Section
| HS Code | 707290 |
| Productname | Succinic Anhydride |
| Casnumber | 108-30-5 |
| Ecnumber | 203-570-0 |
| Molecularformula | C4H4O3 |
| Molecularweight | 100.07 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline solid |
| Meltingpoint | 119-120 °C |
| Boilingpoint | 261 °C |
| Density | 1.48 g/cm³ at 20 °C |
| Solubility | Soluble in ethanol, ether, and chloroform; hydrolyzes in water |
| Purity | ≥99% typical |
| Storageconditions | Store in a dry, sealed container at room temperature |
| Flashpoint | 157 °C |
As an accredited Succinic Anhydride factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Succinic Anhydride supplied in 1 kg moisture-resistant, sealed HDPE containers with secure closures, batch labels, and GHS-compliant hazard markings. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Succinic Anhydride is loaded in a 20′ FCL container using sealed, moisture-resistant packaging, securely palletized, braced, and shipped with hazardous documentation. |
| Shipping | Succinic anhydride is typically shipped as a non-dangerous, moisture-sensitive solid in sealed, dry containers. Verify the supplier SDS and local transport rules; if classified as corrosive, use Class 8 labeling. Keep cool, dry, well-ventilated, and away from moisture, oxidizers, and bases. |
| Storage | Store succinic anhydride in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from moisture, heat, ignition sources, and incompatible materials such as strong oxidizers, bases, alcohols, and amines. Keep containers tightly closed and protect from humidity. Use corrosion-resistant, clearly labeled containers in a segregated dry chemical storage cabinet, and follow local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf Life: Stable for at least 24 months when stored tightly sealed in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture. |
In short-oil alkyd resin reactors, succinic anhydride is introduced at 3–8 wt% of total resin solids when a saturated C4 dibasic acid segment is required to modify chain flexibility and reduce intrinsic colour. The esterification is run in a 6.3 m³ to 12.5 m³ 316L stainless steel vessel fitted with an anchor agitator at 30–60 rpm, internal coils, rectifying column, and Dean-Stark separator. Xylene is used as azeotropic solvent at 155–175°C; water is decanted until the acid value drops below 10 mg KOH/g for short-oil systems or below 15 mg KOH/g for medium-oil systems, measured by ASTM D974 or ISO 2114. Total anhydride-to-polyol equivalent ratio is kept between 0.95:1 and 1.03:1, with residual hydroxyl balanced against melamine-formaldehyde crosslinker demand in baking enamels. Final cut viscosity is controlled between 3000–6000 mPa·s at 25°C by ISO 3219 after dilution to 60% solids in xylene. Gardner colour is typically ≤ 3 per ASTM D1544; the saturated backbone gives lower thermal yellowing than maleic anhydride-modified alkyds under the same cook schedule. Production-scale flake handling shows that particles above 10 mm bridge in rotary valves, so a nitrogen-purged vibrating hopper is installed upstream of the charge port. Water-reducible conversions must maintain pH below 8.5 during amine neutralization, because alkaline storage above this threshold accelerates ester hydrolysis and acid value rebound. End-use systems include coil-coating primers, metal furniture enamels, and stoving industrial finishes where aromatic acid content is reduced.
Two-component epoxy anhydride systems rarely use succinic anhydride as a sole hardener because the melting point of 119–120°C creates handling and solubility constraints. Instead, the flake or powder is dissolved at 20–40 wt% of a liquid hardener blend based on methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride or hexahydrophthalic anhydride at 75–85°C under dry nitrogen. The solution is filtered through a 100–150 µm screen before transfer; undissolved particles above 150 µm create local stoichiometric imbalance and surface gel defects in powder-coating extrudate. Anhydride-to-epoxy equivalent ratio is set between 0.80:1 and 0.95:1 for bisphenol A diglycidyl ether resins with an epoxy equivalent weight of 182–192 g/eq, and 1-methylimidazole is pre-dispersed at 0.5–1.0 phr as a latent accelerator. Cure cycles for castings typically follow 90°C for 2 h, 140°C for 3 h, and 170°C for 1 h; the resulting aliphatic segments reduce glass transition temperature relative to aromatic anhydride formulations, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 K/min per ISO 11357-2. Mechanical qualification is carried out on dry specimens after conditioning at 23°C and 50% RH per ISO 291, using ASTM D638 tensile bars and ISO 178 flexural specimens. Succinic anhydride flake must be vacuum-dried at 60°C for 4 h when storage RH has exceeded 60%, because free succinic acid shifts the anhydride-to-epoxy stoichiometry. Primary and secondary amine accelerators must not be used; rapid salt formation causes an uncontrolled viscosity increase before gelation. Production-scale qualification is commonly performed on twin-screw extruders with L/D ratios from 40:1 to 44:1, and published data for this specific configuration is limited outside proprietary development reports.
For paper surface sizing, succinylated starch is prepared in a jacketed stirred tank at 35–45°C and pH 8.0–9.0, with sodium hydroxide solution metered continuously to neutralize succinic acid formed during starch hydroxyl esterification. The degree of substitution is controlled between 0.01 and 0.03 by stopping the anhydride feed and adjusting the slurry to pH 5.5–6.0 with dilute hydrochloric acid. The modified starch is washed, dried, and later jet-cooked at 130–140°C before application at 2–5 kg/t dry paper on a two-roll puddle size press or metering size press. Brookfield viscosity at 60°C is maintained between 30–60 mPa·s per ISO 2555; water absorption after sizing is evaluated by Cobb 60 sec measurements per ISO 535. The anionic succinate groups reduce cationic wet-end additive retention when broke is recycled into the furnish; aluminum sulfate or cationic starch is used to adjust zeta potential before the headbox. The ester linkage is hydrolytically sensitive above pH 9.5 at 50°C. On paper machines running above 800 m/min, viscosity drift in the size-press loop is visible as streaking in the film split; in-line refractometers are used to maintain solids. Cooked paste stored beyond 8 h shows measurable viscosity loss and lower sizing efficiency.
Succinate diester synthesis for non-phthalate plasticizer and lubricant base stock is conducted in a glass-lined stainless steel reactor fitted with a packed distillation column, condenser, and vacuum receiver. The molar charge ratio is 2.05:1 to 2.20:1 alcohol to succinic anhydride; tetrabutyl titanate is added at 0.05–0.1 wt% of total charge as catalyst. Temperature is ramped from 140°C to 180°C under nitrogen, and vacuum is staged from 200–300 mbar down to 20–50 mbar in the final hour to strip residual alcohol and reaction water. The endpoint is an acid value ≤ 0.5 mg KOH/g per ASTM D974, water content ≤ 0.1% per ASTM D1533, and colour ≤ 50 Hazen per ISO 6271. Residual monoester from incomplete diesterification increases acid value and impairs demulsibility in metalworking lubricant blends; a washing step with 5 wt% sodium carbonate solution at 60°C is used to reduce acidic carryover. The resulting diesters are evaluated as secondary plasticizers in flexible PVC at 10–20 phr replacement levels, with compatibility assessed by loop spew testing per ASTM D3291 and low-temperature stiffness per ASTM D1043. Storage requires nitrogen blanketing at 20–30°C; moisture ingress above 0.1% water causes slow hydrolysis and acid value drift in the packaged product. Published compatibility data for this specific configuration is limited compared with adipate and sebacate esters; plastisol testing is required for each new alcohol chain length before commercial use.
Under slight vacuum, molten succinic anhydride is reacted with aqueous ammonia or monoalkylamines at 180–200°C to form succinimide derivatives, with water removed continuously through a reflux condenser into a distillate receiver. The reaction is carried out in 2.5 m³ to 5.0 m³ stainless steel reactors with internal coils; anhydride feed is controlled over 2–4 h because the imidation exotherm can exceed jacket cooling capacity at higher rates. Intermediate products include succinimide, N-bromosuccinimide, and N-hydroxysuccinimide, which are downstream building blocks for peptide coupling reagents, polymer-drug conjugates, and crop protection agents. Reverse-phase HPLC at 210 nm is used to monitor residual succinic acid and maleic acid; residual solvents are controlled per USP 467, and elemental impurities are reported against ICH Q3D. Final imide lots are dried at 60°C under vacuum until water content is below 0.5% before packaging. Succinic anhydride is supplied as a chemical intermediate, not as a direct active pharmaceutical ingredient; GMP qualification applies only to the recrystallized imide derivative. Avoid steam and humid air contact because hydrolysis to succinic acid is rapid above 80°C, and drum storage should be kept under nitrogen at 15–25°C.
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Succinic anhydride (CAS 108-30-5; IUPAC oxolane-2,5-dione; EC 203-570-0) is a saturated five-membered cyclic anhydride with molar mass 100.07 g/mol and molecular formula C₄H₄O₃. Commercial product is manufactured primarily by catalytic hydrogenation of maleic anhydride or by thermal dehydration of succinic acid. It is supplied as white crystalline flake, milled powder with a typical D90 of 200 µm, or molten bulk maintained at 130–140 °C. Representative technical-data-sheet specifications include anhydride assay ≥99.0 % by gas chromatography, melting range 118.0–120.0 °C, succinic acid ≤0.5 wt%, moisture ≤0.2 wt%, and residue on ignition ≤0.1 wt%. Pharmaceutical grades may require assay ≥99.5 % with residual solvent testing by headspace GC. Density is 1.503 g/cm³ at 20 °C; boiling point is 261 °C; closed-cup flash point is approximately 157 °C. The material dissolves in ethanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform, sparingly in diethyl ether, and hydrolyzes in water to succinic acid. FTIR spectra show asymmetric and symmetric anhydride carbonyl stretching near 1865 cm⁻¹ and 1782 cm⁻¹, with the ring C–O–C absorption near 1060 cm⁻¹.
Product models are differentiated by particle morphology and delivery mode rather than by chemical identity. Flake grade with nominal particle size 2–5 mm is selected for large-scale melt esterification because it resists dusting; milled grade with D90 ≤200 µm is used for batch reactors requiring faster dissolution. Molten bulk delivery at 130–140 °C requires heated tank containers and trace-heated transfer lines; this model eliminates dust exposure and reduces operator handling. Low-iron and low-chloride grades are available for pharmaceutical and battery customers, with residual chloride below 50 ppm in some specifications to avoid catalyst poisoning in subsequent hydrogenation or coupling steps. The choice of model affects plant safety: fine powder forms require inerted pneumatic conveying and explosion suppression, whereas flake forms can be moved by mechanical screw feeders with less airborne dust generation.
| Parameter | Technical grade | Pharmaceutical grade | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assay | ≥99.0 % | ≥99.5 % | GC-FID after derivatization |
| Melting range | 118.0–120.0 °C | 119.0–120.0 °C | capillary, USP <741> |
| Succinic acid | ≤0.5 wt% | ≤0.2 wt% | acid-base titration |
| Water | ≤0.2 wt% | ≤0.1 wt% | Karl Fischer, USP <921> |
| Residue on ignition | ≤0.1 wt% | ≤0.05 wt% | USP <281> |
| Heavy metals | ≤10 ppm | ≤5 ppm | ICP-MS, USP <232/233> |
| Particle size D90 | ≤200 µm (milled) | not specified | laser diffraction |
The absence of an olefinic double bond is the controlling difference. Maleic anhydride (CAS 108-31-6) has a cis double bond, melting point 52.8 °C, and participates in Diels-Alder addition and free-radical copolymerization; succinic anhydride is saturated, melts at 119–120 °C, and cannot undergo vinyl-addition reactions. In condensation polymerization, this saturation prevents the formation of unsaturated polyester crosslinking sites, producing aliphatic polyesters with predictable linear architecture. Compared with phthalic anhydride (CAS 85-44-9), succinic anhydride contributes a flexible two-carbon aliphatic segment rather than a rigid aromatic ring, lowering resin viscosity and reducing glass-transition temperature of the cured network. Glutaric anhydride has one additional methylene unit and is a six-membered ring; its lower melting point and different ring-strain profile give faster hydrolysis relative to succinic anhydride under neutral aqueous conditions.
| Property | Succinic anhydride | Maleic anhydride | Phthalic anhydride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C₄H₄O₃ | C₄H₂O₃ | C₈H₄O₃ |
| Molar mass | 100.07 g/mol | 98.06 g/mol | 148.12 g/mol |
| Melting point | 119–120 °C | 52.8 °C | 131.6 °C |
| Boiling point | 261 °C | 202 °C | 284 °C |
| Density at 20 °C | 1.503 g/cm³ | 1.48 g/cm³ | 1.53 g/cm³ |
| Unsaturation | none | cis C=C | aromatic ring |
| Key downstream role | saturated polyesters, succinimides, succinate esters | unsaturated polyester resins, maleimide | alkyd resins, phthalate plasticizers |
In melt-phase polyester synthesis, succinic anhydride is ring-opened by excess 1,4-butanediol in a first-stage esterification at 180–220 °C under nitrogen, followed by vacuum polycondensation at 220–240 °C and pressure below 1 mbar. Titanate or tin(II) octoate catalysts are used at loadings below 0.1 mol% relative to total anhydride. The primary process conflict is tetrahydrofuran formation: under acidic conditions and elevated temperature, 1,4-butanediol can dehydrate to tetrahydrofuran, reducing total monomer efficiency and increasing overhead load. Batch reactors therefore control overhead temperature above 120 °C and use heated vapor lines to prevent sublimate accumulation; production-scale systems typically install nitrogen sparge rings and falling-film or short-path evaporators for excess diol removal. The resulting poly(butylene succinate) oligomers reach number-average molecular weights of 40,000–150,000 g/mol depending on vacuum efficiency, acid termination, and catalyst hydrolytic stability. For reactive extrusion, co-rotating twin-screw extruders with segmented screws and vent-port vacuum accept pre-polycondensate from upstream esterification; residual water in the diol must be below 50 ppm to avoid chain scission and torque instability. Melt flow rate is determined by ISO 1133-1:2022, and tensile yield strength by ASTM D638-14. High-viscosity extrusion grades typically show melt flow rates below 5 g/10 min at 190 °C and 2.16 kg load, while injection-molding grades are formulated to higher values.
Hydrolytic degradation is the principal warehouse failure mode. Moisture uptake accelerates sharply above 60 % relative humidity; milled material with high specific surface area can show free succinic acid by titration within a single plant shift, whereas flake stored in unopened polyethylene-lined bags under dry-air sweep remains within specification for longer campaigns. Closed-loop pneumatic transfer uses nitrogen at dew point below −20 °C. The product is incompatible with strong bases, primary and secondary amines, and oxidizing acids. Exothermic ring-opening with amines can cause localized temperature increases above 100 °C in bulk mixers if addition is not staged. Dust explosion parameters should be determined by ASTM E1226 or equivalent; site hazard analyses include minimum ignition energy and KSt data for fine powder. Dry storage areas should maintain dew point below 10 °C and avoid condensation cycles on cold vessel surfaces.
Pharmaceutical syntheses use succinic anhydride for N-succinylation of primary amines in aqueous dioxane or tetrahydrofuran at pH 8–9 and 0–10 °C. The reaction produces succinamic acid intermediates; subsequent ring closure to succinimides is achieved by azeotropic removal of water or by heating with acetic anhydride. In lithium-ion electrolyte formulations, succinic anhydride is added at 0.5–2.0 wt% to carbonate-based solvents; it forms a sulfur-free succinate-derived solid-electrolyte interphase on graphite and reduces initial gas evolution. Published data for this specific configuration is limited above 3.0 wt%, where high impedance growth has been reported in high-nickel cathode cells. Electrolyte use requires moisture below 20 ppm and acid value below 0.5 mg KOH/g to avoid LiPF₆ hydrolysis and carbon dioxide generation.
Anhydride-cured epoxy formulations require stoichiometry adjustments because succinic anhydride has a theoretical anhydride equivalent weight of 100.07 g/eq. Typical loadings are 0.70–0.90 anhydride equivalents per epoxy equivalent. Since the solid melts at 119–120 °C, it is usually dissolved in a liquid anhydride or pre-reacted with epoxy resin at 100–120 °C to prevent crystallization in the mix tank. Gel time at 120 °C is longer than with maleic anhydride but shorter than with phthalic anhydride; tertiary amines such as benzyldimethylamine at 0.1–0.5 phr are used as accelerators. Cured networks exhibit lower glass-transition temperature and higher elongation than aromatic anhydride systems because the ethylene backbone introduces chain flexibility. Mechanical characterization follows ASTM D638-14 for tensile properties and ASTM E1640-18 for dynamic mechanical glass transition. Uncured mixes exposed to ambient air above 50 % relative humidity form free acid, which retards cure and reduces crosslink density.
Succinic anhydride is also used as the starting material for succinimide and succinate ester synthesis, and as an intermediate in the production of N-chlorosuccinimide and N-bromosuccinimide after reaction with ammonia and halogen. Unlike maleic anhydride, succinic anhydride cannot undergo the ene reaction with olefins to form alkenyl succinic anhydride sizing agents; that route requires the unsaturated maleic anhydride structure. This distinction is routinely used in plant qualification: a bromine number below 0.1 g Br/100 g confirms that a succinic anhydride stream is free of maleic anhydride contamination before pharmaceutical or electrolyte use. For polymer-grade material, trace sulfur and maleic anhydride contents are monitored by GC-MS; specifications may require maleic anhydride below 0.1 wt% and iron below 2 ppm to avoid discoloration in polyester resin. Final selection of the appropriate commercial model therefore depends on moisture exposure, particle-size control, trace impurity limits, and the specific downstream reactor configuration.
