Chemical Guide

Ortho Xylene: A Feedstock, Not a Thinner — Uses, Specification and the Phthalic Anhydride Chain

·5 min read·Supreme Petro Chemicals

One isomer, one job

Ortho xylene — o-xylene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, CAS 95-47-6 — is one of the three xylene isomers, an aromatic C₈H₁₀ liquid. It is not bought the way its sibling mixed xylene is bought. Mixed xylene goes into thinners and coating formulations by the drum. Ortho xylene goes into reactors: it is the primary feedstock for phthalic anhydride, which flows into plasticizers, alkyd resins and unsaturated polyesters.

We stock petrochemical-grade ortho xylene — 98.50 wt% min, manufactured by Reliance Industries — and supply it in bulk road tankers from our Redhills, Chennai warehouse across South India.

Ortho xylene vs mixed xylene: two different products

The two carry different CAS numbers because they are different substances. CAS 95-47-6 denotes the distillation-separated single isomer. CAS 1330-20-7 denotes the commercial blend — ortho, meta and para xylene together with ethylbenzene — that the trade sells as mixed xylene. The single isomer is made by a different process and priced differently, and one cannot stand in for the other on a purchase order.

Which of the isomer-family numbers describes what will physically arrive is a recurring source of wrong deliveries. Our CAS number reference works through the xylene family in full, so we will not re-derive it here.

The phthalic anhydride chain

Follow one tanker of ortho xylene downstream and you reach a wide share of everyday materials.

  • Phthalic anhydride. The first stop. Ortho xylene is the primary feedstock for phthalic anhydride (PA, CAS 85-44-9) — a white flake solid we also stock, as I G Petrochemicals technical grade to IS 5158 : 1987 in 25 kg bags.
  • Phthalate plasticizers. PA reacted with alcohols gives DOP and DBP — plasticizers for PVC processing, cable manufacturing and flexible plastic production.
  • Alkyd resins. PA is a core building block of the alkyd binders used in solvent-borne paints.
  • Unsaturated polyester resins. The FRP and composites route.

That chain is why ortho xylene demand tracks resin and plasticizer production, not paint-shop solvent demand.

Where else it is used

Beyond the feedstock role, ortho xylene serves as an aromatic solvent in paints and coatings, in printing inks, and as an intermediate in dye and pesticide synthesis. These are secondary volumes next to the phthalic anhydride chain.

The specification we stock

Our material is manufactured by Reliance Industries and follows the Reliance Certificate of Quality. The figures below are the specification on our technical data sheet (doc no. SPC-TDS-ARO-005); the TDS and MSDS are downloadable from the product page.

ParameterSpecification
Purity98.50 wt% min o-xylene (per Reliance Industries Certificate of Quality)
AppearanceClear liquid, free from sediments
Total sulphur1.0 wt ppm max
Specific gravity0.8820 – 0.8850 at 15.5/15.5 °C
GradePetrochemical grade, 98.5% min
HSN code2902 41 00
Transport classUN 1307, Class 3 — flammable liquid
PackagingBulk road tanker

Who manufactures ortho xylene in India

Ortho xylene is produced at large refinery-petrochemical complexes, not by small blenders. The Indian manufacturers on our supply chain for this product are Reliance Industries, CPCL and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). The material we distribute is Reliance-made — produced at the Jamnagar Manufacturing Division and tested at its Central Laboratory.

We are distributors, not manufacturers. What we add is the tanker logistics: stock at Redhills, Chennai, and dispatch across South India.

How it ships: bulk road tanker only

We supply ortho xylene by bulk road tanker only — we do not offer it in drums. It is a Class 3 flammable liquid (UN 1307): keep it away from heat, sparks and open flames, handle it in well-ventilated areas, and use grounding and bonding during transfer. Plan receiving tankage accordingly.

FAQ

Why is ortho xylene sold separately from mixed xylene?

Because it is a different substance. Ortho xylene (CAS 95-47-6) is a distillation-separated single isomer bought as a chemical feedstock; mixed xylene (CAS 1330-20-7) is a blend of the three isomers plus ethylbenzene bought as a general-purpose solvent. Different process, different price, different buyers.

Does SPC supply ortho xylene in drums?

No. We supply ortho xylene in bulk road tankers only, from our Redhills, Chennai warehouse, with dispatch across South India.

What documents come with an ortho xylene consignment?

The specification follows the Reliance Industries Certificate of Quality. Our technical data sheet (doc no. SPC-TDS-ARO-005) and the MSDS are downloadable from the ortho xylene product page.

Sourcing ortho xylene in South India

If your plant runs on ortho xylene — or on the phthalic anhydride it becomes — we can quote both from the same warehouse. See the ortho xylene product page for the full specification, or WhatsApp an enquiry with your required quantity and delivery point.

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