Substance profile
Benzonitrile
Benzonitrile is a liquid with an odor of volatile oil of almond.
01 · Identification
What Benzonitrile is
Benzonitrile is a liquid with an odor of volatile oil of almond. Its molecular formula is C7H5N and its molecular weight is 103.12 g/mol. It boils at 191 °C, melts at -12.8 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning. It is classed as flammable agents - 2nd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Benzonitrile identifiers and molecular data
Benzonitrile CAS number and EC number
Benzonitrile molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Benzonitrile hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Benzonitrile pictograms and signal word
Benzonitrile hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H312 | GHS07 |
Benzonitrile hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H312 | Harmful in contact with skin. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Benzonitrile. 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 Benzonitrile
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 Benzonitrile 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
Benzonitrile precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Benzonitrile. 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
Benzonitrile 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 | бензонитрил |
| Spanish español | Benzonitrilo |
| Czech čeština | benzonitril |
| Danish dansk | benzonitril |
| German Deutsch | Benzonitril |
| Estonian eesti | bensonitriil |
| Greek ελληνικά | βενζονιτρίλιο |
| English English | benzonitrile |
| French français | benzonitrile |
| Croatian hrvatski | benzonitril |
| Italian italiano | benzonitrile |
| Latvian latviešu | benzonitrils |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | benznitrilas |
| Hungarian magyar | benzonitril |
| Maltese Malti | benżonitril |
| Dutch Nederlands | benzonitril |
| Polish polski | benzonitryl cyjanek fenylu |
| Portuguese português | benzonitrilo |
| Romanian română | benzonitril |
| Slovak slovenčina | benzonitril |
| Slovenian slovenščina | benzonitril |
| Finnish suomi | bentsonitriili |
| Swedish svenska | bensonitril |
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
Benzonitrile GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Benzonitrile, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Benzonitrile
- Harmful in contact with skin.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Benzonitrile in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Benzonitrile health hazards and exposure limits
Benzonitrile hazard summary
Highly toxic; [Quick CPC] When burned, benzonitrile releases hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides. Unlike the other nitriles, benzonitrile, an aromatic compound, does not release cyanide in the body after ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption. Its acts as a uncoupler similar to the toxicity of pentachlorophenol. [HSDB; Goldfrank, p. 179] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [ICSC] Causes contact urticaria; [Kanerva, p. 219] See Pentachlorophenol.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Benzonitrile occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IDLH | 14 ppm [From IDLH Table: Benzonitrile] (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 14.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
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
Benzonitrile 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.
Benzonitrile boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 190.7 °C (375.3 °F) | at 760 mmHg | HSDB |
| 190.72 °C (375.3 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 190.7 °C (375.3 °F) | ICSC |
Benzonitrile melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -12.82 °C (8.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| -12.78 °C (9 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| -12.8 °C (9 °F) | ICSC |
Benzonitrile density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.01 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | CAMEO | |
| 1.0093 g/cm³ | at 15 °C | HSDB |
Benzonitrile solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with common organic solvents | HSDB | |
| Miscible with ethanol; very soluble in acetone, benzene; soluble in carbon tetrachloride | HSDB | ||
| In water, 2000 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Benzonitrile vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.768 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 0.7651 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC |
Benzonitrile flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 70 °C (158 °F) | HSDB | |
| 71.67 °C (161 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 75 °C (167 °F) | ICSC |
Benzonitrile autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 550 °C (1022 °F) | HSDB |
Benzonitrile lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.4 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 0.9 % by volume | CAMEO |
Benzonitrile upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 7.2 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 11.3 % by volume | CAMEO |
Benzonitrile vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.6 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Benzonitrile odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Detection in air: 2.90x10-5 mg/l | chemically pure | HSDB |
Benzonitrile critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 417.85 °C (784.1 °F) | HSDB |
Benzonitrile corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Will attack some plastics | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Benzonitrile 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.
Benzonitrile fire potential
... Combustible but burns with difficulty.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Benzonitrile storage and handling
Benzonitrile safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs. Well closed. Keep in a well-ventilated room.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Benzonitrile storage conditions
Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities: 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. Hygroscopic: Handle and store under inert gas.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Benzonitrile incompatible materials
Strong acids which can liberate hydrogen cyanide. Forms explosive mixture with air.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Benzonitrile reactivity
The cyano group can be readily hydrolyzed in the presence of mineral acids to produce stable, moderately toxic benzoic acid. When heated to decomposition, it emits highly toxic fumes of nitrogen oxides and hydrogen cyanide [Sax, 9th ed., 1996, p. 353].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Benzonitrile in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Benzonitrile 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.
Benzonitrile under UN 2224 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BENZONITRILE | 6.1 | T1 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 6.1 is “Toxic 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzonitrile | 6.1 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 6.1 is “Poisonous materials” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Benzonitrile — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Benzonitrile?
The CAS number of Benzonitrile is 100-47-0. Its EC number is 202-855-7.
What is the chemical formula of Benzonitrile?
The molecular formula of Benzonitrile is C7H5N and its molecular weight is 103.12 g/mol.
What does a Benzonitrile label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Benzonitrile carries the pictogram Exclamation mark and the signal word is Warning.
Is Benzonitrile flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Benzonitrile 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 70 °C (158 °F) (HSDB).
Is Benzonitrile a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Benzonitrile. 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 Benzonitrile?
The boiling point reported for Benzonitrile is 190.7 °C (375.3 °F), at 760 mmHg (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Benzonitrile?
The melting point reported for Benzonitrile is -12.82 °C (8.9 °F) (HSDB).
How should Benzonitrile be stored?
Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities: 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. Hygroscopic: Handle and store under inert gas. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Benzonitrile
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