Substance profile
4-Nitrotoluene
4-Nitrotoluene is yellowish crystals with a bitter almond odor.
01 · Identification
What 4-Nitrotoluene is
4-Nitrotoluene is yellowish crystals with a bitter almond odor. Its molecular formula is C7H7NO2 and its molecular weight is 137.14 g/mol. It boils at 238 °C, melts at 51.7 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as reactive agents - 1st degree.
02 · Identifiers
4-Nitrotoluene identifiers and molecular data
4-Nitrotoluene CAS number and EC number
4-Nitrotoluene molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
4-Nitrotoluene hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
4-Nitrotoluene pictograms and signal word
4-Nitrotoluene hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H301 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H311 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H331 | GHS06 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 2 | H373 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | GHS09 |
4-Nitrotoluene hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H331 | Toxic if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H373 | May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to 4-Nitrotoluene. 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 4-Nitrotoluene
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 4-Nitrotoluene 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
4-Nitrotoluene precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 14 precautionary statements to 4-Nitrotoluene. 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.
Disposal
What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.
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
4-Nitrotoluene 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 | 4-нитротолуен |
| Spanish español | 4-Nitrotolueno |
| Czech čeština | 1-methyl-4-nitrobenzen |
| Danish dansk | 4-nitrotoluen |
| German Deutsch | 4-Nitrotoluol |
| Estonian eesti | 4-nitrotolueen |
| Greek ελληνικά | 4-νιτροτολουόλιο |
| English English | 4-nitrotoluene |
| French français | 4-nitrotoluène |
| Croatian hrvatski | 4-nitrotoluen |
| Italian italiano | 4-nitrotoluene |
| Latvian latviešu | 4-nitrotoluols |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | 4-nitrotoluenas |
| Hungarian magyar | 4-nitrotoluol |
| Maltese Malti | 4-nitrotoluwen |
| Dutch Nederlands | 4-nitrotolueen |
| Polish polski | 4-nitrotoluen |
| Portuguese português | 4-nitrotolueno |
| Romanian română | 4-nitrotoluen |
| Slovak slovenčina | 4-nitrotoluén |
| Slovenian slovenščina | 4-nitrotoluen |
| Finnish suomi | 4-nitrotolueeni |
| Swedish svenska | 4-nitrotoluen |
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
4-Nitrotoluene GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for 4-Nitrotoluene, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
4-Nitrotoluene
- Toxic if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open 4-Nitrotoluene in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
4-Nitrotoluene health hazards and exposure limits
4-Nitrotoluene hazard summary
Nitrotoluenes (all isomers) have the potential to induce methemoglobinemia in the same manner as aniline and nitrobenzene. [ACGIH] Irritating to the eyes; Can induce methemoglobinemia; [ICSC]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
4-Nitrotoluene carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of these 2-year feed studies there was equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity of p-nitrotoluene in male F344/N rats based on increased incidences of subcutaneous skin neoplasms. There was some evidence of carcinogenic activity of p-nitrotoluene in female F344/N rats based on increased incidences of clitoral gland neoplasms. There was equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity of p-nitrotoluene in male B6C3F1 mice based on increased incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar neoplasms. There was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of p-nitrotoluene in female B6C3F1 mice exposed to 1,250, 2,500, or 5,000 ppm.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-498: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of p-Nitrotoluene (CASRN 99-99-0) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Feed Studies) (2002 )
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of nitrotoluenes. There is inadequate evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of ... 4-nitrotoluene. ... Overall evaluation: Nitrotoluenes are not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3).
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.
4-Nitrotoluene occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 5.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | TWA 5 ppm (30 mg/m3) [skin] See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | TWA 2 ppm (11 mg/m3) [skin] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 200 ppm (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 200.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 200 ppm | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
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
4-Nitrotoluene 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.
4-Nitrotoluene boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 238.3 °C (460.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| 237.78 °C (460 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 238.28 °C (460.9 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
4-Nitrotoluene melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| 52.22 °C (126 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 54.5 °C (130.1 °F) | CAMEO |
4-Nitrotoluene density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.1038 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.12 g/cm³ | NIOSH | ||
| 1.286 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
4-Nitrotoluene solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in alcohol, benzene, ether, chloroform, acetone | HSDB | |
| Soluble in ethanol; very soluble in ethyl ether, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, pyridine, toluene, carbon disulfide. | HSDB | ||
| In water, 361 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
4-Nitrotoluene vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.1 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 0.12 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC | |
| 0.0157 mmHg | at 25 °C, extrapolated | HSDB |
4-Nitrotoluene flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 106.11 °C (223 °F) | HSDB |
4-Nitrotoluene autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 450 °C (842 °F) | HSDB |
4-Nitrotoluene lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.6 % by volume | NIOSH |
4-Nitrotoluene vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4.72 (air = 1) | HSDB |
4-Nitrotoluene odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor Threshold Low: 0.00072 [ppm] | Haz-Map | |
| Odor threshold (detection) from CHEMINFO | Haz-Map |
4-Nitrotoluene critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 469.85 °C (877.7 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
4-Nitrotoluene 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.
4-Nitrotoluene fire potential
Combustible when exposed to heat or flame.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Fire and explosion
The residue from large-scale vacuum distillation of 4-nitrotoluene was left to cool after turning off heat and vacuum, and after 8 hours a violent explosion occured. This was variously attributed to: presence of an excessive proportion of dinitrotoluenes in the residue, which would decompose on prolonged heating; presence of traces of alkali in the crude material, which would form unstable aci-nitro salts during distillation; ingress of air to the hot residue on shutting off the vacuum supply, and subsequent accelerating oxidation of the residue. All these factors may have contributed, and several such incidents have occured.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
4-Nitrotoluene storage and handling
4-Nitrotoluene safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs. See Chemical Dangers. Well closed.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
4-Nitrotoluene storage conditions
Store in a cool. dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from acids, alkalies, oxidizing materials, and reducing agents.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
4-Nitrotoluene incompatible materials
Decomposes on contact with strong oxidzers; strong acids; reducing agents; strong bases; ammonia, amines producing toxic fumes, causing fire and explosion hazard. Heat above 190 °C may cause explosive decomposition. Attacks some plastics, rubbers, and coatings.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
4-Nitrotoluene reactivity
P-NITROTOLUENE may react violently with sodium, tetranitromethane, strong oxidizing agents , sulfuric acid and other acids. (NTP, 1992)
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check 4-Nitrotoluene in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
4-Nitrotoluene — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of 4-Nitrotoluene?
The CAS number of 4-Nitrotoluene is 99-99-0. Its EC number is 202-808-0.
What is the chemical formula of 4-Nitrotoluene?
The molecular formula of 4-Nitrotoluene is C7H7NO2 and its molecular weight is 137.14 g/mol.
What does a 4-Nitrotoluene label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for 4-Nitrotoluene carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones, Health hazard and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is 4-Nitrotoluene flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns 4-Nitrotoluene 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 106.11 °C (223 °F) (HSDB).
Is 4-Nitrotoluene a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for 4-Nitrotoluene. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the exposure limit for 4-Nitrotoluene?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for 4-Nitrotoluene is 5.0 [ppm] (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). 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 4-Nitrotoluene?
The boiling point reported for 4-Nitrotoluene is 238.3 °C (460.9 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of 4-Nitrotoluene?
The melting point reported for 4-Nitrotoluene is 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) (HSDB).
How should 4-Nitrotoluene be stored?
Store in a cool. dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from acids, alkalies, oxidizing materials, and reducing agents. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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