Tall oil fatty acid has no fixed list price. Six variables set it: crude tall oil (CTO) availability, pulp production volume, the grade and its purity limits, packaging and shipment mode, freight, and the exchange rate. Because these move together, the only valid figure is a current quote taken at the moment you ask.
Why is there no list price for TOFA?
TOFA is not a product whose output can be dialled up independently. Crude tall oil is a by-product of kraft pulp production, and TOFA is the cut obtained by fractional distillation of that crude tall oil. Supply therefore follows pulp production, not TOFA demand. When demand rises, no production line can add a shift to make more: supply does not move until the feedstock stream upstream moves.
That structural fact pushes TOFA to behave like a quotation-based raw material rather than a commodity with a published price. The sections below exist so you can understand how a quote is built and ask a supplier the right questions. This page gives no figure, index or price range: any it gave would be wrong the moment it was published.
1. CTO feedstock availability and pulp output
This is the first and strongest variable in the chain. The operating level of pulp mills sets crude tall oil availability, and crude tall oil availability sets how much TOFA distillation plants can produce. Maintenance outages, shifts in wood feedstock supply, or crude tall oil being diverted to non-distillation uses such as biofuel feedstock can all create a squeeze felt on the TOFA side. When requesting a quote, asking your supplier how stable their access to that stream is comes before asking the price.
2. Grade and purity: a tighter specification means more distillation
Cuts of different sharpness can be taken from the same CTO, and sharpness is not free. Tightening the rosin acid and unsaponifiables limits means more distillation work and lower yield. The difference between the two grades in the portfolio shows exactly that:
The purchasing lesson is this: specifying a purity level your line does not actually need is a hidden cost you pay through the specification. Where rosin acid max 3% and unsaponifiables max 6% are sufficient, as on flotation, bitumen and industrial soap lines, asking for a tighter grade is unnecessary. On the alkyd resin and printing ink side, by contrast, the cost of colour drift exceeds the cost of the tighter specification. The right question is not "which is cheapest" but "where does my line's tolerance actually sit".
BİO BAZLI ÜRÜNLERTall Oil Fatty Acids 180 (TOFA)TOFA 180 if rosin acid max 3% and unsaponifiables max 6% are within tolerance. Request a current quote stating quantity, packaging and delivery terms.3. Packaging and shipment mode
TOFA ships as bulk liquid. In the KORKİMYA portfolio the packaging mode is ISO tank containers at 20-24 MT net for TOFA 180 and ISO tank containers at 20-22 MT net for TOFA 185, in both cases as bulk liquid in carbon steel or stainless steel tanks. The shipment mode affects the quote directly: filling, tank cleaning, tank turnaround time and return logistics create a different cost base for the same kilogram. Leaving the packaging preference blank in a quote request is the fastest way to receive offers that cannot be compared.
4. Freight, incoterms and delivery point
In bulk liquid chemicals, freight is the invisible but decisive part of the cost. Distance, tank container availability, routing and the delivery terms (ex works or delivered) move the same material to a different total cost. Placing prices side by side without first equalising the delivery terms is misleading.
5. FX and payment terms
With an imported raw material, cost moves with the exchange rate between order and delivery, and prepayment locks working capital in transit. A TRY-invoiced purchase on terms changes both at once: the price is fixed at contract and payment is placed on terms. KORKİMYA invoices in TRY and offers payment terms plus letter-of-credit support. This sits underneath the unit price but decides the total cost.
6. Stock position and delivery timing
The final component of the price is where the material sits. A lot physically in stock carries a different risk profile from a forward shipment: its certificate of analysis can be shared today and its delivery date does not depend on a container's routing. As urgency rises, that difference matters more than the unit price. When requesting a quote, ask explicitly whether the material is in stock and whether the CoA of the current lot can be shared.
How to request a quote that is actually comparable
- Grade: TOFA 180 or TOFA 185, or your line's tolerance limits (rosin acid, unsaponifiables, colour).
- Quantity and frequency: one-off or recurring.
- Packaging and shipment mode: bulk liquid in ISO tank containers.
- Delivery point and delivery terms.
- Documentation expectation: per-lot CoA, Turkish SDS, KKDIK registration.
- Sample requirement: if you will validate in your own lab, request the sample together with the quote.
A request containing these six items produces a comparable and binding quotation. A price obtained on incomplete information is usually renegotiated at the order stage.
BİO BAZLI ÜRÜNLERTall Oil Fatty Acids 185 (TOFA)TOFA 185 for alkyd resin, ink and dimer acid lines that need rosin acid max 2% and unsaponifiables max 4%. Request a current quote and a sample from the product page.Why is no TOFA price shown on this page?
Because it would be wrong the moment it was published. TOFA pricing is formed by CTO availability, pulp output, grade, packaging, freight and FX, and those variables move together. The only valid figure is a current quote against a request stating your quantity, packaging and delivery terms.
Why is TOFA 185 priced differently from TOFA 180?
A tighter specification means more distillation work. TOFA 185 is defined by rosin acid max 2% and unsaponifiables max 4%, TOFA 180 by max 3% and max 6%. Asking for the tighter grade on a line with no colour sensitivity is an unnecessary cost item.
Which factor moves the price the most?
The upstream one: crude tall oil availability and the level of pulp production. TOFA is a by-product stream, so supply cannot grow at the pace of demand. Grade, packaging, freight and FX sit below that.
What information should I give when requesting a quote?
Your grade or tolerance limits, quantity and frequency, packaging and shipment mode, delivery point and terms, documentation expectations (CoA, SDS, KKDIK) and any sample requirement. Prices obtained without these six items are not comparable.
Can I get the price in TRY?
Yes. KORKİMYA invoices in TRY and offers payment terms plus letter-of-credit support, which removes the FX exposure between order and delivery that an import carries.