Maleic Anhydride Supplier in Malaysia
- Also known as
- MAN
- Maleic Acid Anhydride
- Cis-Butenedioic Anhydride
- Furan-2,5-Dione
Maleic anhydride supplier for unsaturated polyester, coating resin and chemical intermediate buyers in Malaysia. Traded as MAN and named chemically as cis-butenedioic anhydride or furan-2,5-dione (CAS 108-31-6, C4H2O3), it is a white crystalline anhydride with a sharp odour that melts just above 50 degrees Celsius.
That low melting point is why the material moves as briquettes, flakes or pastilles for most buyers and as heated molten liquid for the largest ones. Commercial supply usually runs to a single technical specification rather than a ladder of assay grades, so the choice in front of a buyer is form and packing.
Resin plants take it into unsaturated polyester for laminates, panels and gelcoats, and into alkyd and maleic-modified rosin chemistry. Other outlets run to 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran, styrene copolymers, maleated coupling agents, lubricant and fuel additives, agrochemical routes and paper sizing precursors. It is the anhydride: maleic acid is the hydrated diacid and fumaric acid is the trans isomer of that acid, and both are ordered separately.
An enquiry should carry the form, the process it feeds, the specification, the volume and the destination. Pack format, availability, documentation and timing follow with the quotation, and molten material needs heated handling at both ends.
- CAS number
- 108-31-6
- Formula
- C4H2O3
- HS code
- 2917.14
- Grade
- technical
- Appearance
- white briquettes, flakes or pastilles, or heated molten liquid
Maleic Anhydride grades and forms
We supply several forms to suit different formulating and dosing setups. If you need a size that is not listed, ask us.
| Grade | Form | Assay | Typical use | Packing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maleic anhydride briquettes | compacted white briquettes | — | Unsaturated polyester resin kettles and other batch reactors that charge by hand or by hopper and want a low-dust solid rather than loose flake. | Bag or drum packing, confirmed with the quotation. |
| Maleic anhydride flakes or pastilles | white crystalline flakes or pastilles | — | Smaller batch volumes and speciality synthesis where the charge is weighed out and melted or dissolved in the vessel, and faster dissolution helps. | Bag or drum packing, confirmed with the quotation. |
| Molten maleic anhydride | heated molten liquid | — | Continuous resin and derivative plants already holding the material hot, metering it straight into the process without a separate melting step. | — |
How to buy maleic anhydride from ChemTrade
Request a quote for maleic anhydride
Use the form below to request a quotation. You can also email sales@chemtrademalaysia.com or send us a message on WhatsApp.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | white crystalline briquettes, flakes or pastilles; clear molten liquid above its melting point | — |
| CAS number | 108-31-6 | — |
| Molecular formula | C4H2O3 | — |
| Molecular weight | approximately 98 g/mol | — |
| Melting point | approximately 53 °C | — |
| Chemical identity | the cyclic anhydride of maleic acid; takes up water readily and reverts to the diacid | — |
| Common grade checks | assay, melting point, colour of the melt, iron and free maleic acid as required by the process and specification | — |
Maleic Anhydride applications
Safety and handling
Store under cover in a cool, ventilated area, with packs closed and clear of water, alkalis, amines and oxidising agents, because damp air converts the anhydride to maleic acid. The dust and the vapour rising off molten material both attack eyes, skin and airways, so keep dust down, stay out of the vapour and work to the safety information issued for the grade quoted.
Common questions about maleic anhydride
Is maleic anhydride the same as maleic acid?
No. This material is the cyclic anhydride, and it takes up water to give maleic acid, a solid diacid traded on its own specification and handled differently. Ask for maleic acid by name where the process needs the diacid rather than the anhydride ring.
Is maleic anhydride the same as fumaric acid?
No. Fumaric acid is the trans isomer of maleic acid, a crystalline solid made downstream of this anhydride, and a different product to buy. Where a resin recipe or food formulation calls for the solid diacid, request fumaric acid by name.
Is maleic anhydride the same as MAN or furan-2,5-dione?
Yes. MAN is the usual trade abbreviation, and furan-2,5-dione, cis-butenedioic anhydride and maleic acid anhydride all describe the same substance under CAS 108-31-6. The enquiry still needs the form, quantity and any specification limits.
Which form of maleic anhydride should I request?
Briquettes suit batch resin plants charging manually or by hopper, because they raise less dust than flake. Flake and pastille suit smaller weighed charges that go straight into a melt or solution. Molten bulk only works where heated storage and pumping already exist, and it saves the melting step for large continuous users.
Why must maleic anhydride be kept dry?
The anhydride ring opens on contact with water or humid air and becomes maleic acid, which raises free acid, lowers usable anhydride content and changes behaviour in any reaction that depends on the ring. Keep packs closed, store dry and put any moisture or free-acid limit into the specification.
What should a maleic anhydride quotation request contain?
The form, the downstream process, any specification limits, the volume and the delivery point. Adding the pack format you prefer, the documents your quality system expects and the period the requirement covers lets one quotation answer the whole question.