n-Butyl Bromide (n-BB), also known chemically as 1-Bromobutane (CAS No. 109-65-9), is a clear, transparent liquid and a vital halogenated hydrocarbon intermediate. It is primarily employed as a high-efficiency butylating agent in organic synthesis. Its key role is to introduce the n-butyl group into complex molecules, making it indispensable in the manufacturing of various downstream fine chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and specialty paper additives.
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The n-Butyl Bromide market is characterized by:
- Essential Butylating Agent: n-BB is a fundamental and often non-substitutable reagent in numerous C-C bond forming reactions, driving its demand across multiple high-value chemical sectors.
- Fine Chemical Intermediate: The market is entirely an intermediate market, with demand elasticity directly linked to the production volumes of end-products such as specific pharmaceuticals (e.g., Phenylbutazone) and agrochemical actives.
- Flexible Production Assets: Many producers operate flexible manufacturing lines capable of producing various n-alkyl bromides (like n-Propyl Bromide and n-Butyl Bromide) based on market demand, optimizing asset utilization.
- Environmental Scrutiny: As a halogenated compound, its use and production are subject to increasing global regulatory scrutiny concerning VOC emissions and solvent management, driving a need for cleaner synthesis processes.
Application Analysis
n-Butyl Bromide's value is realized through its versatile use as a butylation reagent across diverse fine chemical industries.- Pharmaceuticals:
- Features & Trends: n-BB is a key intermediate in the synthesis of various pharmaceutical actives. Examples include the anti-inflammatory drugs Phenylbutazone and Oxyphenbutazone. It introduces the critical butyl functional group required for the drug's efficacy.
- Key Trend: Demand is stable, tied to the production volumes of generic and branded drugs that rely on the butylation reaction. This segment requires high-purity n-BB grades, often subject to strict GMP quality standards.
- Agrochemicals:
- Features & Trends: Used in the synthesis of numerous herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide active ingredients. n-BB serves to introduce alkyl substituents essential for the biological activity and selectivity of the agrochemical compound.
- Key Trend: Growth is driven by the global need for improved crop yields and newer generation, lower-toxicity agrochemicals, which often involve complex butylation steps.
- Paper Chemicals:
- Features & Trends: Used in the synthesis of specialty chemicals for the paper industry, notably in color developers for thermal paper, such as 2-anilino-3-methyl-6-dibutylfluoran (ODB-2). ODB-2 is a key component for thermal paper coating, responsible for color development upon heating.
- Key Trend: Stable demand linked to the consumption of thermal paper for receipts, labels, and specialized printing, though digitization trends may temper rapid expansion.
- Quaternary Ammonium Salts:
- Features & Trends: n-BB is a reagent in the synthesis of Quaternary Ammonium Salts, such as Tetrabutylammonium Bromide (TBAB). These salts are widely used as phase-transfer catalysts, surfactants, and specialized electrolytes.
- Key Trend: Growth is linked to the expansion of organic synthesis applications (where TBAB is a popular catalyst) and the increasing use of surfactants in industrial cleaners and personal care.
- Others:
- Features & Trends: Includes use as a specialty solvent, a fire extinguishing agent intermediate, and in other general organic synthesis reactions.
- Key Trend: Niche applications relying on the specific reactivity of the butyl bromide structure.
Regional Market Trends
Production is increasingly concentrated in Asia, particularly India and China, which benefit from integrated chemical manufacturing bases, while consumption is global.- Asia-Pacific (APAC): APAC is the largest production base and a rapidly growing consumption market, projected to achieve the strongest growth rate, estimated at a CAGR in the range of 4%-6% through 2030.
- China: China hosts numerous key manufacturers, including Shouguang Nuomeng Chemical Co. Ltd. (2,000 tonnes/year capacity), Hebei Jianxin Chemical Co. Ltd (2,000 tonnes/year capacity), and Rudong Yongtai Chemical Co. Ltd. (200 tonnes/year capacity). Chinese supply benefits from a vast and integrated chemical infrastructure and competitive cost structures.
- India: India is a major production center, driven by its robust pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Key suppliers include Yogi Intermediates PVT. LTD. (2,400 tonnes/year combined capacity), Dhruv Chem Industries (480 tonnes capacity), Dwarkesh Chemicals (720 tonnes capacity), and Neogen Chemicals Ltd.
- Europe: Europe is a mature consumption and established, high-quality production market, projected to grow at a moderate CAGR in the range of 2%-4% through 2030. Home to key global players like ICL, Lanxess, and Vynova PPC S.A.S, European production focuses on high-specification grades, though capacity has been shifting to Asia.
- North America: North America is a significant consumption market, projected to grow at a moderate CAGR in the range of 2%-4% through 2030, driven by its domestic agrochemical and specialty chemical industries.
- Latin America and Middle East & Africa (MEA): These are smaller markets, projected to grow at a moderate CAGR in the range of 1.5%-3.5% through 2030, with growth linked to the expansion of regional chemical processing and manufacturing.
Company Profiles
The market consists of both established global chemical majors specializing in halogens and a large number of flexible, fast-growing fine chemical manufacturers in Asia.- ICL, Lanxess, and Vynova PPC S.A.S: Major Western and multinational chemical corporations. They are often integrated into the elemental bromine and specialty halogen derivative value chain, ensuring high-quality, reliable, and compliant supply to sensitive end-markets like pharmaceuticals and high-end agrochemicals.
- Yogi Intermediates PVT. LTD. (2,400 tonnes/year flexible capacity) and Dwarkesh Chemicals (720 tonnes capacity): Key Indian manufacturers specializing in alkyl bromides. Yogi Intermediates utilizes a flexible production line, allowing it to pivot between n-Propyl Bromide and n-Butyl Bromide based on prevailing market demand.
- Shouguang Nuomeng Chemical Co. Ltd. (2,000 tonnes/year capacity) and Hebei Jianxin Chemical Co. Ltd (2,000 tonnes/year capacity): Dominant Chinese producers with substantial capacity. Their large-scale operations and integrated chemical production bases make them highly competitive suppliers in the global market.
- Rudong Yongtai Chemical Co. Ltd. (200 tonnes/year capacity), Anhui Weixiang New Materials Co. Ltd (1,000 tonnes/year capacity), and Shandong Tongcheng Medicine Co. Ltd. (500 tonnes/year capacity): These smaller-to-mid-sized Chinese producers demonstrate the fragmentation and specialization within the domestic supply base, often focusing on high-purity or specific customer requirements.
Value Chain Analysis
The n-Butyl Bromide value chain is relatively straightforward, but the core value is captured through safety expertise, process efficiency, and final purification.- Upstream: Feedstock Sourcing:
- Activity: Sourcing of commodity chemical precursors: n-Butanol and a source of Bromine (e.g., Hydrobromic Acid or Elemental Bromine).
- Value-Add: Integrated access to low-cost n-Butanol and Bromine is a major source of cost competitiveness, common for large, integrated chemical players.
- Midstream: Bromination Synthesis and Purification (Core Value-Add):
- Activity: The chemical reaction between n-Butanol and the Bromine source to synthesize n-Butyl Bromide. This is a highly hazardous process involving strong acids and volatile, corrosive materials. It is followed by intensive separation and purification (distillation) to meet the required assay (purity) and minimize VOCs.
- Value-Add: Proprietary reaction engineering and safety protocols for managing hazardous, corrosive reagents, coupled with flexible production assets (e.g., multi-product lines like Yogi Intermediates'), are the key drivers of value and operational efficiency.
- Downstream: Fine Chemical Synthesis:
- Activity: Selling n-BB as a butylation agent to pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and specialty paper manufacturers for subsequent synthesis steps.
- Value-Add: Technical expertise in safe handling and application support for customers' synthesis processes (e.g., guidance on optimal reaction conditions for butylation) and strict quality control for high-purity grades capture the final value.
Opportunities and Challenges
n-Butyl Bromide benefits from persistent demand in multiple synthesis reactions but faces significant challenges related to environmental compliance and high raw material costs.Opportunities
- Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Synthesis: Steady R&D and the production of new generation pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals ensure a continuous demand for versatile, highly reactive alkylating agents like n-BB.
- Specialty Catalyst Demand: The increasing complexity of organic synthesis, particularly for fine chemicals, drives demand for n-BB as a precursor for high-performance phase-transfer catalysts (e.g., TBAB).
- Flexible Capacity Utilization: Producers with flexible lines (like those making n-PB and n-BB) can rapidly adjust output to capture market shifts, optimizing asset efficiency and maximizing profitability.
- Growth in Thermal Paper: Continued, stable demand for thermal paper in logistics, retail, and specialized printing ensures a consistent market for n-BB derived color developers.
Challenges
- Hazardous Raw Material and Environmental Scrutiny: The synthesis process and the product itself involve corrosive and volatile chemicals. This necessitates extremely high safety and environmental compliance costs, particularly in Europe and North America, favoring producers in regions with less stringent or actively evolving environmental regulations.
- Volatile Raw Material Pricing: The price of n-BB is highly sensitive to the market fluctuations of its commodity precursor, n-Butanol, and the global price of Bromine, complicating long-term cost projections and contract pricing.
- Substitution Risk in Solvents: In less demanding solvent applications, n-BB faces intense competition from non-halogenated alternatives due to its environmental profile and higher cost.
- Regulatory Pressure on Halogenated Organics: There is increasing global pressure to limit the use and discharge of all halogenated organic compounds (AOX), forcing producers to invest heavily in VOC abatement and wastewater treatment technologies.
- Competition from Other Alkyl Halides: n-BB faces competition from other butylation agents, such as n-Butyl Chloride, in certain price-sensitive synthesis steps, particularly where the higher reactivity of the bromide is not strictly required.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and Acronyms
Chapter 3 Preface
Chapter 4 Market Landscape
Chapter 5 Market Trend Analysis
Chapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis
Chapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics
Chapter 8 Trading Analysis
Chapter 9 Historical and Forecast n-Butyl Bromide Market in North America (2020-2030)
Chapter 10 Historical and Forecast n-Butyl Bromide Market in South America (2020-2030)
Chapter 11 Historical and Forecast n-Butyl Bromide Market in Asia & Pacific (2020-2030)
Chapter 12 Historical and Forecast n-Butyl Bromide Market in Europe (2020-2030)
Chapter 13 Historical and Forecast n-Butyl Bromide Market in MEA (2020-2030)
Chapter 14 Summary for Global n-Butyl Bromide Market (2020-2025)
Chapter 15 Global n-Butyl Bromide Market Forecast (2025-2030)
Chapter 16 Analysis of Global Key Vendors
List of Tables and Figures
Companies Mentioned
- ICL
- Lanxess
- Vynova PPC S.A.S
- Shouguang Fukang Pharmaceutical
- Shouguang Nuomeng Chemical Co. Ltd.
- Hebei Jianxin Chemical Co. Ltd
- Anhui Weixiang New Material Co. Ltd.
- Yogi Intermediates PVT. LTD.
- Dhruv Chem Industries
- Dwarkesh Chemicals
- Rudong Yongtai Chemical Co. Ltd.
- Anhui Weixiang New Materials Co. Ltd
- Shandong Tongcheng Medicine Co. Ltd.
- Shandong Exceris Chemical Co. Ltd.
- Shandong Tongli New Material Co. Ltd.
- Neogen Chemicals Ltd
- Mody Chemi-Pharma Limited
