Section 1：Basic information of choline chloride
Chinese name: Choline chloride
Foreign name: Choline chloride
Other names: Choline chloride; Egg enhancer; Choline chloride
Chemical formula: C5H14ClNO
Molecular weight: 139.63
CAS registration number: 67-48-1
Structural formula:
Chemical properties of choline chloride:
Choline chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt with the chemical formula C5H14ClNO.
It is a white, water-soluble, hygroscopic crystal with a faint fishy odor.
It is unstable in alkaline solutions.
Choline chloride was developed by the Agricultural Technology Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in 1964. It was first used in animal feed and has the function of promoting egg production in laying hens, so it is also called egg increaser. It is the most widely used choline supplement in the feed industry. It was registered as a plant growth regulator in the 1980s and entered China in the 1990s and was widely used in crops. In the past two years, choline chloride has been developed and used in increasing the yield of cereal crops, and its performance is gratifying, making this almost forgotten old product regain the attention of the industry.
Section 2：Main Applications of Choline Chloride
Choline chloride is a widely used chemical substance that can be used as a nutritional additive or a plant growth regulator. It is used in food, feed, medicine and agriculture.
Specific applications:
- Food and feed:Choline chloride is an important nutrient and a member of the vitamin B family. It is essential for the nervous system, liver function, heart function, etc. of humans and animals. It is widely used in infant formula, feed and food as a nutritional enhancer to promote animal growth and egg production.
- Cosmetics industry:Choline chloride is used in rinse products such as shower gel, facial cleanser, soap and products for treating hair loss.
- Plant growth regulator:Choline chloride, as a broad-effect plant growth regulator, can promote photosynthesis, increase yield, enhance stress resistance, and has a significant swelling and yield-increasing effect on underground rhizomes.
- Medical field: Choline chloride can be used to treat fatty liver and cirrhosis, and is beneficial for lowering blood pressure and improving blood lipids. It can also be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease; it can be used to treat premenopausal women and keep the mucous membrane moist.
- Oil and gas field: Choline chloride is also regarded as an environmentally friendly clay anti-swelling agent, which has the advantages of safety, non-toxicity and environmental protection.
Section 3：Synthesis process of choline chloride
The main raw material of choline chloride is ethylene oxide, the upstream of ethylene oxide is ethylene, and the upstream of ethylene is petroleum. Its production is affected by the oil market.
Production method –1
(1) Continuous method for preparing choline chloride solution: trimethylamine hydrochloride and a certain amount of ethylene oxide are continuously pumped into the reactor, and the residence time of the reactants in the reactor is 1-1.5h. The reaction is carried out under stirring, and the product is continuously drawn out to keep the liquid level in the reactor stable. The crude choline chloride product drawn out of the reactor enters the stripping tower, and a 60-80% choline chloride liquid product is obtained from the bottom of the tower.
(2) Trimethylamine hydrochloride reacts with ethylene oxide, then adds organic acid for neutralization and concentration to produce choline chloride.
(3) Chloroethanol reacts with trimethylamine to produce choline chloride.
Production method –2
(1) Ethylene oxide method. It is obtained by the reaction of trimethylamine and ethylene oxide.
Add trimethylamine ethanol solution to the reaction pot, introduce ethylene oxide at about 30°C, stir and react for 4 hours, and then neutralize with hydrochloric acid (control pH6.5-7.0). The crude product yield can reach 98%. After decolorization with activated carbon and vacuum concentration, a 70% aqueous solution can be obtained. Add excipients such as corn cob powder, rice husk powder, bran or diatomaceous earth to the aqueous solution to obtain a 50% powder.
(2) Chloroethanol method. Use chloroethanol instead of ethylene oxide and hydrochloric acid, and react with trimethylamine under the catalysis of a small amount of ethylene oxide or alkaline substances to obtain:
First, add 100 parts of chloroethanol to the reaction pot, add 130 parts of trimethylamine from below the liquid surface, and introduce 1.7 parts of ethylene oxide to initiate the reaction. After adding, keep warm and stir at 32-38°C for 4 hours, and the yield is 84% (calculated as chloroethanol). If catalyzed by alkaline substances (such as quaternary ammonium salts), the single-pass conversion rate can reach more than 97%.
Production method –3
The product is prepared by heating chloroethanol and trimethylamine methanol solution, concentrating under reduced pressure, and recrystallizing.
Section 4：Market Outlook of Choline Chloride
After choline chloride entered China, the promotion direction was placed on potato crops, mainly used as a sweet potato bulking agent. The overly single application scenario limited its development. It also made the entire industry completely underestimate the market prospects of this product. However, with the development of the industry, choline chloride has attracted more and more attention from the industry due to its green and safe characteristics and its excellent performance in increasing the yield of cereal crops and fruits. In particular, the promotion and use of packaged products has made choline chloride an indispensable popular product in the yield-increasing package.