N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)
CAS 872-50-4 C5H9NO
- CAS number
- 872-50-4
- EC number
- 212-828-1
- Formula
- C5H9NO
- Molar mass
- 99.13 g/mol
- HS code
- 2933.79
Supply of N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone
- Grades
- Technical ≥99.5%, high-purity electronic/battery grade ≥99.9% (low water <200 ppm, low metals), and pharma grade.
- Packaging
- 200–225 kg steel drums · IBC · ISO tanks · Bulk (N₂-blanketed for battery grade)
- Documents
- CoA, SDS and TDS on request; certificate of origin where the destination requires it.
- Delivery
- Worldwide, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the rest of the EU, the United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP.
N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, or NMP, is a strong solvent that dissolves plastics most other solvents cannot. Its largest use is in making lithium-ion batteries, where it carries the binder that holds the electrode material together, and it is also used to make aramid fibres, the kind used in protective vests. It is classed as toxic to reproduction in the EU, so it is handled under strict workplace controls.
Technical details
NMP is a high-boiling aprotic solvent that dissolves PVDF, polyimides and aramids, which most solvents leave untouched. Two industries depend on that: lithium-ion cathode manufacture, where it carries the PVDF binder in the electrode slurry, and para-aramid production, where NMP with calcium chloride is the solvent Kevlar and Twaron are polymerised in. The fibres are spun from a different dope, concentrated sulfuric acid. It boils at about 202 °C and flashes at about 95 °C, so solvent recovery is energy-intensive but routine, and battery plants recycle the overwhelming majority of what they use. It is also a REACH-restricted reproductive toxicant handled under formal exposure controls. Ehlinar supplies technical, battery and pharma grades.
Appearance: Clear colourless to pale-yellow liquid, mild amine odour; hygroscopic; water-miscible.
Applications
How we supply
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA), lot-specific where available
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS)
- Technical Data Sheet (TDS)
- Certificate of Origin / Certificate of Conformity
Independent third-party inspection can be arranged on request, with the agency and scope agreed per trade. Representative samples can be requested for qualification, subject to supplier availability. We recommend incoming quality control against the agreed CoA.
Quoted on standard Incoterms (e.g. EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP) as agreed per trade. Delivery region, packaging and grade are confirmed per quote.
Documents and services above are subject to supplier availability and confirmed per quote; nothing here is an offer.
Typical / indicative values — not a binding specification
| Property | Typical |
|---|---|
| Assay (technical) | ≥99.5% |
| Assay (electronic/battery) | ≥99.9% |
| Water content (battery grade) | <200 ppm |
| Water solubility | Miscible |
Also known as
1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone · N-methylpyrrolidone · m-Pyrol
Frequently asked questions
- Is NMP still available given the REACH restriction?
- Yes — it remains available under REACH worker-exposure controls (and US EPA TSCA limits on some uses). It must be handled in closed systems with PPE.
- What makes battery grade different from technical grade?
- Battery grade needs very low water and metals and ≥99.9% purity for Li-ion electrode slurries.
- How is it handled safely?
- As a Repr. 1B substance: closed systems, ventilation, appropriate PPE and no skin contact. Reference the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
- Why does battery manufacturing use NMP rather than a cheaper solvent?
- Because PVDF, the standard cathode binder, dissolves properly in very little else. NMP gives a stable, coatable slurry at the solids loading electrode manufacturing needs. Water-based binder systems are under active development for exactly this reason, but NMP remains the incumbent on the cathode side.
- Is the solvent recovered or consumed?
- Recovered, overwhelmingly. NMP is evaporated during electrode drying and condensed back; published figures for battery plants put recovery at around 99 percent. Its high boiling point is what makes that step energy-hungry, and it is a significant part of the running cost of a cathode line.
Enquire about N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone
Related products
Figures and identifiers here are compiled from public references and provided for general information; they are indicative, not a specification. See all products.