Substance profile
1,1-dichloroethylene
1,1-dichloroethylene is a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet odor resembling that of chloroform.
01 · Identification
What 1,1-dichloroethylene is
1,1-dichloroethylene is a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet odor resembling that of chloroform. Its molecular formula is C2H2Cl2 and its molecular weight is 96.94 g/mol. It boils at 31.6 °C, melts at -122 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
1,1-dichloroethylene identifiers and molecular data
1,1-dichloroethylene CAS number and EC number
1,1-dichloroethylene molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for 1,1-dichloroethylene
- vinylidene chloride
03 · GHS classification
1,1-dichloroethylene hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
1,1-dichloroethylene pictograms and signal word
1,1-dichloroethylene hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 1 | H224 | GHS02 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H332 | GHS07 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 2 | H351 | GHS08 |
1,1-dichloroethylene hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H224 | Extremely flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H351 | Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H332 | Harmful if inhaled. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to 1,1-dichloroethylene. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for 1,1-dichloroethylene
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of 1,1-dichloroethylene issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
04 · Precautionary statements
1,1-dichloroethylene precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 13 precautionary statements to 1,1-dichloroethylene. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
1,1-dichloroethylene name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | 1,1-дихлороетилен винилиденхлорид |
| Spanish español | 1,1-Dicloroetileno cloruro de vinilideno |
| Czech čeština | 1,1-dichlorethen vinylidenchlorid |
| Danish dansk | 1,1-dichlorethylen vinylidenchlorid |
| German Deutsch | 1,1-Dichlorethen Vinylidenchlorid |
| Estonian eesti | 1,1-dikloroetüleen vinülideenkloriid |
| Greek ελληνικά | 1,1-διχλωροαιθυλένιο βινυλιδενοχλωρίδιο |
| English English | 1,1-dichloroethylene vinylidene chloride |
| French français | 1,1-dichloroéthylène chlorure de vinylidène |
| Croatian hrvatski | 1,1-dikloretilen viniliden-klorid |
| Italian italiano | 1,1-dicloroetilene vinylidene chloride |
| Latvian latviešu | 1,1-dihloretilēns vinilidēnhlorīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | 1,1-dichloretilenas vinildenchloridas |
| Hungarian magyar | 1,1-diklóretilén vinilidén-klorid |
| Maltese Malti | 1,1-dikloroetilen klorur tal-viniliden |
| Dutch Nederlands | 1,1-dichloorethyleen vinylideenchloride |
| Polish polski | 1,1-dichloroeten chlorek winylidenu |
| Portuguese português | 1,1-dicloroetileno cloreto de vinilideno |
| Romanian română | 1,1-dicloroetilenă clorură de viniliden |
| Slovak slovenčina | 1,1-dichlóretén vinylidénchlorid |
| Slovenian slovenščina | 1,1-dikloroetilen viniliden klorid |
| Finnish suomi | 1,1-dikloorietyleeni vinylideenikloridi |
| Swedish svenska | 1,1-dikloreten vinylidenklorid |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
1,1-dichloroethylene GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for 1,1-dichloroethylene, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
1,1-dichloroethylene
- Extremely flammable liquid and vapour.
- Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Harmful if inhaled.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- Keep container tightly closed.
- Use explosion-proof [electrical/ventilating/lighting/…] equipment.
- Use only non-sparking tools.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF INHALED:
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open 1,1-dichloroethylene in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
1,1-dichloroethylene health hazards and exposure limits
1,1-dichloroethylene hazard summary
1, 1-Dichloroethene is an industrial chemical that is not found naturally in the environment. It is a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet smell. It is also called vinylidene chloride. 1, 1-Dichloroethene is used to make certain plastics, such as flexible films like food wrap, and in packaging materials. It is also used to make flame retardant coatings for fiber and carpet backings, and in piping, coating for steel pipes, and in adhesive applications.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
1,1-dichloroethylene carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of this 2-year inhalation study, there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity (see summary of the peer review panel comments and the public discussion on this Technical Report in Appendix M) of vinylidene chloride in male F344/N rats based on increased incidences of malignant mesothelioma. Increased incidences of renal tubule carcinoma and respiratory epithelium adenoma in the nose of male rats were also considered to be related to vinylidene chloride exposure. There was some evidence of carcinogenic activity of vinylidene chloride in female F344/N rats based on increased incidences of C-cell adenoma or carcinoma in the thyroid gland and systemic mononuclear cell leukemia. Occurrences of malignant mesothelioma may have been related to vinylidene chloride exposure. There was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of vinylidene chloride in male B6C3F1/N mice based on increased incidences of renal tubule adenoma and carcinoma. Increased incidences of hepatocholangiocarcinoma may have been related to vinylidene chloride exposure. There was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of vinylidene chloride in female B6C3F1/N mice based on increased incidences of systemic hemangioma or hemangiosarcoma (combined). Hepatocholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular adenoma or carcinoma (combined) in the liver of female mice were also considered to be related to vinylidene chloride exposure. Increased incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar carcinoma in the lungs and carcinoma of the small intestine may have been related to treatment.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-582: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Vinylidene Chloride (CASRN 75-35-4) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (2015 )
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of vinylidene chloride. There is limited evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of vinylidene chloride. Overall evaluation: Vinylidene chloride is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). /To be changed to Group 2B (Possibly carcinogenic to humans) in a volume still in progress/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.
1,1-dichloroethylene occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | Ca See Appendix A | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | NIOSH considers vinylidene chloride to be a potential occupational carcinogen. | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
| IDLH | Ca [N.D.] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
1,1-dichloroethylene properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
1,1-dichloroethylene boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| 31.67 °C (89 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 31.72 °C (89.1 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
1,1-dichloroethylene melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -122.5 °C (-188.5 °F) | HSDB | |
| -122.78 °C (-189 °F) | NIOSH |
1,1-dichloroethylene density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.21 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.2129 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.21 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
1,1-dichloroethylene solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insoluble in water | HSDB | |
| Soluble in ethanol, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride; very soluble in ethyl ether, chloroform. | HSDB | ||
| In water, 2,420 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
1,1-dichloroethylene vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 500 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 500 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 600 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
1,1-dichloroethylene flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | -19 °C (-2.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| -17.78 °C (0 °F) | HSDB | ||
| -28.33 °C (-19 °F) | HSDB |
1,1-dichloroethylene autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 570 °C (1058 °F) | HSDB | |
| 530 °C (986 °F) | ICSC |
1,1-dichloroethylene lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 6.5 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 7.3 % by volume | CAMEO |
1,1-dichloroethylene upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 15.5 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 16 % by volume | CAMEO |
1,1-dichloroethylene vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.25 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 3.3 (air = 1) | ICSC |
1,1-dichloroethylene odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor threshold (air) = 2000-5500 mg/cu m | HSDB |
1,1-dichloroethylene critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 220.8 °C (429.4 °F) | HSDB |
1,1-dichloroethylene corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Vinylidene chloride may be corrosive or unstable in the presence of steel. | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
1,1-dichloroethylene fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
1,1-dichloroethylene fire potential
A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
1,1-dichloroethylene storage and handling
1,1-dichloroethylene peroxide formation
A: Compounds that form explosive levels of peroxides without concentration
Source: Lab and Research Safety, University of Minnesota
1,1-dichloroethylene safe storage
Store only if stabilized. Fireproof. Keep in the dark. Cool. Separated from incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Store in an area without drain or sewer access. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
1,1-dichloroethylene storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Recommended storage temperature 2 - 8 °C. Air and moisture sensitive. Light sensitive. Store under inert gas. Over time, pressure may increase causing containers to burst.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
1,1-dichloroethylene incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Oxidizing agents, copper, aluminum, and its alloys, peroxides, strong bases, oxygen.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
1,1-dichloroethylene reactivity
Peroxidizable monomer, such as VINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, may initiate exothermic polymerization of the bulk material [Bretherick 1979. p. 160, 187]. Mixing vinylidene chloride in equal molar portions in a closed container with any of the following substances caused the temperature and pressure to increase: chlorosulfonic acid, nitric acid, or oleum [NFPA 1991]. Its reaction products with ozone are particularly dangerous [Dow Chemical, 1968]. This may extend to other powerful oxidants, as various peroxides are produced.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check 1,1-dichloroethylene in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
1,1-dichloroethylene UN number and transport classification
Transport classification is a separate system from the GHS classification above. It decides how a package is marked and how a load may be carried; it does not follow from the workplace label, and the workplace label does not follow from it. The entries below are linked by CAS number, never by name.
1,1-dichloroethylene under UN 1303 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, STABILIZED | 3 | F1 | I | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 3 is “Flammable liquids” (ADR 2.1.1.1).
United States · 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
| Proper shipping name (column 2) | Class or division | PG | Labels (column 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinylidene chloride, stabilized | 3 | I | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 3 is “Flammable and combustible liquid” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
1,1-dichloroethylene — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of 1,1-dichloroethylene?
The CAS number of 1,1-dichloroethylene is 75-35-4. Its EC number is 200-864-0.
What is the chemical formula of 1,1-dichloroethylene?
The molecular formula of 1,1-dichloroethylene is C2H2Cl2 and its molecular weight is 96.94 g/mol.
What does a 1,1-dichloroethylene label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for 1,1-dichloroethylene carries the pictograms Flame, Health hazard and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Danger.
Is 1,1-dichloroethylene flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns 1,1-dichloroethylene H224 — extremely flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is -19 °C (-2.2 °F) (HSDB).
Is 1,1-dichloroethylene a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI assigns 1,1-dichloroethylene H351 — suspected of causing cancer. That is category 2: the evidence points that way but is not conclusive. IARC places it in Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for 1,1-dichloroethylene?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for 1,1-dichloroethylene is none See Appendix G (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of 1,1-dichloroethylene?
The boiling point reported for 1,1-dichloroethylene is 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of 1,1-dichloroethylene?
The melting point reported for 1,1-dichloroethylene is -122.5 °C (-188.5 °F) (HSDB).
How should 1,1-dichloroethylene be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns 1,1-dichloroethylene the storage statement P403. Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Recommended storage temperature 2 - 8 °C. Air and moisture sensitive. Light sensitive. Store under inert gas. Over time, pressure may increase causing containers to burst. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
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