Applications
Applications & industries
Derivative map
Where monochloroacetic acid goes
MCA is a small molecule with a long reach: pharmaceutical intermediates, cellulose ethers, surfactants, crop-protection actives and sulfur chemistry all start from it. Choose the grade to match the impurity profile your synthesis can tolerate.
01
Pharmaceutical intermediates & APIs
Chloroacetylation, N-alkylation, glycine and glycolate chemistry, chloroacetyl chloride, chloroacetamides.
02
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
Williamson etherification of alkali cellulose with MCA/SMCA.
03
Surfactants & betaines
Carboxymethylation of tertiary amines with SMCA.
04
Agrochemicals
Condensation with phenols; conversion to chloroacetyl chloride; IDA route.
05
Thioglycolic acid & sulfur chemistry
Nucleophilic substitution with NaSH.
06
Glycine, glycolic acid & other derivatives
Ammonolysis, hydrolysis, cyanation.
01 · API manufacturers, custom-synthesis and intermediate producers
Pharmaceutical intermediates & APIs
MCA is a chloroacetylating building block: its reactive C–Cl bond and carboxylic acid group make it a starting material for a wide range of active ingredients and intermediates. Low dichloroacetic acid (DCA) content matters because DCA carries through several syntheses as a hard-to-remove impurity.
Chemistry: Chloroacetylation, N-alkylation, glycine and glycolate chemistry, chloroacetyl chloride, chloroacetamides.
Made from MCA
- Glycine (pharma grade)
- Chloroacetyl chloride → lidocaine-type local anaesthetics
- Carbocisteine (mucolytic)
- Malonate and cyanoacetate esters
- Caffeine and vitamin B6 intermediates
Typical grade: Pharma grade — DCA ≤ 0.2 %
Request a quote for this use02 · Cellulose-ether producers (technical, food E466, pharma carmellose sodium, croscarmellose)
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
CMC is the single largest end use of MCA worldwide. Cellulose is alkalised and etherified with MCA or its sodium salt (SMCA) to give a water-soluble thickener used in food, pharmaceuticals, detergents, paper, oil-field fluids and, increasingly, lithium-ion battery anode binders.
Chemistry: Williamson etherification of alkali cellulose with MCA/SMCA.
Made from MCA
- Technical CMC (detergents, paper, ceramics)
- Food-grade CMC (E466)
- Pharma-grade carmellose / croscarmellose sodium
- Battery-grade CMC binder
Typical grade: Technical or pharma grade depending on the CMC grade produced
Request a quote for this use03 · Personal-care and home-care surfactant manufacturers
Surfactants & betaines
Amphoteric surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) are made by quaternising an amidoamine with sodium monochloroacetate. MCA also produces trimethylglycine (betaine) and ether carboxylate surfactants.
Chemistry: Carboxymethylation of tertiary amines with SMCA.
Made from MCA
- Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB)
- Betaine (trimethylglycine)
- Ether carboxylic acids
Typical grade: Technical grade; SMCA is often the preferred form
Request a quote for this use04 · Herbicide and insecticide technical-grade manufacturers
Agrochemicals
Phenoxy herbicides (2,4-D, MCPA) are produced by condensing chlorophenols with MCA; chloroacetyl chloride from MCA feeds chloroacetamide herbicides and organophosphate insecticides such as dimethoate. Glyphosate can also be made through the iminodiacetic acid (IDA) route.
Chemistry: Condensation with phenols; conversion to chloroacetyl chloride; IDA route.
Made from MCA
- 2,4-D and MCPA
- Chloroacetamide herbicides
- Dimethoate
- Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) → glyphosate
Typical grade: Technical grade
Request a quote for this use05 · Personal-care ingredient and PVC-stabiliser producers
Thioglycolic acid & sulfur chemistry
Reacting MCA with sodium hydrosulphide gives thioglycolic acid (TGA), the basis of hair-perm and depilatory formulations (ammonium and potassium thioglycolate) and of the 2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate used in organotin PVC heat stabilisers.
Chemistry: Nucleophilic substitution with NaSH.
Made from MCA
- Thioglycolic acid
- Ammonium / potassium thioglycolate
- 2-Ethylhexyl thioglycolate (PVC stabilisers)
Typical grade: Technical or high-purity grade
Request a quote for this use06 · Amino-acid, cosmetic-ingredient and specialty-chemical producers
Glycine, glycolic acid & other derivatives
Ammonolysis of MCA is the principal industrial route to glycine (feed, food and pharma grades); alkaline hydrolysis gives glycolic acid for cosmetics and cleaning; and MCA is the precursor to cyanoacetic acid, malonates and cyanoacrylate adhesives.
Chemistry: Ammonolysis, hydrolysis, cyanation.
Made from MCA
- Glycine
- Glycolic acid
- Cyanoacetic acid → ethyl cyanoacetate
- Diethyl malonate
Typical grade: Pharma grade for glycine and cosmetic uses
Request a quote for this useFAQ
Applications — questions buyers ask
- What is monochloroacetic acid used for?
- Monochloroacetic acid is used almost entirely as a chemical intermediate. Its largest use is carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), followed by pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs, betaine surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine, phenoxy herbicides (2,4-D, MCPA), thioglycolic acid for hair-care and PVC stabilisers, and glycine and glycolic acid. In every case MCA donates a carboxymethyl group or a reactive chloroacetyl unit. LVK Pharma supplies mainly pharmaceutical manufacturers, with capacity for CMC, surfactant and agrochemical producers.
- How is monochloroacetic acid used to make carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)?
- Carboxymethyl cellulose is made by treating alkali cellulose (cellulose swollen in sodium hydroxide) with monochloroacetic acid or sodium monochloroacetate, a Williamson etherification that attaches carboxymethyl groups to the cellulose backbone. The degree of substitution sets the CMC grade: technical CMC for detergents, paper, ceramics and drilling fluids; food-grade CMC (E466); pharmaceutical carmellose and croscarmellose sodium; and battery-grade CMC binder for lithium-ion anodes. Pharma and food CMC grades favour low-DCA MCA.
- Which pharmaceuticals and intermediates are made from monochloroacetic acid?
- Monochloroacetic acid is a starting material for many pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs: pharma-grade glycine, chloroacetyl chloride (used for lidocaine-type local anaesthetics and chloroacetamides), carbocisteine, malonate and cyanoacetate esters, caffeine and vitamin B6 intermediates, and ethyl chloroacetate, the Darzens reagent in the classical Boots ibuprofen synthesis. Because dichloroacetic acid carries through these routes as a hard-to-remove impurity, API manufacturers specify a low DCA limit, which is why LVK Pharma releases its pharma grade at DCA ≤ 0.2 %.
- How is glycine made from monochloroacetic acid?
- Glycine is made industrially by ammonolysis of monochloroacetic acid: MCA reacts with excess ammonia (usually with hexamethylenetetramine or ammonium salts as catalyst) to replace the chlorine with an amino group, giving glycine and ammonium chloride, which are separated by crystallisation. The MCA route serves feed, food and pharmaceutical glycine grades. Alkaline hydrolysis of MCA gives glycolic acid by the same substitution chemistry. Low iron and DCA content in the MCA simplify purification of pharma-grade glycine.
- How is monochloroacetic acid used in surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine?
- Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) and other amphoteric surfactants are made by carboxymethylating a tertiary amine — for CAPB, cocamidopropyl dimethylamine — with sodium monochloroacetate, the salt of monochloroacetic acid. The quaternisation attaches a carboxymethyl group that gives the molecule its zwitterionic, mild-foaming character used in shampoos and body washes. MCA also produces trimethylglycine (betaine) and ether carboxylate surfactants. Surfactant producers normally use technical-grade MCA or buy SMCA directly.
- Which agrochemicals are made from monochloroacetic acid?
- The phenoxy herbicides 2,4-D and MCPA are made by condensing monochloroacetic acid with 2,4-dichlorophenol or 4-chloro-2-methylphenol under alkaline conditions. Chloroacetyl chloride from MCA is the building block of chloroacetamide herbicides and of the organophosphate insecticide dimethoate, and iminodiacetic acid (IDA) made from MCA is one route to glyphosate. Agrochemical technical-grade producers normally use technical-grade MCA, where the DCA limit is less critical than for pharmaceutical synthesis.
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