Quick answer: If you need fast, neutral-pH disinfection for drinking water, food processing, or aquaculture — buy SDIC (56% or 60%). If you need slow-release, long-lasting chlorine for swimming pools, cooling towers, or paper mills — buy TCCA 90%. But the form (powder / granular / tablet) matters just as much as the chemistry. This guide walks you through the exact right combination for your application.

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1. The 5 SKUs You Need to Understand

When buying chlorinated cyanurate disinfectants, you’re really choosing among 5 practical SKUs — a combination of chemistry (SDIC vs TCCA), concentration, and physical form. Each has a distinct sweet spot:

SDIC 56% Powder — Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate, 56% active chlorine, fine powder form. Best for emergency water purification and drinking water. Price: US$0.95\text{–}US$0.95–US1.15 per kg FOB.

SDIC 60% Powder — Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate, 60% active chlorine, fine powder. Best for food processing CIP, aquaculture, hospital sanitation. Price: US$1.05\text{–}US$1.05–US1.30 per kg FOB.

SDIC 60% Granular — Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate, 60% active chlorine, 0.5–3 mm granules. Best for industrial cleaning and low-dust handling. Price: US$1.10\text{–}US$1.10–US1.35 per kg FOB.

TCCA 90% Granular — Trichloroisocyanuric Acid, 90% active chlorine, 4–8 mesh granules. Best for automatic pool feeders and cooling towers. Price: US$1.30\text{–}US$1.30–US1.55 per kg FOB.

TCCA 90% Tablets — Trichloroisocyanuric Acid, 90% active chlorine, 20g or 200g pressed tablets. Best for pool skimmers and floating dispensers. Price: US$1.40\text{–}US$1.40–US1.75 per kg FOB.

Prices are indicative FCL rates ex-works Hebei, China, 2026 Q3. Contact us for a current quote based on your quantity and destination.

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2. Understanding Concentration: 56% vs 60% vs 90%

Why does SDIC come in both 56% and 60%?

SDIC is available at two active chlorine levels because it exists as two hydrate forms:

• SDIC 56% — Dihydrate form (NaDCC·2H₂O). Contains crystal water, more stable in humid climates, longer shelf life, popular in retail pool bags and emergency water purification tablets (Aquatabs).
• SDIC 60% — Anhydrous form (NaDCC). Higher chlorine per kg, faster dissolution, preferred for industrial dosing systems and CIP (Clean-in-Place) applications.

Practical rule: Choose 60% for professional industrial use (better cost per kg of active chlorine); choose 56% for retail packaging, humid warehouses, or 3-year shelf-life needs.

Why is TCCA 90%?

Trichloroisocyanuric acid contains three chlorine atoms per molecule versus SDIC’s two — that’s why it hits 90% active chlorine, the highest commercially available chlorine donor. This is why TCCA is preferred for long shipping distances (more chlorine per kg = lower freight cost per kg of chlorine delivered).

The cost-per-kg-active-chlorine calculation

Here’s the number that actually matters for procurement:

• SDIC 56% Powder at $1.05\mathrm{/}kg\times 56$1.05/kg×561.88 per kg of active chlorine**
• SDIC 60% Powder at $1.15\mathrm{/}kg\times 60$1.15/kg×601.92 per kg of active chlorine**
• SDIC 60% Granular at $1.20\mathrm{/}kg\times 60$1.20/kg×602.00 per kg of active chlorine**
• TCCA 90% Granular at $1.40\mathrm{/}kg\times 90$1.40/kg×901.56 per kg of active chlorine** ← cheapest
• TCCA 90% Tablets at $1.55\mathrm{/}kg\times 90$1.55/kg×901.72 per kg of active chlorine**

Insight: TCCA 90% Granular gives you the cheapest active chlorine, but only if your application can use its slow-release character. Buying TCCA for fast-dosing applications wastes 25–30% of the chemical.

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3. Form Matters: Powder vs Granular vs Tablet

Powder — Fastest Dissolving

• Dissolves in under 3 minutes at 25°C
• Best for automatic dosing pumps, CIP systems, water treatment plants
• Highest dust risk during handling — needs mask + closed area
• Bulk density approximately 0.9–1.0 g/mL, packs efficiently

Granular — The Industrial Sweet Spot

• 0.5–3 mm for SDIC or 4–8 mesh for TCCA
• Low dust, easy shovel or scoop dosing
• Dissolves in 5–15 minutes depending on grade
• Ideal for pool floaters, cooling tower feeders, industrial disinfection

Tablet — The Convenience Choice

• 20g mini tablets (SDIC or TCCA) for retail bottles, household drums, personal hydration
• 200g large tablets (TCCA only) for automatic pool chlorinators
• Slower dissolution: SDIC 20g effervescent takes 5 minutes; TCCA 200g takes 30–60 minutes per layer, 5–7 days per full tablet
• Zero dust, most user-friendly for non-professional operators

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4. Application → Recommended SKU Matrix

Here’s the exact matching table our sales team uses to advise buyers. Find your application, get the exact SKU recommendation:

Residential swimming pool (10–30 m³) → TCCA 90% Tablets (200g). Slow 5–7 day release matches sun-driven chlorine loss.

Public / hotel pool (50–500 m³) → TCCA 90% Granular + weekly SDIC 60% shock. Baseline + weekly shock combo.

Water park (1000+ m³) → TCCA 90% Granular in automatic feeder. Volume economics favor granular.

Indoor pool / spa → SDIC 60% Powder. Neutral pH, no cyanuric acid buildup indoors.

Drinking water — emergency → SDIC 56% Tablets (8.5mg or 33mg). NSF-listed, dihydrate form for longer shelf life.

Drinking water — municipal → SDIC 60% Powder in metered feed. Fast dissolution, neutral pH, precise dosing.

Aquaculture — pond disinfection (no fish present) → SDIC 60% Powder. Full-strength, dechlorinate before restocking.

Aquaculture — active pond (fish present) → SDIC 60% Powder, ultra-low dose. Neutral pH, low chlorine residual.

Cooling tower biocide → TCCA 90% Tablets (200g). Slow release matches makeup water demand.

Hotel laundry (60°C bath) → TCCA 90% Granular. Higher chlorine per kg, easy tank dissolution.

Hospital laundry disinfection → SDIC 60% Powder or PVA sachets. Neutral pH, precise dosing per load.

Food processing CIP → SDIC 60% Powder (NSF-listed). 21 CFR 178.1010 compliance, stainless-safe.

Poultry chill bath → SDIC 60% Powder. USDA-FSIS approved for direct food contact.

Paper pulp slimicide → TCCA 90% Granular. Slow release in white water loop.

Industrial equipment sanitation → SDIC 60% Granular. Low dust, easy manual dosing.

Camping / hiking / outdoor OEM → SDIC 56% Tablets (8.5mg or 33mg). 3-year shelf life, retail-ready packaging.

Disaster relief / NGO water treatment → SDIC 60% Powder (bulk) + SDIC tablets. Combination for bulk treatment and household use.

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5. Storage Life by Product

Shelf life is a real cost factor — buying too much cheap product that expires wastes more than the discount you saved:

• SDIC 56% Powder — 3 years sealed, store below 30°C and below 60% RH in a sealed drum.
• SDIC 60% Powder — 3 years sealed, same storage conditions.
• SDIC 60% Granular — 2 years sealed, same storage conditions.
• TCCA 90% Granular — 2 years sealed, store below 30°C and below 50% RH in HDPE drum.
• TCCA 90% Tablets (200g) — 2 years sealed, avoid crack impact during handling.
• TCCA 90% Tablets (20g bottled) — 18 months once bottle is opened; reseal after each use.

In tropical climates (Africa, Southeast Asia, Middle East), typical shelf life is 20–30% shorter than the numbers above.

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6. 5 Buying Mistakes We See Every Week

1. Buying TCCA for indoor pools. Cyanuric acid (CYA) in TCCA locks up chlorine in indoor pools where there’s no UV to justify stabilization. Result: you keep adding chemistry but water stays cloudy. Fix: switch to SDIC.
2. Buying SDIC tablets for outdoor pools without CYA. Fast-dissolving, unstabilized chlorine burns off in the sun within hours. Fix: add cyanuric acid stabilizer, or switch to TCCA.
3. Over-paying for “SDIC 65%” or “SDIC 70%”. Chemically impossible — SDIC’s ceiling is 60%. Any label above 60% is either a marketing lie or an adulterated product.
4. Buying TCCA 200g tablets for small residential pools under 10 m³. One tablet over-doses the pool, causing eye irritation and equipment damage. Fix: use TCCA 20g tablets or SDIC granules.
5. Mixing SDIC and TCCA in the same feeder. Chemical incompatibility due to opposite pH (SDIC neutral, TCCA acidic) can cause exothermic reaction or feeder corrosion. Never mix — use separate dosing lines.

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7. MOQ, Packaging, and Container Load

Understanding minimum order quantities and packaging options makes the difference between a smart purchase and stuck inventory:

• Minimum trial order: 1 metric ton (1000 kg) in 25 kg drums = 40 drums per pallet, palletized for shipping.
• Best per-kg pricing: Full container load (FCL) 20-foot = 22–25 tons depending on packaging density.
• Best per-kg pricing: Full container load (FCL) 40-foot = 45–50 tons.
• Standard packaging: 25 kg HDPE drum with sealed lid, UN-approved for Class 5.1 oxidizer.
• Volume packaging: 1000 kg jumbo bag saves ~US$8–12 per ton but requires repackaging by buyer.
• Retail packaging: 20g tablets in PE bottles (100 tablets per bottle, MOQ 5000 bottles per SKU).
• OEM custom label: minimum 5 tons per SKU, +US$0.05–0.18 per kg for artwork and printing.

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8. Certifications to Ask About

Before you place an order, verify the supplier holds these certifications for your target market:

• ISO 9001:2015 — quality management, universally required
• NSF/ANSI 60 — required for drinking water contact in USA, Canada, and increasingly EU/Asia
• REACH pre-registration — required for EU import
• BPR (Biocidal Products Regulation) — required for EU biocide claims
• EPA registration / sub-registration — required for antimicrobial claims in USA
• SASO / ECAS — required for Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE)
• KOSHA / K-REACH — required for South Korea

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9. Documentation Package You Should Receive

Every shipment from a professional supplier should include:

1. Batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA)
2. 16-section GHS-compliant MSDS in destination language
3. Certificate of Origin (from CCPIT or equivalent)
4. Pre-shipment inspection report (SGS or Intertek, if requested)
5. Fumigation certificate (ISPM-15) for wooden pallets
6. Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form for shipping
7. Commercial invoice + packing list with HTS/HS codes

Missing documentation causes 60–80% of customs clearance delays.

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10. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I switch between SDIC and TCCA mid-season without draining the pool? A: Yes, but adjust water chemistry first. Switching from TCCA to SDIC: expect pH to rise slightly (add muriatic acid if needed). Switching from SDIC to TCCA: expect pH to drop, add soda ash. Never mix in the same feeder.

Q: Which is better in hot climates — SDIC or TCCA? A: Both lose active chlorine faster above 30°C, but TCCA degrades about 2× faster than SDIC in humid storage. For Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, prefer SDIC 60% for storage life.

Q: What’s the lead time from China? A: Standard 15–20 days after payment for 1–25 ton orders. FCL orders 20–30 days. Rush orders 7–10 days at +15% premium. Ocean transit adds 25–40 days to most destinations.

Q: Do you accept small trial orders? A: Yes. LCL (less-than-container) orders from 500 kg accepted with T/T advance payment. Best per-kg pricing starts at 1000 kg (1 ton).

Q: What payment terms do you offer? A: 30% T/T deposit + 70% against B/L copy is standard. 100% T/T for orders under 1 ton. Irrevocable L/C at sight for orders above 25 tons or L/C-only markets.

Q: Can you private-label / OEM for our brand? A: Yes. Custom label MOQ 5 tons per SKU. Custom bottle + full retail packaging MOQ 10 tons per SKU. Design service included.

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Ready to Order? Get a Quote in 12 Hours

Choosing the right chlorine chemistry is the first step. Getting a fair price from a reliable manufacturer is the second. At Shilan Chemical, we’ve been producing SDIC and TCCA in Hebei, China since 2005 — ISO 9001 certified, NSF/ANSI 60 listed, exporting to 45+ countries. Whether you need 1 ton for a trial order or a full container load, we quote transparently and ship on time.

Tell us three things, and we’ll send you a professional quote within 12 hours:

1. Which product(s) you need (or describe your application — we’ll recommend the SKU)
2. Approximate quantity (per order and annual)
3. Destination port

Our team responds in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, and Portuguese. Free samples up to 500g available (you cover courier fee only). SGS pre-shipment inspection welcomed on all orders.

📩 Get your quote now:

• Email: qinjingfeng519@gmail.com
• WhatsApp: +86 185-3334-5126
• Contact form: Reply within 12 hours (typically 2–4 hours during business hours GMT+8)