Substance profile
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is a tin-white, malleable, ductile metal, with somewhat bluish tint and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is a tin-white, malleable, ductile metal, with somewhat bluish tint and is odorless. It boils at 2327 °C, melts at 660 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) identifiers and molecular data
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) CAS number and EC number
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) pictograms and signal word
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyrophoric liquids or Pyrophoric solids | Category 1 | H250 | GHS02 |
| In contact with water emits flammable gases GHS chapter 2.12 | Category 2 or 3 | H261 | GHS02 |
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.
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H250 | Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air. |
| H261 | In contact with water releases flammable gases. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Aluminium powder…. 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 Aluminium powder…
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 Aluminium powder… 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
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 6 precautionary statements to Aluminium powder…. 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.
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
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) 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 | алуминий на прах (пирофорен) |
| Spanish español | Aluminio en polvo (pirofórico) |
| Czech čeština | hliník práškový (nestabilizovaný) |
| Danish dansk | aluminiumpulver (ustabiliseret) |
| German Deutsch | Aluminiumpulver (pyrophor) |
| Estonian eesti | alumiiniumipulber (pürofoorne) |
| Greek ελληνικά | κόνις αργιλίου (πυροφόρος) |
| English English | aluminium powder (pyrophoric) |
| French français | poudre (pyrophorique) d'aluminium |
| Croatian hrvatski | aluminijev prah (piroforni) |
| Italian italiano | alluminio in polvere (piroforica) |
| Latvian latviešu | alumīnija pulveris (pirofors) |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | aliuminio milteliai (piroforiniai) |
| Hungarian magyar | alumíniumpor (pirofóros) |
| Maltese Malti | trab tal-aluminju (piroforiku) |
| Dutch Nederlands | aluminiumpoeder (pyrofoor) |
| Polish polski | proszek aluminiowy (piroforyczny) |
| Portuguese português | alumínio em pó (pirofórico) |
| Romanian română | aluminiu pudră (piroforic) |
| Slovak slovenčina | práškový hliník (pyroforický) |
| Slovenian slovenščina | aluminijev prah (piroforen) |
| Finnish suomi | alumiinijauhe (stabiloimaton) |
| Swedish svenska | aluminiumpulver (pyrofort) |
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
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Aluminium powder…, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)
- Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air.
- In contact with water releases flammable gases.
- Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- Do not allow contact with air.
- Handle and store contents under inert gas/…
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- In case of fire:
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Aluminium powder… in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) health hazards and exposure limits
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) hazard summary
Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum as the metal is obtained from aluminum-containing minerals. Small amounts of aluminum can be found dissolved in water. Aluminum metal is light in weight and silvery-white in appearance. Aluminum is used for beverage cans, pots and pans, airplanes, siding and roofing, and foil. Aluminum is often mixed with small amounts of other metals to form aluminum alloys, which are stronger and harder. Aluminum compounds have many different uses, for example, as alums in water-treatment and alumina in abrasives and furnace linings. They are also found in consumer products such as antacids, astringents, buffered aspirin, food additives, and antiperspirants.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 15.0 [mg/m3](total dust), 5 mg/m3(respirable fraction) | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 15 mg/m³ (total dust), 5 mg/m³ (respirable fraction) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 15 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 10 mg/m³ (total dust), 5 mg/m³ (respirable fraction) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 10 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 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
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) 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.
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 2327 °C (4220.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| 2327 °C (4221 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 2327 °C (4221 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 660 °C (1220 °F) | HSDB |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.7 g/cm³ | HSDB |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in HCl, H2SO4, hot water, and alkalies. | HSDB | |
| Insoluble in water. | HSDB | ||
| Insoluble | NIOSH |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0 mmHg | approx | NIOSH |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 400 °C (752 °F) | powder | ICSC |
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Forms explosive mixtures in a dust cloud in air. Bulk dust when damp with water may heat spontaneously. Hazard greater as fineness increases. | HSDB | |
| ...Violently explosive when they come into contact with water. | Aluminum alkyls | HSDB | |
| Combustible Solid, finely divided dust is easily ignited; may cause explosions. | NIOSH |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Aluminium powder… 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.
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) fire potential
...Finely divided aluminum dust is easily ignited... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) storage and handling
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) safe storage
Separated from strong oxidants, strong bases, strong acids, water and halogens. See Chemical Dangers. Dry. Well closed.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) storage conditions
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from acids, alkalies, halogenated compounds, oxidizers, combustible materials.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) incompatible materials
A mixture of aluminum powder and ammonium nitrate can be used as an explosive. A number of explosions in which ammonium nitrate and aluminum are mixed with carbon, hydrocarbons, with or without oxidizing agents, have occurred.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Aluminium powder… in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) 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.
The same CAS number is shipped under more than one UN number. Which entry applies follows from the form and the concentration of the consignment — read the proper shipping name, not the CAS.
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) under UN 1309 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALUMINIUM POWDER, COATED | 4.1 | F3 | II | |
| ALUMINIUM POWDER, COATED | 4.1 | F3 | III | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 4.1 is “Flammable solids, self-reactive substances, polymerizing substances and solid desensitized explosives” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum powder, coated | 4.1 | II | |
| Aluminum powder, coated | 4.1 | III | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 4.1 is “Flammable solid” (49 CFR 173.2).
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) under UN 1396 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALUMINIUM POWDER, UNCOATED | 4.3 | W2 | II | |
| ALUMINIUM POWDER, UNCOATED | 4.3 | W2 | III | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 4.3 is “Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum powder, uncoated | 4.3 | II | |
| Aluminum powder, uncoated | 4.3 | III | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 4.3 is “Dangerous when wet material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)?
The CAS number of Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is 7429-90-5. Its EC number is 231-072-3.
What does a Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) carries the pictogram Flame and the signal word is Danger.
Is Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) H250 and H261 — catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air.
Is Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Aluminium powder (pyrophoric). 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 Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is 15.0 [mg/m3](total dust), 5 mg/m3(respirable fraction) (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 Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)?
The boiling point reported for Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is 2327 °C (4220.6 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Aluminium powder (pyrophoric)?
The melting point reported for Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) is 660 °C (1220 °F) (HSDB).
How should Aluminium powder (pyrophoric) be stored?
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from acids, alkalies, halogenated compounds, oxidizers, combustible materials. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Aluminium powder…
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