point sits at 185 °F. MEA will attack copper, brass, and rubber, so equipment selection matters—stainless steel or HDPE are the standard-compatible materials of construction.
Industrial Applications
Surfactant and detergent production. MEA reacts with fatty acids to form ethanolamides and amine soaps, which serve as emulsifiers and foam stabilizers in industrial and household cleaning formulations. Its amino and hydroxyl groups both participate in the condensation, giving formulators control over the resulting surfactant's hydrophilic-lipophilic balance.
Acid gas treating. In natural gas sweetening and refinery amine units, MEA scrubs H₂S and CO₂ from gas streams. The amine reacts reversibly with acid gases, absorbing them in a contactor column and releasing them in a regeneration stripper—a cycle that depends on MEA's high reactivity with CO₂ relative to other alkanolamines.
pH adjustment in water treatment. MEA raises pH in boiler feedwater and cooling water circuits. Its buffering behavior and low volatility at moderate temperatures make it useful where operators need a liquid amine that stays in the water phase rather than flashing off into steam.
Corrosion inhibition. In metalworking fluids and closed-loop cooling systems, MEA forms a protective film on ferrous metal surfaces by neutralizing dissolved CO₂ and organic acids. This reduces the corrosive potential of the circulating fluid and extends equipment service life.
Chemical intermediate. MEA serves as a building block for ethyleneamines, oxazolines, and other nitrogen-containing intermediates used in textile finishing, agricultural adjuvants, and polymer chemistry.
Handling & Storage
MEA carries a GHS signal word of Danger (per the product's GHS classification). The hazard statements that govern handling are:
- H302 — Harmful if swallowed (per the product's GHS classification)
- H312 — Harmful in contact with skin (per the product's GHS classification)
- H314 — Causes severe skin burns and eye damage (per the product's GHS classification)
- H332 — Harmful if inhaled (per the product's GHS classification)
- H335 — May cause respiratory irritation (per the product's GHS classification)
Wear chemical-splash goggles, butyl or nitrile gloves, and a face shield when transferring. In enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, use supplied-air respiratory protection—MEA vapor is an irritant even at low concentrations.
Store in tightly sealed HDPE or stainless steel containers in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Keep MEA away from strong acids and oxidizing agents. Do not store in copper, brass, or rubber-lined equipment—MEA attacks all three. Shelf life is best maintained when containers remain sealed; moisture absorption from ambient air will gradually shift the product's characteristics over time.
Hazmat & Shipping
Monoethanolamine ships as a regulated hazardous material under DOT:
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UN Number: UN2491 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 8 — Corrosive (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Packing Group: III (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Proper Shipping Name: Ethanolamine (per 49 CFR 172.101)
Every outbound shipment from our Taylor, TX warehouse is classified, packaged, marked, and documented by trained hazmat personnel in accordance with 49 CFR. Shipping papers and hazard placarding are prepared for each load.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) ships with every order, available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A Technical Data Sheet (TDS) is also available on request to support your incoming QC review. Lot-specific Certificates of Analysis (COA) can be provided so you can verify that each shipment meets your process requirements before it enters your system.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
This MEA listing spans sixteen pack sizes—from a single quart for bench trials to 330-gallon totes for continuous-feed operations—so you match the order to the job without overbuying. Alliance Chemical has served over 50,000 customers since 1998, and every hazmat shipment is reviewed under DOT protocols at our Taylor, TX facility. Shipping and handling guidance for this product is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
