Dow Haltermann Custom Processing

Cyanation (HCN)

Choose from a Greater Variety of Chemistries and Reactions
Dow Haltermann Custom Processing manufactures the most extensive family of intermediates and derivatives based on cyanation chemistry in the custom manufacturing industry. That's because we have the unique ability to handle both liquid hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and sodium cyanide.

Liquid HCN is a unique and versatile building block that often leads to simplified reaction pathways and high-purity products that require less purification than sodium cyanide. On the other hand, it is also a very volatile material that requires special handling expertise. Dow Haltermann has both the expertise and the experience (more than 30 years) to handle it safely and cost-effectively.

Dow Haltermann has liquid HCN available via pipeline at our Seal Sands  site in the U.K., as well as access to liquid HCN in the U.S. through another Dow businesses.

Benefits of Liquid HCN

There are many benefits to choosing liquid HCN (over sodium cyanide), including:

• More versatility
  
• Lower cost
  
• Little or no aqueous salt waste generated
  
• Nitrile intermediates are easier to isolate
  
• Higher quality product without extensive additional purification
  
• Pure and colorless, allowing improved product color
  
• Requires fewer separation and purification steps
  
• Can be used without a solvent
  
• Can be used over the entire pH range
  

Key Hydrogen Cyanide Products
Our key HCN intermediates and derivatives include:

• a-Amino Acids (51KB PDF)
  
• Acylated Amino Acids (43KB PDF)
  
• Amino Esters and Amides (36KB PDF)
  
• Amino Nitriles (31KB PDF)
  
• Chiral Molecules (28KB PDF)
  
• Cyanohydrins (27KB PDF)
  
• Hydantoins (18KB PDF)
  
• Iminodiacetic Acid (IDA) (21KB PDF)
  
• Nitriles (56KB PDF)
  

View our full Products listing.

For more information about our HCN capabilities, download our brochure, The World of Hydrogen Cyanide Chemistry (636KB PDF).

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