Substance profile
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is a colorless liquid with a suffocating odor.
01 · Identification
What Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is a colorless liquid with a suffocating odor. Its molecular formula is C2H4Cl2O and its molecular weight is 114.96 g/mol. It boils at 104 °C, melts at -41.5 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether identifiers and molecular data
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether CAS number and EC number
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
- oxybis(chloromethane)
03 · GHS classification
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether pictograms and signal word
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 2 | H225 | GHS02 |
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H311 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| 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.
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
| 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. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether. 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 Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
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 Bis(Chloromethyl)… 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
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 19 precautionary statements to Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether. 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
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether 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 | бис(хлорометилов) етер оксибис(хлорометан) |
| Spanish español | Éter bis(clorometílico) oxibis(clorometano) |
| Czech čeština | bis(chlormethyl)ether oxybis(chlormethan) |
| Danish dansk | bis(chlormethyl)ether oxybis(chlormethan) |
| German Deutsch | Bis(chlormethyl)ether Oxybis(chlormethan)Dichlordimethylether, symmetrisch |
| Estonian eesti | bis(klorometüül)eeter oksübis(klorometaan) |
| Greek ελληνικά | δις(χλωρομεθυλ)αιθέρας οξυδις(χλωρομεθάνιο) |
| English English | bis(chloromethyl) ether oxybis(chloromethane) |
| French français | oxyde de bis(chlorométhyle) oxybis(chlorométhane) |
| Croatian hrvatski | bis(klormetil)-eter oksibis(klormetan) |
| Italian italiano | bis(clorometil) etere ossibis(clorometano) |
| Latvian latviešu | bis(hlormetil)ēteris oksibis(hlormetāns) |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | bis(chlormetil)eteris oksibis(chlormetanas) |
| Hungarian magyar | bisz(klórmetil)-éter oxibisz(klórmetán) |
| Maltese Malti | eter tal-bis(klorometil) ossibis(klorometan) |
| Dutch Nederlands | bis(chloormethyl)ether oxybis(chloormethaan) |
| Polish polski | eter bis(chlorometylowy) oksybis(chlorometan) |
| Portuguese português | éter bis(clorometílico) oxibis(clorometano) |
| Romanian română | bis(clormetil) eter oxibis(clormetan) |
| Slovak slovenčina | bis(chlórmetyl)éter oxybis(chlórmetán) |
| Slovenian slovenščina | bis(klorometil) eter oksibis(klorometan) |
| Finnish suomi | bis(kloorimetyyli)eetteri oksibis(kloorimetaani) |
| Swedish svenska | bis(klormetyl)eter oxibis(klormetan) |
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
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
- Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
- May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- Keep container tightly closed.
- Use explosion-proof [electrical/ventilating/lighting/…] equipment.
- Use only non-sparking tools.
- 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.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether health hazards and exposure limits
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether hazard summary
Bis(chloromethyl) ether is a clear liquid with a strong unpleasant odor. It does not occur naturally. It dissolves easily in water, but degrades rapidly and readily evaporates into air. In the past, it was used to make several types of polymers, resins, and textiles, but its use is now highly restricted. Only small quantities of bis(chloromethyl) ether are produced in the United States. The small quantities that are produced are only used in enclosed systems to make other chemicals. However, small quantities of bis(chloromethyl) ether may be formed as an impurity during the production of another chemical, chloromethyl methyl ether.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether carcinogenicity classification
CLASSIFICATION: A; human carcinogen. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: Statistically significant increases in lung tumors (oat cell carcinomas) observed in six studies of exposed workers and bioassay data from rats and mice. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Sufficient. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Sufficient.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
There is sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of bis(chloromethyl)ether. Bis(chloromethyl)ether cause/s/ cancer of the lung. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of bis(chloromethyl)ether. Overall evaluation: Bis(chloromethyl) ether is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
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.
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | Ca | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| IDLH | A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | NIOSH considers bis-chloromethyl ether to be a potential occupational carcinogen. | 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
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether 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.
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 104 °C (219.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 106.11 °C (223 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 106.11 °C (223 °F) | OSHA |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -41.5 °C (-42.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| -42 °C (-43.6 °F) | ICSC |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.315 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with ethanol, ethyl ether | HSDB | |
| In water, 1,020 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| In water, 2.20X10+4 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 30 mmHg | at 22 °C | CAMEO |
| 29.4 mmHg | at 25 °C, from experimentally derived coefficients | HSDB | |
| 29.2524 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 19 °C (66.2 °F) | below this value, closed cup | HSDB |
| 18.89 °C (66 °F) | below this value | OSHA | |
| 19 °C (66.2 °F) | below this value | Haz-Map |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Forms explosive mixture with air. | HSDB |
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether 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.
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether fire potential
A dangerous fire hazard.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether storage and handling
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether peroxide formation
D: Other compounds that may form peroxides
Source: Lab and Research Safety, University of Minnesota
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether safe storage
Fireproof. Dry. Cool. Separated from food and feedstuffs. Store only in original packaging.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether storage conditions
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practicable to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether incompatible materials
Incompatible with strong acids. ... May form shock-sensitive compounds on contact with oxidizers, peroxides, and sunlight. Attacks many plastics.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether reactivity
DICHLORODIMETHYL ETHER is incompatible with the following: Acids, water [Note: Reacts with water to form hydrochloric acid & formaldehyde.] (NIOSH, 2024).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether?
The CAS number of Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is 542-88-1. Its EC number is 208-832-8.
What is the chemical formula of Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether?
The molecular formula of Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is C2H4Cl2O and its molecular weight is 114.96 g/mol.
What does a Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether carries the pictograms Flame, Skull and crossbones and Health hazard and the signal word is Danger.
Is Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 19 °C (66.2 °F), below this value, closed cup (HSDB).
Is Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer.
What is the exposure limit for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether 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 Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether?
The boiling point reported for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is 104 °C (219.2 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether?
The melting point reported for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is -41.5 °C (-42.7 °F) (HSDB).
How should Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether the storage statement P403. PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practicable to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/ (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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