01Product

Creatine Hydrochloride 78% Creatine

At a glance

Creatine Hydrochloride from Zhicheng Bio — supply summary

Zhicheng Bio supplies bulk Creatine Hydrochloride (78% Creatine), CAS 17050-09-8, shipping from Shanghai, China. This grade is produced to order. Every shipment carries a batch Certificate of Analysis; specification sheet and MSDS are supplied on request. Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port. Zhicheng Bio publishes no list price — quotes are issued per quantity and Incoterm by email to zhicheng1@zhicheng-bio.cn.

Supplier: Zhicheng Bio, Shanghai, China
CAS number: 17050-09-8
Molecular formula: C4H9N3O2·HCl
Grade / specification: 78% Creatine
Availability: Made to order
Documents: Batch CoA with every shipment; spec sheet and MSDS on request
Packing: 25 kg cartons or bags, adjustable
PubChem CID: 134732
How to get a price: Email RFQ to zhicheng1@zhicheng-bio.cn — no list price is published

Creatine Series ~1 week

Creatine Hydrochloride

78% Creatine

CAS 17050-09-8 · C4H9N3O2·HCl

Bulk Creatine Hydrochloride for B2B manufacturing — supplied against your target specification, with documentation your QA can review before anything ships. Pricing below is indicative; send an RFQ for a firm quote, MOQ and lead time.

$5.47 – $6.12 /kg by order volume · indicative, ex-Shanghai

Indicative range — larger volumes price toward the low end. Ingredient markets move weekly; your firm price is confirmed by quotation, typically within one business day.

Category: Creatine Series

Availability: Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port

Packing: 25 kg bags, cartons or drums (standard)

Key supply points

Supplied against your target specification — USP / FCC / JP monograph where applicable
Recent batch COA provided with the quotation, before you commit
Consolidates with other SKUs into one shipment out of Shanghai
Third-party lab verification available pre-shipment on request

Documentation with every batch

COA per batchSpec SheetMSDS / SDSExport docs

Third-party lab verification can be arranged pre-shipment on request. Certificates of origin, non-GMO or allergen statements per destination-market requirements.

Request COA & Quote Use the RFQ form

Shipping & Lead Time

Estimate freight for this product

~1 weekSourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port

Destination region Quantity (kg)

Air FreightFast

Transit: —
Est. freight *: —
Total door-to-port: —

Sea LCLValue

Transit: —
Est. freight *: —
Total door-to-port: —

Request Exact Quote

Documentation-first

COA per batch, Spec Sheet and MSDS — reviewed by your QA before anything ships.

Ready-stock depth

Multi-tonne inventory on core SKUs, plus 28 actives held in our US warehouse in Los Angeles for domestic delivery.

Certified supply chain

Sourced from audited, certified manufacturers — ISO, HACCP, Halal & Kosher available.

Flexible export

25 kg bags, cartons or drums; FOB / CIF / DDP by lane, sea or air consolidation.

02Identity & properties

Identity & properties

Compound identifiers and physical properties for this material. The binding version is always the Specification Sheet and batch COA issued with your quotation.

CAS No.	17050-09-8
Molecular Formula	C4H10ClN3O2 (written as C4H9N3O2·HCl)
Molecular Weight	167.59
EINECS	811-182-3
Synonyms	Creatine HCl, Cr-HCl, creatine monohydrochloride, 2-[carbamimidoyl(methyl)amino]acetic acid hydrochloride
Appearance	White crystalline powder
Solubility	Substantially more soluble in water than creatine monohydrate

03Specifications

Specifications

Typical parameters below — the binding version is the Specification Sheet and batch COA we send with your quotation.

Parameter	Specification	Test method
Creatine content (free base equivalent)	78.2% theoretical (offer sheet states 78%)	Calculated from molecular weights
Creatinine	—	HPLC
Dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine	—	HPLC
pH (aqueous solution)	—	Potentiometric
Assay (as-is / dried basis)	—	Titration or HPLC per the applicable monograph
Appearance	—	Visual
Identification	—	IR / specific optical rotation per monograph
Specific optical rotation	—	Polarimetry
Loss on drying	—	Gravimetric
Residue on ignition / sulphated ash	—	Gravimetric
Chloride	—	Per monograph
Sulphate	—	Per monograph
Iron	—	Per monograph
Other amino acids / related substances	—	TLC or HPLC per monograph
Heavy metals (Pb / As / Cd / Hg)	—	ICP-MS or per monograph
Microbiology (TAMC / TYMC / E. coli / Salmonella)	—	USP <61>/<62> or equivalent

A dash means we have no fixed limit to publish for that parameter: it is reported on the batch COA and the limit is agreed with your QA. We would rather leave it blank than invent a number. Full physical, chemical, heavy-metal and microbiological parameters are listed in the Specification Sheet — sent with every quotation.

04Formulation & handling notes

Formulation & handling notes

The practical points our technical team raises with buyers of this material — the things that decide whether a batch behaves in your process.

Creatine hydrochloride exists for one reason: dissolution. Creatine itself is only sparingly soluble — the base is 13.3 g/L in water at 18 °C, and a peer-reviewed review puts creatine monohydrate's thermodynamic solubility at no more than 13 g/L at 25 °C. The hydrochloride is substantially more soluble, which is what makes a small-volume or clear-liquid creatine format possible at all.

Higher solubility is not the same as higher stability, and this is where creatine HCl is routinely over-sold. Creatine cyclises to creatinine in solution, and that reaction is acid-catalysed — so a salt whose whole selling point is an acidic, freely soluble solution is being pushed toward its own degradation pathway. Solubility solves the mixing problem and can worsen the shelf-life problem.

Which makes creatinine the row to fight over on the COA. Every creatine specification should carry a creatinine limit; a creatine HCl specification without one tells you nothing about how the lot was made or stored.

Potency is 78.2% creatine (131.13/167.59) against 87.9% for the monohydrate. Per gram of creatine delivered, the hydrochloride is the more expensive route on this offer sheet even before the price difference — a 5 g creatine dose needs 6.39 g of HCl salt versus 5.69 g of monohydrate.

The evidence for a performance advantage over the monohydrate is not there. A randomised trial comparing creatine HCl with monohydrate alongside resistance training found gains in both supplemented groups; the case for the HCl form is formulation convenience and dose volume, not superiority. Do not let marketing copy outrun that.

Dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine are the synthesis-related impurities EU buyers ask about on any creatine form. Have the limits ready before the question is asked.

05Applications

Applications

B2B manufacturing use only — no finished-product or health claims.

Low-volume-dose pre-workout and creatine capsules

Flavoured stick packs and ready-to-mix powders where dissolution is a selling point

Liquid and shot formats (with the caveat below)

Combination products with beta-alanine and citrulline

06Regulatory status by market

Regulatory status by market

Status of the raw material, stated as conservatively as our sources allow. This is supply-chain information, not regulatory advice — confirm the position for your finished product and destination market with your own regulatory counsel.

Market	Status	Basis
United States	The FDA GRAS notice for creatine is specific to creatine MONOHYDRATE (GRN 931, notifier AlzChem Trostberg GmbH, closed with an 'FDA has no questions' letter in 2020). It does not extend to creatine hydrochloride. Creatine in any form is not listed in 21 CFR 172.320. US supplement marketing of creatine HCl rests on DSHEA.	FDA GRAS Notice Inventory GRN 931 (monohydrate only); 21 CFR 172.320
European Union	Creatine monohydrate has an established position in EU food supplements; other creatine salts do not automatically share it and may need novel-food assessment.	Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 (novel foods); EU food supplement law
China	Status as a nutrient fortification substance / food additive under Chinese national standards to be confirmed.	GB 14880-2012 (nutrient fortification substances), GB 2760 (food additives), and NHC new-food-ingredient announcements
Japan	No JP XVIII Official Monograph for this substance was located.	JP XVIII

07Selected research

Selected research

Peer-reviewed literature on this compound, with linked identifiers so you can read the primary source rather than take our word for it.

These references are listed for scientific context only. They describe published research on the compound; they are not claims about this raw material and not claims about any finished product. Zhicheng Bio makes no medical, health or performance claims.

In a randomised trial, forty participants aged 18-25 undertook eight weeks of resistance training with creatine hydrochloride (0.03 g/kg/day), creatine monohydrate with or without a five-day loading phase, or placebo; strength, arm and thigh muscular cross-sectional area and skeletal muscle mass increased and body-fat percentage decreased significantly in the supplemented groups. Eghbali E, Arazi H, Suzuki K. Physiol Res. 2024;73(5):739-753. PMID 39545789 DOI 10.33549/physiolres.935323 Source
In a randomised controlled trial in 36 perimenopausal and menopausal women, low- and medium-dose creatine hydrochloride (750 and 1,500 mg/day) alone or with creatine ethyl ester was evaluated over eight weeks for effects on cognitive function, clinical outcomes and brain creatine concentrations; the study was framed around low-dose creatine formulations with enhanced solubility. Korovljev D, Ostojic J, Panic J, et al. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2026;45(3):199-210. PMID 40854087 DOI 10.1080/27697061.2025.2551184 Source
A multi-analytical study characterised creatine degradation under thermal stress (60-200 °C), UV exposure, pH variation (pH 3, 8 and 13) and common beverage matrices (coffee, orange juice and energy drink), using ATR-FTIR and high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify structural modifications relevant to storage, transport and preparation. Saiki PY, Sales GM, de Oliveira AN, Catharino RR. Food Res Int. 2025;221(Pt 3):117472. PMID 41214971 DOI 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117472 Source
A review reported that thermodynamic solubility of creatine monohydrate in water at 25 °C does not exceed 13 g/L, and surveyed micronisation and granulation approaches to improving dissolution rate and apparent solubility. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2026;19(1):128. PMID 41599726 DOI 10.3390/ph19010128 Source

08Packing, storage & lead time

Packing, storage & lead time

Standard packing	25 kg bags, cartons or drums
Private packing	Custom packing & labeling available for regular customers
Storage	Cool, dry place, sealed in original packaging
Lead time	Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port
Shipping	Sea or air consolidation out of Shanghai · FOB / CIF / DDP by lane

09Procurement FAQ

Procurement FAQ

01Is creatine HCl better than monohydrate?

Better dissolving, not proven better performing — and we would rather say that than sell you a story. A randomised trial comparing the two alongside resistance training saw gains in both supplemented groups. Buy creatine HCl when you need dose volume or clear-liquid solubility. Buy monohydrate when you want the most creatine per dollar and the largest evidence base.

02How much creatine do I get per gram?

78.2% for the hydrochloride (131.13/167.59) against 87.9% for the monohydrate. A 5 g creatine dose needs 6.39 g of HCl salt versus 5.69 g of monohydrate. Tell us whether your target is creatine or salt weight on the RFQ.

03Which impurity limits should I insist on?

Creatinine first — it is the cyclisation degradation product and the industry's quality marker for every creatine form. Then dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine, which are the synthesis-related impurities EU buyers ask about. A creatine COA without a creatinine limit is not a useful document.

04Can I put creatine HCl in a ready-to-drink beverage?

It will dissolve easily, which is the appeal — but understand the trade-off. Creatine converts to creatinine in solution and the reaction is acid-catalysed, so an acidic, freely soluble creatine salt mixes beautifully and can degrade faster on the shelf. Any liquid creatine programme needs real stability data at your pH and storage temperature, not an assumption.

05Does the FDA GRAS notice for creatine cover this?

No — and that distinction is worth getting right. GRN 931 is specific to creatine monohydrate. It does not extend to creatine hydrochloride. Take the compliance question for the HCl form to your own regulatory counsel.

06What is the MOQ for Creatine Hydrochloride?

MOQ is quote-based and flexible. Tell us your target quantity in the RFQ — for core in-stock SKUs we can usually accommodate both trial orders and multi-tonne volumes.

07Can I get a sample of Creatine Hydrochloride before ordering?

Yes — samples are available on request for evaluation and lab verification. Mention it in your RFQ and we will confirm the arrangement.

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