Substance profile
Boron trifluoride
Boron trifluoride is a colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor.
01 · Identification
What Boron trifluoride is
Boron trifluoride is a colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor. It boils at -99.9 °C, melts at -127 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as reactive agents - 1st degree.
02 · Identifiers
Boron trifluoride identifiers and molecular data
Boron trifluoride CAS number and EC number
Boron trifluoride molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Boron trifluoride hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Boron trifluoride pictograms and signal word
Boron trifluoride hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| 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.
Boron trifluoride hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Boron trifluoride supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Boron trifluoride. 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 Boron trifluoride
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 Boron trifluoride 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
Boron trifluoride precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Boron trifluoride. 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
Boron trifluoride 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 | борен трифлуорид |
| Spanish español | Trifluoruro de boro |
| Czech čeština | fluorid boritý |
| Danish dansk | bortrifluorid |
| German Deutsch | Bortrifluorid |
| Estonian eesti | boortrifluoriid |
| Greek ελληνικά | τριφθοριούχο βόριο |
| English English | boron trifluoride |
| French français | trifluorure de bore |
| Croatian hrvatski | borov trifluorid |
| Italian italiano | trifluoruro di boro |
| Latvian latviešu | bora trifluorīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | boro trifluoridas |
| Hungarian magyar | bór-trifluorid |
| Maltese Malti | trifluworid tal-boron |
| Dutch Nederlands | boortrifluoride |
| Polish polski | trifluorek boru |
| Portuguese português | trifluoreto de boro |
| Romanian română | trifluorură de bor |
| Slovak slovenčina | fluorid boritý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | borov trifluorid |
| Finnish suomi | booritrifluoridi |
| Swedish svenska | bortrifluorid |
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
Boron trifluoride GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Boron trifluoride, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Boron trifluoride
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Reacts violently with water.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF INHALED:
- 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 Boron trifluoride in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Boron trifluoride health hazards and exposure limits
Boron trifluoride hazard summary
Corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] Toxic effects in animals include pneumonitis and dental fluorosis; At 1.5 ppm 5 days a week for up to 6 months, there was evidence of mild pneumonitis. [ACGIH] Burns caused by boron trifluoride are not as severe as those caused by hydrogen fluoride. [National Research Council, Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories. 1981] A corrosive substance that causes lacrimation and may cause lung edema after inhalation of high concentrations; [ICSC] Decomposes in contact with moisture or when heated producing boric acid, HF, and fluoboric acid; [CAMEO] Reacts violently with water; Causes severe burns; Highly toxic by inhalation; [Alfa Aesar MSDS] See FLUORIDES.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Boron trifluoride occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 1 ppm (3 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | C 1 ppm (3 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 1 ppm (3 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | C 1 ppm (3 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 25 ppm (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 25 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
Boron trifluoride 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.
Boron trifluoride boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | -99.9 °C (-147.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -100 °C (-148 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -100 °C (-148 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Boron trifluoride melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -126.8 °C (-196.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| -126.67 °C (-196 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -126.72 °C (-196.1 °F) | CAMEO |
Boron trifluoride density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.0028 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.6 g/cm³ | CAMEO |
Boron trifluoride solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in cold water, hydrolyzes in hot water | HSDB | |
| Soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid and most organic solvents | HSDB | ||
| Soluble in concentrated nitric acid, benzene, dichlorobenzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide | HSDB |
Boron trifluoride vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 36560 mmHg | at -13.2 °C | HSDB |
| 38000 mmHg | above this value | NIOSH |
Boron trifluoride lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Certain chemicals, if drawn back into a boron trifluoride cylinder, can build up tremendous pressure that may cause the cylinder to burst. | HSDB | |
| ... May ... explode in moist air ... | Boranes | HSDB | |
| Nonflammable Gas | NIOSH |
Boron trifluoride upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | Not Flammable. (EPA, 1998) | CAMEO | |
| Not flammable | OSHA |
Boron trifluoride vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.4 (air = 1) | CAMEO | |
| 2.38 (air = 1) | OSHA |
Boron trifluoride odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor low 4.50 mg/cu m; Odor high 4.50 mg/cu m | HSDB | |
| Odor Threshold Low: 1.5 [ppm] | Haz-Map | ||
| Odor threshold from AIHA | Haz-Map |
Boron trifluoride critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | -12.35 °C (9.8 °F) | HSDB |
Boron trifluoride corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Boron trifluoride will attack some forms of plastics, rubber, and coatings | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Boron trifluoride 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.
Boron trifluoride fire potential
Nonflammable compressed gas.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Boron trifluoride storage and handling
Boron trifluoride safe storage
Separated from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, alkyl nitrates and lime. Cool.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Boron trifluoride storage conditions
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Outside or detached storage is preferred. Separate from water, active metals, monomers.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Boron trifluoride incompatible materials
Boron trifluoride reacts with incandescence when heated with alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, except magnesium.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Boron trifluoride reactivity
BORON TRIFLUORIDE is a colorless, strongly irritating, toxic gas. Upon contact with water, steam or when heated to decomposition, it will produce toxic fluoride fumes. Incompatible with alkyl nitrates, calcium oxide. Reaction with alkali metals or alkaline earth metals (except magnesium) will cause incandescence [Bretherick, 5th ed., 1995, p. 65].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Boron trifluoride in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Boron trifluoride 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.
Boron trifluoride under UN 1008 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BORON TRIFLUORIDE | 2 | 2TC | — | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 2 is “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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boron trifluoride | 2.3 | — | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 2.3 is “Poisonous gas” (49 CFR 173.2).
Boron trifluoride under UN 3519 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BORON TRIFLUORIDE, ADSORBED | 2 | 9TC | — | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 2 is “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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boron trifluoride, adsorbed | 2.3 | — | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 2.3 is “Poisonous gas” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Boron trifluoride — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Boron trifluoride?
The CAS number of Boron trifluoride is 7637-07-2. Its EC number is 231-569-5.
What does a Boron trifluoride label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Boron trifluoride carries the pictograms Gas cylinder, Skull and crossbones and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Boron trifluoride flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Boron trifluoride 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 Boron trifluoride a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Boron trifluoride. 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 Boron trifluoride?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Boron trifluoride is 1 ppm (3 mg/m³) (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 Boron trifluoride?
The boiling point reported for Boron trifluoride is -99.9 °C (-147.8 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Boron trifluoride?
The melting point reported for Boron trifluoride is -126.8 °C (-196.2 °F) (HSDB).
How should Boron trifluoride be stored?
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Outside or detached storage is preferred. Separate from water, active metals, monomers. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Boron trifluoride
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