Imidazolidinone Production Cost Reports

The report provides detailed analysis essential for establishing an imidazolidinone production plant. It encompasses all critical aspects necessary for imidazolidinone production, including the cost of imidazolidinone production, imidazolidinone plant cost, imidazolidinone production costs, and the overall imidazolidinone production plant cost. Additionally, the study covers specific expenditures associated with setting up and operating an imidazolidinone production plant. These encompass production processes, raw material requirements, utility requirements, infrastructure needs, machinery and technology requirements, manpower requirements, packaging requirements, transportation requirements, and more.

Imidazolidinone Market Analysis: Demand and Supply Analysis, and Sourcing

Imidazolidinone is a five-membered cyclic urea used mainly as a formaldehyde-capturing ingredient and as an intermediate for specialty chemicals. The commercial product is usually sold as a white to light-yellow crystalline powder. It dissolves readily in water and can be incorporated into aqueous textile auxiliaries, resin systems, coatings & adhesives, paper-treatment products, and formulated formaldehyde removers. Its value comes from the two nitrogen atoms and carbonyl group within the ring, which allow further chemical modification & interaction with free formaldehyde. Demand is divided between bulk industrial material for formulations and smaller, higher-priced reagent grades for laboratory synthesis and analytical work.

2-Imidazolidinone is commercially sourced largely from suppliers in China, with laboratory distributors in India, Japan, Europe and North America. Bulk customers usually purchase 25 kg drums or bags, while laboratory suppliers offer smaller packs with quality certificates and defined methods of testing. Water content affects assay, melting behavior, handling and formulation calculations, so buyers should verify whether the material is supplied as anhydrous 2-imidazolidinone or hemihydrate. Investors in plants should consider availability of raw materials, reaction yield, removal of ammonia, corrosion control, crystallization recovery, drying needs, recycling systems, product quality, and demand of the market. The normal quality controls are assay, moisture, melting range, residual ethylenediamine, residual urea, ash, color, trace metals, and packaging condition.

Summary of the Product, Grades, and Uses

Imidazolidinone is also known as imidazolidin-2-one or 2-imidazolidinone. It has the molecular formula C3H6N2O and a molecular weight of approximately 86.09 g/mol. Other names include ethylene urea, N,N'-ethyleneurea, 2-imidazolidone, and 2-oxoimidazolidine. The product is generally a white crystalline powder or colorless needle-like solid with a melting range near 129 to 136 degree Celsius, depending on grade & water content. It is highly soluble in water and soluble in hot alcohol. Commercial forms include technical grade, high-purity industrial grade, laboratory reagent grade, and 2-imidazolidinone hemihydrate. The parent compound should not be confused with substituted imidazolidinones, hydantoins, dimethylol ethylene urea resins, or 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone solvent.

Quality controls consist of identification by IR spectroscopy, assay by gas chromatography or HPLC, melting range, water content, residual ethylenediamine, unreacted urea, color, ash, and insoluble matter. High purity grades may also be required to be tested for trace metals, residual solvents, related cyclic ureas, and color consistency between batches. Industrial users select grades according to their formulation requirements, formaldehyde-capture performance, reactivity, and storage stability. Lab users need traceable certificates, transparent assay data, and robust analytical data. The material has the ability to absorb water and form lumps under humid storage conditions. Therefore, packaging must prevent moisture and contamination of the material.

Main End Uses of Imidazolidinone

Formaldehyde control is the largest practical end-use area. Imidazolidinone is used in textile finishing auxiliaries and post-treatment formulations designed to reduce residual formaldehyde from crease-resistant resins & related finishing systems. It is also added to formaldehyde-removal products for furniture, flooring, interior materials, and indoor-air treatment. Performance depends on dosage, pH, temperature, contact time, resin chemistry, and the amount of accessible formaldehyde in the treated material. Buyers in this segment require good water solubility, low color, limited odor, stable assay, and predictable reaction performance. The product may be supplied directly or converted into more reactive derivatives for a particular finishing formulation.

Resins, coatings, adhesives, paper chemicals, and polymer formulations are major application areas for imidazolidinone. It is used as a fine-chemical intermediate, formaldehyde scavenger, and additive in products where reducing free aldehyde levels is required. The material is used in water-based coatings, adhesive systems, ink formulations, paper treatments, spray coatings, and resin modification. It can also be converted into N-substituted imidazolidinones, chlorocarbonyl derivatives, hydroxymethyl derivatives & other functional intermediates. Customers evaluate its compatibility with binders, impact on viscosity, curing behavior, color, storage stability, and formaldehyde-reduction performance.

Pharmaceutical, agrochemical, research, and specialty-synthesis applications use smaller volumes but often require tighter specifications. Imidazolidinone has been used as a building block in routes to selected beta-lactam antibiotic side-chain intermediates and other heterocyclic compounds. Research laboratories employ it in carbonylation, N-acylurea synthesis, heterocycle preparation & materials chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. Catalog suppliers generally position their material for research use rather than direct pharmaceutical formulation. A producer serving these customers needs flexible batch sizes, reliable purification & careful impurity identification, and documentation that clearly separates ordinary industrial grade from material produced under a pharmaceutical quality system.

Imidazolidinone Market Risks

The market is highly competitive & price-sensitive due to alternatives such as other formaldehyde scavengers, amine-based additives, bisulfite systems, carbamides, and low-emission resin technologies. Demand may be influenced by stricter regulations on textiles and wood products, changes in resin formulations, or the adoption of cheaper substitutes. In some cases, the term imidazolidinone is used to refer to a group of related compounds, which may lead to errors in purchase & specification. Suppliers may also provide anhydrous imidazolidinone, hemihydrate, or derivatives by similar descriptions. Buyers should compare products by chemical form, assay basis, intended use, regulatory status, and CAS number.

The production risk is centered on control of high-temperature reactions and removal of ammonia and excess ethylenediamine. The slow release of ammonia can prolong the cycle time and cause residual nitrogen compounds in the product. Too much temperature can darken the melt, cause decomposition, or create by-products that are difficult to remove. Ethylenediamine is corrosive, volatile, flammable, and strongly irritating, so closed charging, ventilation, pressure control, and compatible equipment are required. Crystallization & drying losses can become significant because Imidazolidinone is highly water-soluble. Product hazard classifications also vary among supplier notifications, with eye irritation widely reported, along with some safety documents carrying additional chronic-health warnings. Plants must use the current jurisdiction-specific classification & supplier data rather than rely on a generic label.

Imidazolidinone Production Process & Main Cost Drivers

The Imidazolidinone production plant report evaluates the complete synthesis chain and explains the costs involved in raw material charging, urea dissolution, cyclocondensation, and ammonia removal. It also covers ethylenediamine recovery, vacuum finishing, crystallization, filtration, drying, screening, testing, and packing operations.

• By Cyclocondensation of Ethylenediamine with Urea: The main inputs are ethylenediamine, urea, process water or a suitable reaction medium where required, nitrogen, cooling water, steam or thermal fluid, vacuum service, decolorizing carbon or filter aid when needed, wash liquid, and moisture-resistant packaging.

Production begins with the inspection & controlled charging of ethylenediamine and urea into a closed, corrosion-resistant reactor. The reactants are heated to form condensation intermediates, which are converted into the five-membered 2-imidazolidinone ring at elevated temperature. Ammonia is formed during the reaction and is removed through the plant’s pressure control, condensation, or scrubbing system, depending on the selected process. Some routes use excess ethylenediamine to maintain a workable reaction mixture & improve conversion. Unreacted ethylenediamine can later be removed by stripping or distillation and returned to the process. The reaction is continued until residual urea, intermediate compounds, and unreacted ethylenediamine meet the required process limits. The crude material is then cooled and prepared for purification. Water removal, vacuum distillation, rectification & crystallization, filtration, and drying may be used depending on the required product grade. Carbon treatment may be added when color removal is necessary. The purified product is cooled, screened or flaked, and packed under dry conditions. Reaction conversion, temperature control, ammonia handling, ethylenediamine recovery, color formation, purification loss, and final moisture are the main factors affecting yield and production cost.

Main Factors Affecting Imidazolidinone Production Cost

Ethylenediamine and urea are the main raw materials that influence production costs. Urea is widely available and generally has a lower cost impact, while ethylenediamine prices depend on ethylene-based chemical chains, amination capacity & energy costs, and regional supply. The molar ratio of raw materials affects conversion efficiency, reaction time, and ethylenediamine recovery requirements. Heat is required for cyclization and ammonia removal, while cooling and vacuum systems are used during finishing & crystallization. Poor conversion increases the cost of removing unreacted materials. High color levels may require additional treatment, repeated crystallization, or product downgrading. Losses during mother liquor recovery can increase production costs, as imidazolidinone remains soluble in water.

Plant scale, grade, and campaign frequency also shape the economics.  A technical-grade formaldehyde-scavenger product may accept a broader melting range and impurity profile than a high-purity intermediate or reagent. Tighter assay, low residual amine, low color, and trace-metal limits add purification, analytical, and documentation costs. A continuous or semi-continuous ammonia removal system can shorten the cycle at larger scale, but it needs more control & recovery equipment. Small campaigns carry a high share of cleaning, setup, laboratory, and packaging expense. The choice between direct melt finishing and aqueous recrystallization changes utility demand, yield, waste generation, and dryer capacity. Working capital is dependent on raw material inventory levels, batch cycle time, crystallization time, and the number of different pack sizes in the portfolio.

Raw Materials for Imidazolidinone Production Plant & its Procurement

Ethylenediamine is the main feedstock for production. Its purity, moisture level, color, and trace impurities directly affect reaction performance & final product quality. It should be sourced with strict limits for assay, water content, color, higher amines, metals, and storage stability. The material requires suitable storage tanks or sealed drums, nitrogen blanketing when needed, corrosion-resistant transfer systems, proper ventilation, spill control measures, and trained handling. Supply depends on large ethyleneamine production networks, so plant shutdowns and feedstock availability can impact supply reliability. Urea should meet required specifications for assay, biuret content, moisture, and insoluble matter. Industrial or higher-grade urea may be selected based on the final product requirements.

Process water, decolorizing carbon, filter aids, cleaning agents, nitrogen, and packaging materials are other regular inputs. Water quality is important because dissolved salts and metals can affect product color and remain after concentration steps. Carbon selection influences filtration performance and product recovery losses. Washing conditions should remove impurities while minimizing product loss through dissolution. Packaging is usually provided in lined fiber drums, lined bags, or sealed containers based on product volume and grade. The liner should protect the material from moisture and prevent odor, particles, or extractable contamination. Laboratory-grade material requires smaller containers, tamper-proof packaging, lot identification, certificates, and controlled order handling.

Purchase specifications should clearly include the CAS number 120-93-4, product form (anhydrous or hydrated), assay method & moisture limit, melting range, and appearance. Specifications should also cover residual ethylenediamine, residual urea, ash content, trace metals where required, and packaging details. Raw material agreements should include change notifications, impurity limits, retesting periods, transport requirements, and supply continuity conditions. Incoming ethylenediamine should undergo identity, assay, moisture, and color checks before use. Urea batches should be tested for assay and biuret levels. Long-term sourcing from approved suppliers helps maintain consistent reaction performance & product color. Plants supplying regulated fine-chemical markets should maintain complete traceability from raw material batches to finished products.

Sustainability & Regulatory Requirements

The main environmental burden comes from heating, ammonia-containing off-gas, ethylenediamine recovery, aqueous mother liquor, equipment washings, and off-specification organic solids. An efficient plant captures ammonia in a scrubber for controlled treatment or possible re-use, recovers the excess ethylenediamine, and returns the appropriate mother liquor to subsequent batches. Heat integration & vacuum finishing can save energy. Water usage is minimized by avoiding unnecessary dilution and using a direct melt or concentrated recovery. Waste streams containing amines require pH control & biological or chemical treatment before discharge. Carbon cake, filter residues, and rejected product should be handled according to local waste classification and should not be released into general drains.

Imidazolidinone is listed as an active chemical under the United States Toxic Substances Control Act and appears in chemical reporting records. It also has an active REACH registration record in Europe. Manufacturers & importers must meet applicable inventory, registration, classification, labeling, exposure-control, and safety-data-sheet duties in each market. Supplier classifications are not fully standardized. Eye irritation is commonly reported, and some notifications or product safety documents identify reproductive or repeated-exposure hazards. The plant must be able to obtain the current classification for its own composition and jurisdiction, do an exposure assessment, and provide suitable gloves, eye protection, ventilation, dust control, and worker training. Products for pharmaceutical or food contact chains require specific qualification and cannot be based on the compliance of general industrial chemicals.

CAPEX and OPEX for an Imidazolidinone Production Plant

The Imidazolidinone plant setup cost includes ethylenediamine storage and closed transfer systems, urea handling equipment, compatible reactors, mixing systems, heating and cooling units, condensers, ammonia scrubbers, vacuum systems, stripping equipment, crystallizers, filters or centrifuges, vacuum dryers, screens, and packing stations. Utilities required for the plant include steam or thermal fluid, cooling water, chilled water where needed, electricity, nitrogen, compressed air, process water, ventilation, and wastewater treatment systems. The laboratory requires equipment for chromatographic analysis, infrared identification & moisture testing, melting-point measurement, color analysis, residual amine testing, and physical property evaluation. Civil infrastructure includes ventilated raw material storage areas, processing rooms, scrubber and effluent treatment sections, finished product storage, and fire and spill protection systems. Operating expenses include ethylenediamine, urea, utilities, carbon & filter aids, labor, quality testing, maintenance, cleaning, packaging, wastewater treatment, waste management, and transportation. Imidazolidinone production cost is mainly affected by ethylenediamine prices, raw material ratio, conversion efficiency, ammonia removal time, amine recovery, crystallization yield, drying requirements, and product grade.

Plant Location and Investment Factors

A suitable location should be near ethyleneamine and nitrogen-chemical supply chains or have dependable bulk logistics for ethylenediamine and urea. The site needs reliable steam, cooling water, power, vacuum, nitrogen, ventilation, and wastewater treatment. Access to an industrial zone with amine-handling experience lowers training and compliance risk. Ethylenediamine storage requires safe unloading, bunding, corrosion-compatible equipment, emergency showers, and controlled access. Road and port connections matter for drum and container shipments to textile-chemical, resin, coating, adhesive, and fine-chemical customers. Humidity-controlled finished storage is useful where long inventory periods could cause caking or water pickup.

A dedicated plant is justified only when stable bulk demand is secured. For many investors, Imidazolidinone fits better in a multipurpose fine-chemical facility that already handles amines, urea derivatives, crystallization, and vacuum drying. Shared equipment can reduce capital cost, but cleaning validation and campaign scheduling must prevent cross-contamination. Larger scale improves utility and labor efficiency, yet it increases dependence on formaldehyde-control markets and ties up more working capital. Investors should model anhydrous and hemihydrate specifications separately, since drying and storage needs differ. Customer trials, formulation approval time, local chemical registration, off-gas treatment, recovered ethylenediamine quality, and saleable yield all affect payback.

Major Imidazolidinone Producing and Supply Regions

China is the most visible bulk supply region for Imidazolidinone, with numerous fine-chemical producers and traders offering 98% to 99% material in industrial packaging. Shandong, Hebei, and other established chemical-production areas support access to ethylenediamine, urea, utilities, and export logistics. India has a large textile-chemical and formaldehyde-control customer base and distributes imported as well as laboratory-grade material. Japan, Europe, and North America are important for documented reagent supply, specialty synthesis, safety data, and smaller high-purity packs. European and US commercial activity is also shaped by REACH and TSCA reporting duties. In practice, bulk production is often separated from branded laboratory distribution, and the seller shown on a catalog may not be the original manufacturer. The Imidazolidinone production plant project report evaluates feedstock access, reaction and recovery technology, crystallization, plant capacity, safety, waste treatment, and target grade. It also provides insights into industrial production economics, including plant setup requirements, raw material costs, processing operations, utility consumption, and factors affecting overall production expenses.

Major Imidazolidinone Producers & Supply Organizations

Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

• Supplies 2-imidazolidinone under product number I0005 with a stated purity above 97.0% by gas chromatography and identifies ethylene urea as a synonym.
• The catalog lists CAS number 120-93-4, molecular formula C3H6N2O, molecular weight 86.09 g/mol, and a white to almost-white powder or crystal specification.
• Regional catalog operations provide small laboratory packs, certificate access, and a bulk-quote route for research & fine-chemical customers.
• Purchasers should check the current lot certificate, water content, melting range, pack size, storage recommendation, and suitability for their intended industrial process.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

• Offers anhydrous 2-imidazolidone through the Thermo Scientific Chemicals portfolio in laboratory and kilogram pack sizes.
• The listed specification includes white to light-yellow powder, infrared conformity, and HPLC assay of at least 95.0% for the cited catalog product.
• The product is marked for research use only, so the listing should not be interpreted as evidence of pharmaceutical-grade or formulation-ready supply.
• Buyers should review the lot certificate, assay basis, residual impurities & packaging, territorial availability, and any custom or bulk supply terms before qualification.

Merck KGaA / Sigma-Aldrich

• Lists 2-imidazolidone under the synonym N,N'-ethyleneurea with an assay specification of 96% and provides certificate access for catalog lots.
• The product record gives CAS number 120-93-4, molecular weight 86.09, and a literature melting range of 129 to 132 deg.C.
• Its application notes position the compound as a synthetic building block for N-acylureas, heterocycles, materials, and medicinal-chemistry research.
• Users should distinguish research reagent specifications and hazard labeling from the tighter controls required for bulk industrial or regulated-intermediate production.

Jinan Finer Chemical Co., Ltd.

• Public product listings identify ethylene urea or 2-imidazolidinone as a fine-chemical product with reported assay near 98% and industrial drum packaging.
• The stated applications include formaldehyde trapping, resin and adhesive formulation, and use as an organic or pharmaceutical intermediate.
• The listing presents the company as a manufacturer and developer of pharmaceutical intermediates, organic intermediates, and fine chemicals in China.
• Any bulk purchase should be supported by a plant audit, recent certificate, capacity evidence, impurity profile, regulatory status, and verification of the actual production site.

Qingdao Truelight Functional Material Technology Co., Ltd.

• A current supplier listing offers 2-imidazolidinone under CAS number 120-93-4 at 99% purity with industrial minimum-order quantities.
• The product is promoted for formaldehyde-control, textile, resin, coating, adhesive, and specialty-intermediate applications.
• The public listing indicates bulk availability, but it does not replace direct confirmation of equipment, route, quality systems, environmental permits, or batch capacity.
• Customers should verify whether supplied material is anhydrous or hydrated and request limits for residual ethylenediamine, urea, water, color, ash, and related substances.

Hebei Yanxi Chemical Co., Ltd.

• Public marketplace information lists 2-imidazolidinone with industrial packaging, a stated assay of at least 99%, and a declared annual supply capability.
• The listed uses cover fabric finishing, formaldehyde capture, resins, coatings, adhesives, inks, paper treatment, and fine-chemical synthesis.
• The supplier profile describes broader activity across organic intermediates, surfactants, industrial chemicals & related specialty products.
• Buyers should independently confirm the production address, current capacity, ownership of the process, batch traceability & safety systems, and export documentation before contracting.