Summary. n-Butanol (NBA, CAS 71-36-3) has no single fixed price. What you pay depends on the market on the day, the grade and documents, the quantity, and where it is delivered. We do not publish figures. This guide explains the general drivers and gives you a checklist so that quotes from different suppliers are comparable. Everything about the market here is general knowledge, not a forecast; SPC facts are limited to the product record.
Why there is no fixed n-butanol price
Searches for an n-butanol price return marketplace listings, and those figures go stale quickly. Commodity solvent prices move with the market, and a listing shows only the day someone typed it. At Supreme Petro Chemicals we quote on enquiry for exactly that reason: a number published on a web page today may not describe the market next week. We quote within 4 working hours once we have your requirement, and a batch Certificate of Analysis is supplied with every delivery.
The product itself is stable and well defined. Our n-butanol (NBA) specifications and documents list Industrial Grade, Normal Butanol 99.50 wt% min, supplied by bulk road tanker. It is the commercial terms around that product that move, not the definition of the product.
The main drivers of n-butanol prices
These are general market mechanisms, not statements about any particular supplier or period, and they carry no numbers on purpose.
| Driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Feedstock and route | Most n-butanol is made by the oxo route, in which propylene is reacted with synthesis gas and the product hydrogenated. Propylene and energy costs therefore pass through to the alcohol. |
| Plant maintenance and outages | A plant turnaround or unplanned outage can tighten supply and move prices (general knowledge). |
| Import parity and currency | Where domestic supply is short, imported material can set the marginal price. Exchange-rate moves feed into that landed cost. |
| Demand from butyl esters | n-Butanol is a feedstock for butyl acetate and butyl acrylate. Strong demand for those derivatives pulls on butanol availability. |
| Solvent demand cycles | Paints, coatings, inks and adhesives buy more in some seasons than in others, which shifts spot demand. |
| Freight and logistics | Bulk road tanker movement depends on distance, tanker availability and fuel costs. Delivered cost differs by location. |
| Regulatory position | Duty and trade-remedy measures on an imported tariff line can change over time. Our records show HSN 2905 13 00 as a verified code; confirm the current duty status with a customs adviser at the time of import rather than relying on an old figure. |
Why the same product can be quoted differently
Even on one day, two quotes for n-butanol can legitimately differ. The grade may differ, the producer may differ, the tanker size or delivery point may differ, the invoicing basis may differ, and the validity of the quote may differ. Comparing only the rupee figure hides all of that, so the next sections set out what to fix before you compare.
How to ask for a comparable quote
Send every supplier the same information. An enquiry that leaves things open produces quotes that cannot be lined up against each other.
- Name the product by CAS. Write n-butanol (NBA), CAS 71-36-3. Isobutanol is CAS 78-83-1 and is a different product with a different tariff line, so the word butanol alone invites the wrong isomer.
- State the grade and assay. Our grade is Industrial Grade, Normal Butanol 99.50 wt% min. If your process needs tighter water, acidity or colour, say so.
- State the quantity and pack. Our record shows bulk road tanker only. If you need another pack, say that clearly so the supplier can tell you whether it is possible.
- Give the delivery location. Delivered cost depends on where the tanker unloads. Give the town and pincode.
- List the documents. Ask for the technical data sheet, the safety data sheet and the batch Certificate of Analysis.
- Ask what the quote is based on. Does it include delivery and GST invoicing, and how long is the quote valid?
- Ask which producer supplies your batch. Our TDS names The Andhra Petrochemicals Limited and BPCL Kochi Refinery, and lists the BIS licence against the APL Visakhapatnam plant. Ask us to confirm the producer for your batch when we quote.
A worked example of a good enquiry
The structure below is a template, not a quote. Replace the bracketed items with your own details and send the same text to every supplier you compare.
Product: n-Butanol (NBA), CAS 71-36-3, Industrial Grade, Normal Butanol 99.50 wt% min.
Quantity: [your quantity] by bulk road tanker.
Delivery: [site name], [town], [pincode].
Documents: TDS, SDS and batch Certificate of Analysis with each delivery.
Please state: producer of the batch, delivery basis, GST invoicing, and how long the quote is valid.
Because every supplier answers the same questions, the replies can be placed side by side. Any reply that skips a line, such as the producer or the validity, tells you something about how firm the quote is.
Checking a quote against the specification
A lower number can sit on a looser specification. Line the quote up against the six parameters in our TDS before you decide.
| Parameter | Limit |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear colourless liquid |
| Normal Butanol | 99.50 wt% min |
| Colour | 10 APHA max |
| Acidity (as acetic acid) | 0.01 wt% max |
| Aldehyde | 0.05 wt% max |
| Water | 0.10 wt% max |
If another supplier quote lists only a purity figure and no limits for water, acidity or aldehyde, you are not comparing like for like. Ask for the full specification in writing, and check the units: weight percent and volume percent are not the same thing.
Reading the Certificate of Analysis against a quote
A quote states what a supplier promises; the Certificate of Analysis shows what a particular batch measured. Ask for a sample certificate, or confirm in writing that a batch certificate will accompany each delivery, and then check three things. First, that every parameter in the quote appears on the certificate, with the same units. Second, that each result sits on the right side of its limit: the Normal Butanol assay at or above its minimum, and colour, acidity, aldehyde and water at or below their maximums. Third, that the certificate names the batch and the producer, so that you can trace the material later. A quote that promises limits the certificate does not report cannot be verified when the tanker arrives, and that gap is worth resolving before you place the order rather than after.
What to do with the quotes you receive
Once the replies are in, put them in a simple table with one row per supplier and the same columns: grade and assay, producer, pack, delivery basis, documents offered, validity and payment terms. Strike out any column a supplier left blank and go back and ask. Only after the terms line up does the rupee figure become meaningful. If two quotes still differ widely on identical terms, ask each supplier what basis the quote rests on instead of assuming one of them is wrong.
Do not carry an old quote forward as a benchmark. A past figure is history; the market has moved since. Ask for a fresh quote on each purchase and keep the old one only as a record of what was agreed at the time.
Common mistakes buyers make
- Comparing a marketplace listing with a quote. A listing may be a different grade, a different isomer or a small pack. A tanker quote covers a different commercial situation.
- Ordering by the word butanol. Always give the CAS number.
- Ignoring the isomer. n-Butanol (71-36-3) and isobutanol (78-83-1) are separate products. See the page for isobutanol if that is what you need.
- Forgetting the documents. Without a batch Certificate of Analysis you cannot check that the material met the limits.
- Treating an old rate as a benchmark. Market rates move. Ask for a fresh quote each time.
Related reading
If you are working out what to buy, our guide NBA (n-butanol): what it is, what it makes and how we supply it covers the uses. The ester made from it is butyl acetate. If you are planning how to receive a tanker, see our receiving checklist.
How to get a quote from SPC
Send the product name with CAS 71-36-3, quantity, delivery location and the documents you need to us by WhatsApp on +91 86087 80096 or through the contact page. We quote within 4 working hours, and a batch Certificate of Analysis is supplied with every delivery. Supreme Petro Chemicals is a Chennai trader and bulk distributor; the market commentary above is general knowledge and not a forecast.