Chemical production doesn’t stand still. A few years ago, a client in battery development called our lab and asked about ionic liquids that could boost conductivity for next-generation energy systems. That’s when we dived into the potential of 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium. The compound quickly gained a reputation across the specialty sector for its unique balance of stability and reactivity. Unlike some older salts that struggled under high-temperature or corrosive conditions, this compound held up in tests and delivered measurable performance gains.
Choosing a brand or model in specialty chemicals comes down to trust. At Tinchem Corporation, our focus paired reliability with tangible results. The 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium-PTSA branded line, especially Model TCB1004, showed consistent spectrometric purity in the lab—over 99%. That helped eliminate downstream contamination headaches. When you get a specification sheet on this product, it reads: clear to slightly yellowish liquid, assay 99% minimum, water content below 1%, and residual solvents under 100 ppm. These seem like dry numbers, but in real-world catalytic and electrochemical application, they matter.
Years back, a biorefining startup approached us about sulfonic acid functionalized ionic liquids for biomass conversion. Our team provided a trial batch of the TCB1004 model. The startup reported higher yields from lignocellulosic feedstock compared to phosphoric acid, and equipment corrosion saw a substantial drop. There’s a real business value to that, not just science.
Anyone working in process chemistry knows you chase repeatability. 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium (CAS: 1225078-16-1) gives that, especially as demand for ionic liquids rises across battery, separations, and green chemistry markets. Users report improved ionic mobility compared to less bulky imidazolium variants. This mobility translates into higher electrochemical window—a must for many lithium battery manufacturers.
During one of our site visits in 2023, a senior engineer ran a pilot unit testing organic sulfur removal. The ease of phase separation using the sulfonic acid group dramatically shortened production time, trimming hours off routine batch cycles. His verdict was clear: “This ionic liquid pays for itself in one campaign.”
Logistics may not sound glamorous, but buyers need reliability as much as purity. Q4 demand last year saw many new inquiries asking: Where do I find this compound for sale? After outreach, most new customers settled with global suppliers like Tinchem Corporation or Jinan FineChem. These groups partnered directly with manufacturers in Asia and Europe, holding stocks both in drums and small lots.
Pricing fluctuates, but for 2024, wholesale price on 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium hovers between $650 and $900 per kilogram at 99% assay for MOQ of 10 kg. Smaller research units see higher per-kilo rates. Factoring shipping and handling, established suppliers often bundle insurance for hazardous transport, and provide batch-level traceability. For one multinational in the US, this traceability traced back to consistent ASTM method compendiums in batch sampling; such verifiable supply chains became a critical risk-mitigation strategy after recent regulatory changes.
It’s easy to lose sight of why chemists ask for these specialty salts. In the last energy conference I attended, battery engineers explained their criteria point-blank: solvents and electrolytes must deliver higher energy density and stay stable across hundreds of cycles. The 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium group outperformed standard imidazolium counterparts because the sulfonic arm adds both acidity and structural robustness.
Labs focused on biomass transformation, CO2 sequestration, and selective Fischer–Tropsch make up the core buyers. Some pharmaceutical groups purchase smaller volumes to explore late-stage catalysis steps, driven by the need for high-yield reactions without heavy metal contamination. The compound’s flexibility means it gets trialed in processes from alkylation in fuel additives to selective metal extraction in rare earth mining.
Every time I visit a client, questions about raw material purity come up. Many companies have been burned by inconsistent batches in years past. Over a decade, the market matured—leading manufacturers like Tinchem built robust QMS for every specification: nuclear magnetic resonance, Karl Fischer titration, and high-res mass spec are now SOPs in factories. Still, buyers need to stay alert. Lab-scale specs don't always translate directly when orders hit hundreds of kilos. In 2022, a procurement specialist I know flagged off-ratio impurities in a shipment sourced from an unvetted supplier; extra cleaning cost days of lost time.
Price transparency made a huge difference in sourcing decisions. Some suppliers used to hide fees or tack on unlisted surcharges for regulatory paperwork. Industry forums and traceability software changed that. Most buyers now demand—and get—full batch documentation and digital delivery records.
With the European Union raising oversight after a spate of hazardous cargo incidents, chemical firms shifted to more transparent reporting. To buy 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium or import it, companies now submit CAS number 1225078-16-1 documentation and updated MSDS data. Most regulatory teams demand signed supply chain affidavits as compliance backstops. On the ground, this pushed manufacturers to invest in new monitoring tech—like inline FTIR for purity and RFID for shipping.
Handling protocols adjusted, too: more training for warehouse teams, double-layer HDPE drums, and air-freight options with specific labeling. For us, upfront prep simplified border crossings and reduced regulatory headaches in customs. An old colleague put it this way: cutting corners in compliance can cost more than the raw material itself.
Working inside chemical distribution shows the market never sleeps. Engineers want faster routes to scale, with trusted specs and traceable origins. Looking back to my own start in the industry, every innovation in supply or process cut costs and won new projects. 1-Propylsulfonic-3-Butylimidazolium stands out by balancing performance with practical packaging and compliance. From direct use in green synthesis to long-term battery storage trials, it solved problems daily in labs, production plants, and procurement departments.
If you’re sourcing specialty ionic liquids, select a partner with a real track record in purity, logistics, and data transparency. Focusing on foundations serves not just R&D but also stability in supply chains—delivering value and security when it counts most.
