Nicotinic Acid
Nicotinic Acid is the carboxylic-acid form of Vitamin B3 (niacin) and one of two interchangeable B3 vitamers used in food fortification, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical practice. The other is the amide form, niacinamide.
Trade material is a white to off-white crystalline powder with the molecular formula C₆H₅NO₂ and a molar mass of 123.11 g/mol. The compound is sparingly soluble in cold water (around 18 g/L at 25 °C), freely soluble in hot water and in dilute alkali, and stable to heat, light, and oxygen during normal storage.
We source bulk Nicotinic Acid from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Tianjin. For this ingredient the minimum order is 500 kg and a 20-foot container takes 10 MT, and a smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Minimum order
- 500 kg
- Qty in 20' FCL
- 10 MT
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Assay (dry basis) | 99.5% to 101.0% |
| Melting point | 234 °C to 238 °C |
| Loss on drying | ≤ 0.5% |
| Residue on ignition | ≤ 0.1% |
| Heavy metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Chloride | ≤ 200 mg/kg |
| Particle size | Per customer specification |
Common Markets Grades
Nicotinic Acid is produced against tightly aligned pharmacopoeial specifications.
The standard pharmaceutical and food grade meets USP, Ph. Eur., and JP monographs at 99.5 percent minimum assay on the dried basis. Particle size is normally a fine crystalline powder passing 60 to 100 mesh, with coarser crystalline grades held for direct compression tablet work.
A feed grade with the same chemical purity but a relaxed documentation package covers poultry, swine, and ruminant premix manufacture, where nicotinic acid competes with niacinamide on price.
A high-dose pharmaceutical extended-release grade is produced for lipid-modifying tablet manufacture and is held to tighter limits on colour and residual solvents.
Applications
- Multivitamin tablets, capsules, and softgels as the labelled B3 source
- Cereal and flour fortification under national enrichment programs
- Sports nutrition and pre-workout formulations where the flush response is part of the consumer experience
- Lipid-modifying prescription tablets at gram-scale doses
- Extended-release niacin formulations for cardiovascular management
- Pediatric and prenatal supplement blends
- Clinical and parenteral nutrition products
- Effervescent and chewable tablet formulations
- Animal feed premixes for poultry, swine, and ruminants
- Pet food and aquaculture diet fortification
- Cosmetic and topical formulations for skin redness applications
- Reference standard for laboratory and analytical work
Brands Using Nicotinic Acid
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Nicotinic Acid on the ingredient label.
- NOW FoodsNiacin 500 mg Sustained Release Tablets ↗Active ingredient: Niacin (as Nicotinic Acid) (Vitamin B-3) 500 mg per sustained release tablet.Label verified 2026-05-24
- NOW FoodsNiacin 500 mg Veg Capsules ↗Vegetable capsule formulation of Niacin (as Nicotinic Acid) 500 mg.Label verified 2026-05-24
- SolgarNiacin (Vitamin B3) 500 mg Vegetable Capsules ↗Active ingredient: Niacin as nicotinic acid 500 mg; product page notes potential nicotinic-acid flush effect.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Slo-Niacin (MainPointe / Upsher-Smith)Slo-Niacin Polygel Controlled-Release 500 mg Tablets ↗Niacin, USP (nicotinic acid) 500 mg in polygel controlled-release tablets.Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Nicotinic Acid
Top Nicotinic Acid manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Nicotinic Acid
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Nicotinic Acid out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Nicotinic Acid together with other ingredients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin E into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Nicotinic Acid is approved as a nutrient and active pharmaceutical ingredient in every major market.
In the European Union Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 authorises it for food fortification and Regulation (EC) 1831/2003 authorises it for feed use. U.S. FDA recognises it as GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1490 and approves it as a prescription active for lipid management.
Pharmacopoeial monographs appear in USP, Ph. Eur., JP, and IP. JECFA has reviewed niacin and assigned acceptable daily intake guidance covering both nicotinic acid and niacinamide.
Halal and Kosher certifications are routinely available, since the synthesis uses no animal-derived inputs.
Manufacturing Process
Nicotinic Acid is manufactured almost entirely by oxidation of pyridine derivatives.
The dominant industrial route starts from 3-methylpyridine (β-picoline), which is oxidised in the vapor phase over a vanadium-titanium mixed oxide catalyst to give nicotinic acid directly in a single step. A liquid-phase variant uses nitric acid as the oxidant for the same conversion.
An older route oxidises 5-ethyl-2-methylpyridine with nitric acid to give a mixture of nicotinic and isonicotinic acids, which is then separated. This pathway is still used by some Indian producers.
The crude acid is purified by recrystallisation from water, dried, and milled to the target particle size. Global capacity sits with a small group of producers in China, India, and Europe, with annual demand running well above 50,000 tonnes split between feed, food, and pharmaceutical channels.
