Substance profile
Aluminum Chloride
Aluminum Chloride is a white when pure; ordinarily gray or yellow to greenish with a strong odor of hydrogen chloride.
01 · Identification
What Aluminum Chloride is
Aluminum Chloride is a white when pure; ordinarily gray or yellow to greenish with a strong odor of hydrogen chloride. Its molecular formula is AlCl3 and its molecular weight is 133.34 g/mol. It boils at 110 °C, melts at 193 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as corrosives.
02 · Identifiers
Aluminum Chloride identifiers and molecular data
Aluminum Chloride CAS number and EC number
Aluminum Chloride molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Aluminum Chloride
- aluminium chloride, anhydrous
03 · GHS classification
Aluminum Chloride hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Aluminum Chloride pictograms and signal word
Aluminum Chloride hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
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.
Aluminum Chloride hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Aluminum Chloride. 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 Aluminum Chloride
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 Aluminum Chloride 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
Aluminum Chloride precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 5 precautionary statements to Aluminum Chloride. 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
Aluminum Chloride 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 | алуминиев хлорид, безводен |
| Spanish español | Cloruro de aluminio, anhidro |
| Czech čeština | chlorid hlinitý, bezvodý |
| Danish dansk | aluminiumchlorid, vandfrit |
| German Deutsch | Aluminiumchlorid, wasserfrei |
| Estonian eesti | alumiiniumkloriid, veevaba |
| Greek ελληνικά | χλωριούχο αργίλιο, άνυδρο |
| English English | aluminium chloride, anhydrous |
| French français | chlorure d'aluminium, anhydre |
| Croatian hrvatski | aluminijev klorid, bezvodni |
| Italian italiano | cloruro d'alluminio anidro |
| Latvian latviešu | alumīnija hlorīds, bezūdens |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | aliuminio chloridas, bevandenis |
| Hungarian magyar | alumínium-klorid, vízmentes |
| Maltese Malti | klorur tal-aluminju, anidruż |
| Dutch Nederlands | aluminiumchloride, watervrij |
| Polish polski | trichlorek glinu, bezwodny |
| Portuguese português | cloreto de alumínio, anidro |
| Romanian română | clorură de aluminiu, anhidră |
| Slovak slovenčina | chlorid hlinitý, bezvodý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | aluminijev klorid, brezvodni |
| Finnish suomi | alumiinikloridi, vedetön |
| Swedish svenska | aluminiumklorid, vattenfri |
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
Aluminum Chloride GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Aluminum Chloride, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Aluminum Chloride
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Aluminum Chloride in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Aluminum Chloride health hazards and exposure limits
Aluminum Chloride hazard summary
Hydrogen chloride gas and hydrochloric acid released upon contact of Al-Cl3 with moisture; Corrosive to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract; Inhalation of dust or released HCl can cause acute pulmonary edema; [CHEMINFO] Occupational asthma confirmed by specific challenge testing in a foundry worker; [Malo] Fumes in moist air (forms a large amount of hydrogen chloride gas). Reacts with active metals in the presence of moisture to produce hydrogen and HCl gases. Contact with the anhydrous substance causes thermal and acid burns. [CAMEO] See Aluminum.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Aluminum Chloride 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.
Aluminum Chloride boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 110 °C (230 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
| 180 °C (356 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 182.7 °C (360.9 °F) | sublimes, at 752 mmHg, Sublimation temperature | HSDB |
Aluminum Chloride melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 192.6 °C (378.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| 193.89 °C (381 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| -34.44 °C (-30 °F) | CAMEO |
Aluminum Chloride density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.48 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.28 g/cm³ | CAMEO | ||
| 2.44 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | CAMEO |
Aluminum Chloride solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform. | HSDB | |
| Freely soluble in many organic solvents, such as benzophenone, nitrobenzene. | HSDB | ||
| Solubility in water: reaction | ICSC |
Aluminum Chloride vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 1 mmHg | at 100 °C | HSDB |
Aluminum Chloride autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Aluminum Chloride lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Combines with water with explosive violence and liberation of much heat. | HSDB | |
| Not combustible, but heating may produce irritants & toxic gases. Reacts violently with water producing hydrochloric acid & heat. | HSDB | ||
| Old containers can explode on opening | HSDB |
Aluminum Chloride critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 346.85 °C (656.3 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Aluminum Chloride 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.
Aluminum Chloride fire potential
Certain polymerization catalysts, such as aluminum alkyls, react & burn violently on contact with water. /Aluminum alkyls/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Odor
Gives water a bitter astringent taste, with perception threshold at a concentration of 0.1 mg/L; odor perception threshold is 0.5 mg/L (calculating on the aluminum ion).
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Aluminum Chloride storage and handling
Aluminum Chloride safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs. Dry. Well closed. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Aluminum Chloride storage conditions
Always keep container closed, dry. Store in a noncombustible, nonsprinklered building away from all combustible material. Isolate from strong acids.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Aluminum Chloride incompatible materials
... Will react with water or steam to produce heat, toxic or corrosive fumes of /hydrochloric acid/.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Aluminum Chloride reactivity
ALUMINUM CHLORIDE behaves as an acidic salt. Self-reactive. After long storage in closed containers, explosions often occur upon opening [Chem. Abst. 41:6723d 1947]. Can cause ethylene(also other alkenes) to polymerize violently [J. Inst. Pet. 33:254 1947]. Causes ethylene oxide to rearrange and polymerize, liberating heat [J. Soc. Chem. Ind. 68:179 1949]. Can catalyze violent polymerization of allyl chloride [Ventrone 1971]. Addition to nitrobenzene containing about 5% phenol caused a violent explosion [Chem. Eng. News 31:4915 1953]. Mixtures with nitromethane may explode when organic matter is present [Chem. Eng. News 26:2257 1948].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Aluminum Chloride in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Aluminum Chloride 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.
Aluminum Chloride under UN 1726 — 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 CHLORIDE, ANHYDROUS | 8 | C2 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 8 is “Corrosive substances” (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 chloride, anhydrous | 8 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 8 is “Corrosive material” (49 CFR 173.2).
Aluminum Chloride under UN 2581 — 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 CHLORIDE SOLUTION | 8 | C1 | III | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 8 is “Corrosive substances” (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 chloride, solution | 8 | III | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 8 is “Corrosive material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Aluminum Chloride — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Aluminum Chloride?
The CAS number of Aluminum Chloride is 7446-70-0. Its EC number is 231-208-1.
What is the chemical formula of Aluminum Chloride?
The molecular formula of Aluminum Chloride is AlCl3 and its molecular weight is 133.34 g/mol.
What does a Aluminum Chloride label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Aluminum Chloride carries the pictogram Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Aluminum Chloride flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Aluminum Chloride 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.
Is Aluminum Chloride a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Aluminum Chloride. 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 boiling point of Aluminum Chloride?
The boiling point reported for Aluminum Chloride is 110 °C (230 °F), at 760 mmHg (CAMEO).
What is the melting point of Aluminum Chloride?
The melting point reported for Aluminum Chloride is 192.6 °C (378.7 °F) (HSDB).
How should Aluminum Chloride be stored?
Always keep container closed, dry. Store in a noncombustible, nonsprinklered building away from all combustible material. Isolate from strong acids. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Aluminum Chloride
Keep going: substances starting with A, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.