Cyclohexanone (CAS 108-94-1) is a medium-volatility cyclic ketone imported into Turkey under Harmonized System subheading 2914.22. This document functions as a Cyclohexanone Supply to Turkey: Market & Duty Guide. The product has a molecular weight of 98.15 g/mol, density of 0.948 g/cm³ at 20°C, a closed-cup flash point of 44°C, and a normal boiling point of 155.6°C at 101.3 kPa. Commercial specifications typically require purity of ≥99.5 wt%, water content no greater than 0.05 wt%, and low acidity to limit downstream corrosion.

Production routes influence the impurity profile. Phenol hydrogenation yields low co-product ketone and is preferred for solvent-grade material because it avoids the high cyclohexanol co-product of cyclohexane air oxidation. The cyclohexane route produces a cyclohexanol-cyclohexanone mixture known as KA oil; that stream is separated and catalytically dehydrogenated toward the ketone. Supply contracts should identify the route because trace phenol below 10 ppm may be acceptable for coating solvency but can interfere with some downstream oxime catalyst systems. Buyers specifying cyclohexanone for polyurethane thinner packages, vinyl resin solvation, or laboratory extraction should require route disclosure and a specification that includes acidity, water, and peroxide value.

What Limits Peroxide Accumulation During Import Storage in Turkish Terminal Operations?

Cyclohexanone is not normally supplied with a free-radical inhibitor unless the purchaser specifies a stabilised grade. Autoxidation at the alpha carbon adjacent to the carbonyl generates hydroperoxides that can reach hazardous concentrations in air-blanketed storage. Published terminal handling procedures therefore require nitrogen blanketing at 5–10 kPa gauge, storage temperature below 30°C, and moisture exclusion to ≤0.05 wt%. In coastal terminal operations in the Aliaga and Gebze chemical corridors, the product is held in 316L stainless steel or baked-phenolic-lined carbon steel tanks equipped with pressure/vacuum relief, flame arresters, and tank vents routed to a closed vapor balance. Filling and unloading lines use electrically bonded stainless flexible hoses and magnetically coupled or canned-motor pumps to avoid seal leakage. Transfer pumps are specified for Class I, Zone 1 hazardous areas.

The peroxide value is normally monitored before unloading and at 30-day intervals thereafter by iodometric titration. A common release threshold for solvent use is 50 mg/kg active oxygen, with re-testing at 100 mg/kg. Above that value, the material should not be heated, distilled, or mixed into formulations without a documented peroxide-reduction step such as caustic sulfite washing or passage through a reduced-iron contact bed. Freshly distilled cyclohexanone should be used promptly or blanketed. Distillation residues should never be concentrated below 10% of the original pot volume because peroxide decomposition at the end of distillation is a confined-space pressure hazard.

For import storage, supply contracts exclude unsuitable bulk handling. Truck isotanks are standard T11 stainless or lined tanks with bottom discharge, steam heating coils set to a maximum of 45°C, and pressure relief valves. The product is charged under nitrogen, and circulation is limited because static accumulation in low-conductivity ketone streams can create ignition risks. Grounding resistance during transfer should remain below 10 Ω at the loading arm. Drummed product is supplied in 200 L phenolic-lined steel or stainless drums with inerted headspace. Drums are stored away from direct solar heating to prevent auto-oxidation and color formation.

Demand for cyclohexanone in Turkey is split between direct solvent applications and chemical conversion. The solvent side includes nitrocellulose lacquers, polyvinyl chloride adhesives, and polyurethane coated textiles. Solvent buyers require low water, low acidity, and controlled peroxide content because residual acidity interferes with isocyanate crosslinking in two-pack polyurethane formulations. In those systems, cyclohexanone is used at addition levels between 5% and 30% by mass in thinner packages, where its Kauri-butanol strength delays viscosity build in high-solids lacquers. Blending equipment used on production lines includes Cowles high-shear dispersers with variable-frequency drives. The ketone is charged early to wet pigments and later diluted with ester or aromatic hydrocarbons to meet application viscosity.

Published data for Turkey-specific cyclohexanone import volumes under 2914.22 00 00 are limited because national trade statistics may combine cyclohexanone with methylcyclohexanones. Buyers therefore rely on supplier certificates and contract allocation rather than published market reports for this specific configuration. Supply routes observed in practice include EU phenol-hydrogenation producers shipping in 25 m³ isotanks or 200 L drums through Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Mediterranean transshipment ports, and Asian suppliers offering drummed spot lots through Mersin and Ambarli warehouses. Contract holders commonly specify quarterly volume bands, with penalty clauses tied to GC purity and water content rather than delivered cost alone.

When cyclohexanone is used as a process solvent in polyurethane or epoxy systems, water content above 0.10 wt% can create haze or alter crosslink density. Acidity expressed as acetic acid above 0.03 wt% can retard amine-catalysed curing. These are operational boundaries rather than shipping defects. Incoming quality control should include density by ASTM D4052, water by ASTM E203, and a peroxide test before tank discharge. Batches that fail low water or low acidity limits should be quarantined and evaluated for moisture scavenging or neutralisation only under written supplier guidance.

Tariff Engineering, A.TR Status, and VAT Multiplication

Cyclohexanone is classified in Turkey under the 12-digit position derived from HS 2914.22. The EU combined nomenclature rate for this subheading is 5.5% ad valorem for third-country non-preferential imports. Turkey’s Customs Union alignment with the EU common external tariff generally applies a parallel rate, but the Turkish Import Regime should be checked for annual updates and any applicable suspension. Imports from EU free circulation move at 0% duty under an A.TR movement certificate. Without a valid A.TR or preferential origin proof, the MFN rate is applied to the CIF customs value.

The Turkish import VAT is 18% and is calculated on the sum of CIF value, customs duty, harbor fees, and any other fiscal charges. For a non-preferential shipment with a CIF value of 100,000 USD, duty would be 5,500 USD, and VAT would be 18,990 USD, producing a total fiscal cost of 24,490 USD before warehousing and inspection. The same shipment with EU free-circulation status and valid A.TR eliminates the duty, reducing VAT to 18,000 USD. These calculations assume no additional environmental or port charges and no anti-dumping measures.

Inward processing can suspend customs duty when imported cyclohexanone is used in products subsequently exported. The importer must obtain an inward processing permit from the Ministry of Trade, declare both the imported quantity and the export item, and comply with reconciliation periods. Free-zone storage is also used for re-export to CIS and Middle East buyers, but product entering Turkish domestic free circulation triggers the standard duty and VAT event.

Customs clearance for cyclohexanone under HS 2914.22 requires invoice line items to state CAS 108-94-1, net mass, gross mass, Incoterms 2020, and country of origin. The bill of lading should match the packing list and tank or drum seal numbers. Hazard communication must follow the Turkish SDS regulation aligned with UN GHS. The transport classification is UN 1915, Class 3, Packing Group III.

Regulatory limitations are not limited to customs. Under KKDIK, importers or Turkey-based sole representatives must ensure that cyclohexanone has been registered when placed on the Turkish market above 1 tonne/a. If the material is used as an isolated intermediate under strictly controlled conditions, the registration dossier may be reduced, but the site must document process containment, closed transfer, and worker exposure controls. Downstream users must compare their uses with exposure scenarios. Uses that are not covered must be communicated to the supplier before the product is placed into solvent blends or polymer synthesis.

Cyclohexanone is incompatible with strong oxidizers, nitric acid, chromium trioxide, and strong bases. Reactive metals such as sodium and potassium should be segregated. Bulk unloading from road tankers should include nitrogen purging and grounding, and any heating above 45°C is generally outside normal storage practice unless under inert gas and monitored for peroxide decomposition. If unstabilized material has been in prolonged transit, peroxide value should be measured before any distillation or heating. Product above 100 mg/kg active oxygen should be treated with a documented peroxide-reduction procedure or refused. Do not distill residues to dryness.