Phenazine Production Cost Reports

The report provides detailed analysis essential for establishing a phenazine production plant. It encompasses all critical aspects necessary for phenazine production, including the cost of phenazine production, phenazine plant cost, phenazine production costs, and the overall phenazine production plant cost. Additionally, the study covers specific expenditures associated with setting up and operating a phenazine 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.

Phenazine Market Analysis: Demand and Supply Analysis, and Sourcing

Phenazine is a nitrogen heterocycle made of two benzene rings joined through a central pyrazine ring. It is also called dibenzo[b,e]pyrazine or 9,10-diazaanthracene. The ring system is flat, rigid, colored, electron-poor, and easy to reduce and reoxidize. That redox behavior explains most of its uses, from dyes to batteries, sensors, photocatalysts, and microbial biology. Bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Streptomyces make natural phenazines, including pyocyanin and phenazine-1-carboxylic acid. Phenazine itself is the parent compound of the whole family, which runs to more than a hundred natural and many thousands of synthetic derivatives.

Demand for phenazine is small, specialized, and mainly driven by research. It is sold as a fine chemical, building block, reference compound, and materials precursor rather than as a bulk product. Buyers include organic chemistry laboratories, electronic materials developers, battery researchers, dye manufacturers, and pharmaceutical research groups. Phenazine is also the basic structure used to make dyes such as safranines, indulines, toluylene red, and neutral red. However, dye manufacturers usually make the phenazine ring directly from anilines instead of buying phenazine. This keeps demand for phenazine itself small, irregular, and spread across many smaller buyers.

Phenazine supply mainly comes from chemical catalog companies and a small number of Chinese fine chemical manufacturers. Few plants produce phenazine as a dedicated product. TCI, Sigma-Aldrich, Thermo Fisher's Alfa Aesar and Acros brands, and AK Scientific sell it in small research packs. Chinese suppliers such as Wuhan Kamik Technology, Beijing Hechemist, and Nanjing Optimal New Materials offer it in larger quantities. Prices decrease as the pack size increases, ranging from about USD 5 for 5 g from one supplier to about USD 168 for 500 g from another. A phenazine demand and supply analysis needs to consider research demand, growing interest in battery and electronic applications, and the small number of bulk suppliers.

Summary of the Product, Grades, and Uses

Phenazine has the molecular formula C12H8N2, a molar mass of 180.21 g/mol, and the CAS number 92-82-0. It is usually found as yellow to brown crystals, pale yellow needles when formed from alcohol, or plates produced by sublimation. It melts at about 174 to 177 degree Celsius and boils above 360 degree Celsius. Phenazine can also sublime, which provides a clean, solvent-free purification method, although the process is slow. It is almost insoluble in water, making washing, filtration, and drying easier. About one part dissolves in 50 parts of ethanol, and it has moderate solubility in ether and benzene. In mineral acids, it forms yellow to red solutions, while concentrated sulfuric acid turns it deep red. The two nitrogen atoms in the ring are weak bases, which explains its reaction with acids.

Phenazine is sold in three main grades, with different prices, packaging, and uses. Standard reagent grade usually has 97% to 98% purity and is used for most chemical synthesis, teaching, and screening work. High-purity grade has 99% or higher purity by HPLC, with a melting range of 174 to 178 degree Celsius. It costs more because it may need an extra recrystallization or sublimation step. Sublimed or electronic grade is used in organic electronics and electrochemistry, where very low levels of metals and colored impurities are important. Chinese manufacturers also offer 98% technical-grade phenazine in bulk for synthesis, dyes, materials, and battery applications.

Buyers check each batch using several quality tests. These usually include assay by HPLC or GC, nonaqueous titration, melting point, appearance, loss on drying, residue on ignition, and related impurities such as dihydrophenazine and phenazine N-oxide. Phenazine is usually stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, below about 15 degree Celsius, because it can slowly darken when exposed to light and air. Pack sizes range from a few grams in amber bottles to kilograms in lined fiber drums. Shipping is relatively simple because phenazine is a stable solid at room temperature.

Main End-Uses of Phenazine

Organic synthesis is the core end-use for phenazine, in universities, contract research labs, pharma discovery groups, and materials startups. Chemists use it as a building block for substituted phenazines, phenazinium salts, phenazine N-oxides, ligands, and fused heterocycles. Phenazine methosulfate, a common electron carrier in biochemical assays, belongs to the same family. Medicinal chemists study phenazine scaffolds for antibacterial, antitumor, and antiparasitic activity. The antileprosy drug clofazimine is a riminophenazine, though it is made by its own route from substituted anilines and diamines.

Energy and electronics are the second, growing outlet for phenazine, led by battery labs, display makers, and photocatalysis groups. Researchers at PNNL modified phenazine into a water-soluble derivative for aqueous redox flow batteries. In tests, about 90% of the dissolved phenazine was available to carry charge. Phenazine precursors are cheap and widely available, which makes the family a candidate to replace costly vanadium. Commercial batteries would need tonnes of a phenazine derivative rather than kilograms. Organic electronics groups also use phenazine units in OLED emitters, thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials, hole and electron transport layers, sensors, and photocatalysts.

Dyes, biology, and analytics round out demand for phenazine. Dye chemists use it as a reference for phenazine dyes such as safranine and neutral red. Microbiologists use it as a standard when studying natural phenazines from Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Pantoea species. In China, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, a related natural phenazine made by fermentation, is used as a biofungicide. Analytical labs use phenazine as a reference compound in chromatography, mass spectrometry, voltammetry, and spectroscopy.

Phenazine Market Risks

Phenazine faces the risks of a niche fine chemical with research-driven, grant-dependent, and highly fragmented demand. Orders are small, irregular, and hard to forecast, so plant utilization stays low. Great new demand depends on battery and electronics projects reaching commercial scale, which is not certain. Pilot projects can take many years to become firm orders. Most such projects use substituted phenazines rather than the parent compound. Competition comes from many catalog sellers, resellers, online marketplaces, and Chinese traders with the same product. Prices for kilogram lots are set by a few Chinese makers. Buyers switch suppliers easily.

Phenazine production has safety risks because some raw materials and by-products are hazardous. Aniline and nitrobenzene are toxic, can be absorbed through the skin, and are suspected of causing cancer. o-Phenylenediamine is a suspected mutagen and can cause strong skin reactions. Catechol is also toxic and is classified as a carcinogen in the EU. Phenazine itself is harmful if swallowed and toxic to aquatic life. Dust must be controlled during milling, sieving, and packing. Older production methods used lead oxide or lead peroxide, but these methods are no longer suitable because of health, waste, and regulatory concerns. Rejected batches are usually linked to dark color, dihydrophenazine, phenazine N-oxide, or leftover starting amines.

Phenazine Production Process and Main Cost Drivers

The phenazine production process runs from catechol and o-phenylenediamine receipt through high-temperature condensation, dihydrophenazine isolation, oxidation, crystallization or sublimation, drying, and packing.

1. By Condensation of Catechol with o-Phenylenediamine and Oxidation: The main inputs are catechol, o-phenylenediamine, an oxidant such as air or hydrogen peroxide, a high-boiling solvent or melt, ethanol for recrystallization, nitrogen, and packaging.

Phenazine production by the catechol route starts with o-phenylenediamine and catechol. The two are heated together at high temperature, in a melt or a high-boiling solvent, under nitrogen, with steady stirring and slow heat-up. The amino groups condense with the two hydroxyl groups, and water is driven off. This forms 5,10-dihydrophenazine, the reduced form of the ring. The dihydro compound is pale and turns yellow as it oxidizes in air. The dihydro compound is then oxidized to phenazine with air or a mild oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide. Crude phenazine is washed, treated with carbon, filtered hot, and then recrystallized from ethanol or purified by sublimation.

The Wohl-Aue reaction is the main alternative. Nitrobenzene and aniline are heated with solid alkali, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. Phenazine forms along with phenazine N-oxide, azobenzene, and tars. Yields are modest, tar formation is common, and separation adds cost, solvent, and labor. Other historical routes passed aniline vapor through a hot tube, or distilled 2-aminodiphenylamine with lead monoxide. Those routes are rarely used today. Lead-based oxidants in particular have no place in a modern plant. Condensation yield, oxidation completeness, and purification losses set most of the conversion cost.

Main Factors Affecting Phenazine Production Cost

Phenazine production cost mainly depends on production yield, purification, and the small size of production batches. At full yield, about 0.61 kg of catechol and 0.60 kg of o-phenylenediamine are needed to make 1 kg of phenazine. In actual production, more raw materials are needed because some material is lost during the reaction and purification. Both raw materials are common aromatic chemicals with moderate prices and are widely available from suppliers in China and India. Oxidants, nitrogen, and solvents make up a smaller part of the cost. Heating and sublimation also add some energy costs.

Purification, handling, testing, and packaging make up much of the remaining cost. Recrystallization from ethanol can require about 50 parts of solvent for every part of product, so recovering the solvent is important. Sublimation can produce very pure phenazine, but it is slow and requires heat and vacuum. Since production batches are small, labor, cleaning, QC testing, packaging, and documentation add a high cost per kilogram. Closed handling of toxic amines also increases equipment and labor costs. QC testing includes HPLC or GC assay, melting point, titration, loss on drying, residue on ignition, and impurity testing. Electronic grades also require trace metal testing by ICP, which adds to the QC cost for each batch.

Raw Materials for Phenazine Production Plant and its Procurement

Raw material sourcing for phenazine centers on catechol and o-phenylenediamine, with nitrobenzene, aniline, and caustic for the Wohl-Aue route. Catechol is made together with hydroquinone by hydroxylation of phenol with hydrogen peroxide, and the split between the two depends on the catalyst and process. Solvay, Ube, and several Chinese plants produce it. o-Phenylenediamine is made by reducing 2-nitroaniline, which comes from chlorobenzene nitration and ammonolysis. Chinese and Indian dye and agrochemical intermediate makers supply most of it. For the Wohl-Aue route, nitrobenzene and aniline come from large benzene-based plants. Hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, nitrogen, and caustic soda complete the list.

Raw material quality affects the color, purity, odor, and yield of phenazine. o-Phenylenediamine can darken quickly when exposed to air, so it should be fresh, light in color, and stored under nitrogen. Different diamine isomers can form substituted phenazines that are difficult to remove. Catechol should contain low levels of hydroquinone and resorcinol. Supply contracts for phenazine raw materials usually set limits for assay, isomer content, color, and water. Each incoming batch is sampled and checked for color, assay, and water content before it is approved for production. Small buyers often purchase raw materials through distributors, while larger manufacturers buy directly from intermediate producers. Direct purchasing can reduce costs but requires regular supplier audits.

Sustainability and Regulatory Requirements

Phenazine production has environmental and worker safety concerns because it uses aromatic amines, phenols, and produces colored waste. Closed transfer systems, local exhaust, gloves, and respiratory protection help protect workers from amine exposure. Process water can contain amines, catechol, and colored by-products, so it needs oxidation or biological treatment before discharge. Tars, used carbon, filter cakes, and sublimation residues are usually sent for incineration. Ethanol can be recovered by distillation, dried, and reused in later batches. Growing interest in phenazine for grid batteries is also increasing demand for cleaner production methods, such as catalytic oxidation and solvent-free reactions. Battery customers may also ask suppliers for life-cycle and carbon data.

Regulatory requirements for phenazine depend on its use as an industrial, laboratory, or research chemical. Suppliers classify it under GHS as harmful if swallowed and toxic to aquatic life, with measures to prevent environmental release. In Europe, REACH registration applies when production or imports reach more than one tonne per year, while CLP labeling requirements apply at all volumes. In the US, manufacturers check the TSCA inventory before commercial sale. The raw materials also have strict hazard classifications. Aniline, o-phenylenediamine, and catechol carry carcinogen or mutagen warnings. Electronic and battery customers may also require RoHS and conflict-mineral statements.

CAPEX and OPEX for a Phenazine Production Plant

A phenazine plant is usually a small and flexible fine chemical facility that can also make other products. The phenazine plant setup cost starts with storage tanks for catechol, o-phenylenediamine, solvents, and oxidants. The main equipment is a jacketed stainless steel or glass-lined reactor that can handle high temperatures. It also needs nitrogen blanketing and a condenser to remove water. Other equipment includes an oxidation vessel, filter, crystallizer, and vacuum dryer. High-purity and electronic grades may also need a sublimation unit with heated trays, a cold finger, and vacuum. The plant needs hot oil, chilled water, vacuum, nitrogen, and solvent recovery systems. The QC laboratory needs HPLC, GC, a melting point tester, a Karl Fischer titrator, and ICP equipment for metal testing.

Phenazine operating costs mainly come from labor, purification, QC testing, and raw materials. Catechol and o-phenylenediamine are the main raw material costs, followed by ethanol, carbon, oxidants, and nitrogen. Other costs include ethanol losses, heating and sublimation, nitrogen use, and waste treatment. Fixed costs include equipment depreciation, maintenance, QC, and safety systems for handling toxic amines. Plants that make phenazine along with other heterocycles, dye intermediates, or OLED materials can spread these costs across several products and lower the cost per kilogram. A plant dedicated only to phenazine is usually difficult to make profitable.

Plant Location and Investment Factors

A workable phenazine site sits inside a fine chemical or dye intermediate cluster. Chinese clusters in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Shandong offer cheap amines, phenols, and solvents. Indian clusters in Gujarat and Maharashtra offer dye intermediate know-how and o-phenylenediamine supply. Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese sites suit electronic grades close to OLED customers. A good site needs effluent treatment for colored, amine-laden water, solvent recovery, and trained chemists. Air permits matter because of amine and solvent vapors.

For a phenazine project, the first investment decision is the production scale because demand, price, and product grade depend on it. Demand is small, so a dedicated phenazine plant is usually not practical. Most manufacturers produce phenazine in batches on multipurpose equipment that is also used for other heterocycles, dye intermediates, and electronic materials. The second decision is the product grade. Reagent-grade phenazine mainly competes on price, while high-purity sublimed electronic grade can sell at a much higher price per kilogram. The third decision is when to invest. New production capacity may remain unused for several years. Demand from batteries and OLEDs could increase, but this will depend on whether phenazine derivatives reach commercial production.

Major Phenazine Producing Regions

China is the main source of bulk phenazine and its raw materials, including catechol, o-phenylenediamine, aniline, and nitrobenzene. Suppliers such as Wuhan Kamik Technology, Beijing Hechemist, and Nanjing Optimal New Materials supply phenazine for chemical synthesis and materials applications. India supplies o-phenylenediamine, aniline derivatives, nitro aromatics, and other dye intermediates. Japan is home to TCI, a major chemical catalog supplier, and has a strong electronics industry. Europe and the US have suppliers such as Sigma-Aldrich and Thermo Fisher that package and distribute research-grade phenazine. The US also has strong research activity on phenazine derivatives for batteries through national laboratories such as PNNL. Commercial battery demand for phenazine has not yet developed.

Key Phenazine Producers

Tokyo Chemical Industry

• Japanese fine chemical maker and catalog supplier with operations in Japan, the US, Europe, China & India.
• Sells phenazine at above 99.0% by HPLC and at least 98.0% by titration.
• Competes on high-purity grades, global stock & a deep heterocycle catalog.
• Publishes melting range, storage guidance, and GHS data for each lot.

Merck KGaA

• German science group whose Sigma-Aldrich brand sells phenazine for research use.
• Supplies reagent and high-purity grades in gram-to-kilogram packs worldwide.
• Competes on brand trust, documentation & global distribution.
• Provides certificates of analysis and safety data under GHS.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

• US life science group that sells phenazine under its Alfa Aesar and Acros Organics brands.
• Offers 98% to 99+% grades for synthesis and analytical work.
• Competes on catalog breadth, bundled lab supply & fast delivery.
• Supplies GHS safety data and lot certificates.

AK Scientific

• California-based supplier of research chemicals and building blocks.
• Lists phenazine at 97% and 99% purity in packs up to 500 g.
• Competes on price, larger pack sizes & quick US shipping.
• Provides certificates of analysis and safety data sheets.

Nanjing Optimal New Materials

• Chinese fine chemical company listed as a phenazine supplier.
• Serves materials and synthesis customers with larger lots.
• Competes on Chinese cost base, heterocycle chemistry & flexible quantities.
• Supplies documentation for export customers.

Wuhan Kamik Technology

• Hubei-based Chinese chemical supplier listing phenazine.
• Offers research and bulk quantities to domestic and export buyers.
• Competes on price, local raw material access & small-lot flexibility.
• Works under Chinese chemical regulations with export documentation.