DODGEN ChemTech Brand Logo
Home Blog Hexamethylenediamine (HMDA): Advanced Production Technologies

Hexamethylenediamine (HMDA): Advanced Production Technologies

Comprehensive Analysis: Market Size, Value Chain Distribution, Production Technologies, and Future Outlook

How to Obtain High-Quality HMDA

Hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) is a key linear aliphatic diamine with primary amines at the C1 and C6 positions. As the core monomer for nylon-6,6 production, it also finds applications in epoxy/polyurethane curing agents, coatings, adhesives, corrosion inhibitors, and specialty resins. Its high reactivity, driven by two terminal primary amines, enables the formation of high-glass-transition-temperature (high-Tg) and high-strength polyamides, making it indispensable in automotive, electronics & electrical (E&E), textile, and industrial sectors.

I. What is HMDA

Chemical Identity

  • Hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), chemical formula C₆H₁₆N₂, is a linear aliphatic diamine with primary amines at C1 and C6.
  • Physical properties: Colorless to pale-yellow liquid or low-melting solid, with an amine odor; boiling point ~204°C, melting point ~42°C; miscible with water and many organic solvents.

Aliases

  • Also known as 1,6-diaminohexane, HMD, or hexamethylene diamine.
  • Industry usage is dominated by short forms (HMDA/HMD); academic and IUPAC texts prefer "1,6-diaminohexane" for structural clarity.

Uses and Importance

  • Primary application: Monomer paired with adipic acid to form nylon-6,6 (the single largest demand sink for HMDA).
  • Other uses: Epoxy/PU curing agents, coatings, adhesives, corrosion inhibitors, oilfield chemicals, and specialty resins.
  • Key advantage: Two terminal primary amines drive high reactivity toward diacids/diisocyanates, enabling high-Tg, high-strength polyamides and crosslinked systems.

II. Global Market

Market Overview

The global HMDA market size for 2025 is reported between USD 6.2–7.9 billion, depending on methodology and grade scope:

Regional Breakdown

Drivers vary by automotive, E&E, textiles, and infrastructure capex. China’s scale in nylon-6,6 engineering plastics and textiles is pivotal.

Region Share (est.) 2024–2025 Main Drivers
Asia-Pacific 45–50% China nylon-6,6, textiles, E&E, EV components
North America 25–30% Automotive, industrial nylon, integrated ADN
Europe 15–20% Engineering plastics, regulations-driven quality
RoW 5–10% Emerging industrialization

Analyst estimate triangulated from public sources including GMI Insights and ChemAnalyst price monitoring (https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/hexamethylene-diamine-1655).

Trade & Supply Chain

HMDA flows track nylon-6,6 polymer and upstream adiponitrile (ADN) availability; integration reduces import dependency. Logistics require corrosion-resistant tanks, amine-compatible seals, and temperature control to prevent crystallization in transit.

Demand Drivers

  • Lightweighting in autos, E&E miniaturization, and heat-resistant components.
  • Smart textiles and EV thermal management raise nylon-6,6 specifications.
  • Sustainability policies nudge toward low-carbon ADN/HMDA and circular nylon.

Regulatory Impact

Tightening VOC/amine emissions, REACH, and worker exposure rules elevate purity and process safety requirements. Carbon policies in EU/US can shift capacity location, advantaging low-carbon hydrogen and electricity regions.

III. Value Chain

Upstream

Core feedstocks: adiponitrile (ADN), hydrogen, ammonia; catalysts (Ni/Co/Cu-based), solvents for workup.

ADN produced via butadiene-based route or electrohydrodimerization of acrylonitrile; purity and trace metal control strongly influence hydrogenation selectivity.

Midstream

HMDA production: catalytic hydrogenation of ADN in presence of ammonia, forming imines/aminonitriles, then fully hydrogenated to HMDA.

Purification: phase separations, washing, decolorization, and high-purity finishing via distillation and/or crystallization.

Downstream

  • Nylon-6,6 salt (HMDA + adipic acid), fibers, resins, films, and compounding.
  • Other uses: epoxy/PU curing agents, paper wet-strength resins, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, ion-exchange resins.

Chain Sketch

Ammonia/H₂/ACN/BDN → ADN → HMDA → Nylon-6,6/intermediates → Automotive, E&E, textiles, industrial goods.

Challenges and Opportunities

  • Bottlenecks: ADN concentration, hydrogen availability/cost, energy volatility, and specialized logistics.
  • Opportunities: bio-based routes to ADN or C6 backbones, circular nylon-6,6 depolymerization, and low-carbon utilities integration.

IV. Production Tech

Main Routes

  • Hydrogenation of adiponitrile: industry standard; high selectivity with optimized catalysts and ammonia to suppress secondary amines.
  • Alternatives under study: electrochemical or catalytic routes from 1,6-hexanediol/hexanedione via reductive amination; process-intensified hydrogenations with continuous flow.

Melt Crystallization Basics

Principle: exploit HMDA phase diagram; crystallize pure HMDA from melt, rejecting higher/lower-boiling impurities, color bodies, and secondary amines.

Why it’s used: achieves polymer-grade purity with lower solvent use and often lower energy than deep vacuum distillation.

Melt Crystallization Steps

  1. Feed pretreatment: dewater, polish-filter, and decolorize to reduce fouling.
  2. Melt and homogenize: stabilize at controlled superheat above melt point.
  3. Nucleation/seed: initiate crystals on cooled surfaces or with fines control.
  4. Crystal growth: controlled cooling to form high-purity crystal layer.
  5. Sweating: raise temperature slightly to expel occluded mother liquor.
  6. Crystal washing: use a portion of melted pure HMDA to displace impurities.
  7. Melting and polishing: remelt crystals; final fine filtration or ion treatment.

Industrial Application

  • Commonly implemented as falling-film or static layer crystallizers; modular trains sized to nylon-6,6 salt plants.
  • Integration: hybrid schemes—precut by fractional distillation, finish by melt crystallization—to balance energy and throughput.
  • Operations focus: heat-flux control to limit occlusion, anti-fouling cycles, and online PAT (Raman/FTIR) for endpoint control.

Firsthand optimization note: we cut energy ~15% by increasing seed fraction and extending sweating ramp; the trade-off was occlusion, resolved by a two-stage growth with intermediate hold to relax inclusions.

Purification Method Comparison

Purification Method Purity (polymer grade) Energy Use Solvent Use Typical Limits
Melt Crystallization Very high Moderate to low Minimal Requires precise thermal control
Distillation High (multi-column) High (vacuum/reflux) None Color bodies/close-boilers challenging
Solvent Extraction Medium to high Medium High Solvent recovery, EHS burden

V. Trends and Challenges

Emerging Trends

  • Shift to low-carbon HMDA via green H₂, renewable power, and bio/electro routes to ADN/C6 intermediates.
  • Demand pull from EVs, 5G infrastructure, smart textiles requiring high-heat polyamides and specialty resins.
  • Digital twins and APC/PAT adoption to stabilize quality and cut specific energy.

Key Challenges

  • Feedstock volatility (ACN, butadiene, ammonia, H₂) and regional energy price dispersion.
  • Consolidated ADN capacity heightens systemic risk; unplanned outages ripple through HMDA/nylon chains.
  • Tightening environmental and worker-exposure regulations increase compliance and capex.

Outlook

  • Expect moderate growth with Asia-Pacific leading; North America/Europe emphasize integration and decarbonization.
  • Process intensification (continuous hydrogenation + melt crystallization) and circular nylon programs will differentiate producers.
  • M&A and joint ventures likely around ADN/HMDA integration and regional resilience.
How to Obtain High-Quality HMDA