Substance profile
3-propanolide
3-propanolide is a colorless liquid with a PUNGENT odor.
01 · Identification
What 3-propanolide is
3-propanolide is a colorless liquid with a PUNGENT odor. Its molecular formula is C3H4O2 and its molecular weight is 72.06 g/mol. It boils at 162 °C, melts at -33.4 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
3-propanolide identifiers and molecular data
3-propanolide CAS number and EC number
3-propanolide molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for 3-propanolide
- 1,3-propiolactone
03 · GHS classification
3-propanolide hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
3-propanolide pictograms and signal word
3-propanolide hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 2 | H315 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 1A or 1B | H350 | GHS08 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
3-propanolide hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H350 | May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to 3-propanolide. 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 3-propanolide
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 3-propanolide 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
3-propanolide precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to 3-propanolide. 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
3-propanolide 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 | 3-пропанолид 1,3-пропиолактон |
| Spanish español | 3-Propanólido 1,3-propiolactona |
| Czech čeština | propano-3-lakton β-propiolakton |
| Danish dansk | 3-propanolid 1,3-propiolacton |
| German Deutsch | 3-Propanolid 1,3-Propiolacton |
| Estonian eesti | 3-propanoliid 1,3-propiolaktoon |
| Greek ελληνικά | 3-προπανολίδιο 1,3-προπιολακτόνη |
| English English | 3-propanolide 1,3-propiolactone |
| French français | 3-propanolide 1,3-propiolactone |
| Croatian hrvatski | 3-propanolid 1,3-propiolakton |
| Italian italiano | 3-propanolide 1,3-propiolattone |
| Latvian latviešu | 3-propanolīds 1,3-propiolaktons |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | 3-propanolidas 1,3-propiolaktonas |
| Hungarian magyar | 3-propanolid 1,3-propiolakton |
| Maltese Malti | 3-propanolid 1,3-propjolatton |
| Dutch Nederlands | 3-propanolide 1,3-propiolacton |
| Polish polski | propano-3-lakton 1,3-propiolaktonoksetan-2-onß-propiolaktonlakton kwasu 3-hydroksypropionowego |
| Portuguese português | 3-propanolida 1,3-propiolactona |
| Romanian română | 3-propanolidă 1,3-propiolactonă |
| Slovak slovenčina | propano-3-laktón oxetán-2-ón |
| Slovenian slovenščina | 3-propanolid 1,3-propiolakton |
| Finnish suomi | 3-propanolidi 1,3-propiolaktoni |
| Swedish svenska | 3-propanolid 1,3-propiolakton |
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
3-propanolide GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for 3-propanolide, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
3-propanolide
- May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- IF IN EYES:
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention.
- If skin irritation occurs:
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open 3-propanolide in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
3-propanolide health hazards and exposure limits
3-propanolide hazard summary
beta-Propiolactone is used for vaccines, tissue grafts, surgical instruments, and enzymes, as a sterilant of blood plasma, water, milk, and nutrient broth, and as a vapor-phase disinfectant in enclosed spaces. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to beta-propiolactone causes severe irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory tract in humans. Acute dermal exposure may cause irritation of the skin, blistering, or burns in humans. Contact with the eyes may cause permanent corneal opacification. Burns of the mouth and stomach may occur in humans following acute exposure via ingestion. No information is available on the chronic (long-term), reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects of beta-propiolactone in humans. Squamous cell carcinomas of the forestomach have been reported in orally exposed rats. In dermally exposed rodents, skin tumors have been observed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified beta-propiolactone as a Group 2B, possible human carcinogen.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
3-propanolide carcinogenicity classification
Evaluation: No epidemiological data relevant to the carcinogenicity of beta-propiolactone were available. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of beta-propiolactone. Overall evaluation: beta-Propiolactone is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
beta-Propiolactone: reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.
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.
3-propanolide occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | Ca | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | [1910.1013] See Appendix B | 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 beta-propiolactone 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
3-propanolide 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.
3-propanolide boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 162 °C (323.6 °F) | at 760 mmHg, DECOMP | HSDB |
| 162 °C (323.6 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 161.67 °C (323 °F) | decomposes | NIOSH |
3-propanolide melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -33.4 °C (-28.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| -33.33 °C (-28 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -32.78 °C (-27 °F) | CAMEO |
3-propanolide density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.15 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.146 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
3-propanolide solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | SOL IN WATER: 37% VOL/VOL; MISCIBLE WITH ALCOHOL, ACETONE, ETHER, CHLOROFORM | HSDB | |
| PROBABLY MISCIBLE WITH MOST POLAR ORG SOLVENTS & LIPIDS | HSDB | ||
| water solubility = 3.70X10+5 mg/l @ 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
3-propanolide vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 3.4 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 3 mmHg | at 25 °C | NIOSH |
3-propanolide flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 73.89 °C (165 °F) | HSDB | |
| 70 °C (158 °F) | CAMEO |
3-propanolide lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 2.9 % by volume | HSDB |
3-propanolide vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.5 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 2.5 (air = 1) | calculated | ICSC |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
3-propanolide 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.
3-propanolide fire potential
FIRE HAZARD: MODERATE, WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT OR FLAME ... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
3-propanolide storage and handling
3-propanolide safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs. Cooled. Well closed. Ventilation along the floor.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
3-propanolide storage conditions
MATERIALS WHICH ARE TOXIC AS STORED OR WHICH CAN DECOMPOSE INTO TOXIC COMPONENTS ... SHOULD BE STORED IN A COOL WELL VENTILATED PLACE, OUT OF THE DIRECT RAYS OF THE SUN, AWAY FROM AREAS OF HIGH FIRE HAZARD, AND SHOULD BE PERIODICALLY INSPECTED. INCOMPATIBLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE ISOLATED ... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
3-propanolide incompatible materials
Acetates, halogens, thiocyanates, thiosulfates [Note: May polymerize upon storage].
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
3-propanolide reactivity
BETA-PROPIOLACTONE is an ester. Esters react with acids to liberate heat along with alcohols and acids. Strong oxidizing acids may cause a vigorous reaction that is sufficiently exothermic to ignite the reaction products. Heat is also generated by the interaction of esters with caustic solutions. Flammable hydrogen is generated by mixing esters with alkali metals and hydrides. This chemical may be incompatible with alkalis.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check 3-propanolide in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
3-propanolide — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of 3-propanolide?
The CAS number of 3-propanolide is 57-57-8. Its EC number is 200-340-1.
What is the chemical formula of 3-propanolide?
The molecular formula of 3-propanolide is C3H4O2 and its molecular weight is 72.06 g/mol.
What does a 3-propanolide label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for 3-propanolide carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones and Health hazard and the signal word is Danger.
Is 3-propanolide flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns 3-propanolide no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it. The flash point reported for it is 73.89 °C (165 °F) (HSDB).
Is 3-propanolide a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies 3-propanolide as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer. IARC places it in Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for 3-propanolide?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for 3-propanolide is Ca (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)). 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 3-propanolide?
The boiling point reported for 3-propanolide is 162 °C (323.6 °F), at 760 mmHg, DECOMP (HSDB).
What is the melting point of 3-propanolide?
The melting point reported for 3-propanolide is -33.4 °C (-28.1 °F) (HSDB).
How should 3-propanolide be stored?
MATERIALS WHICH ARE TOXIC AS STORED OR WHICH CAN DECOMPOSE INTO TOXIC COMPONENTS ... SHOULD BE STORED IN A COOL WELL VENTILATED PLACE, OUT OF THE DIRECT RAYS OF THE SUN, AWAY FROM AREAS OF HIGH FIRE HAZARD, AND SHOULD BE PERIODICALLY INSPECTED. INCOMPATIBLE MATERIALS SHOULD BE ISOLATED ... . (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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