Substance profile
Butyl Acetate
Butyl Acetate is a colorless liquid with a strong fruity odor.
01 · Identification
What Butyl Acetate is
Butyl Acetate is a colorless liquid with a strong fruity odor. It boils at 126 °C, melts at -77 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Butyl Acetate identifiers and molecular data
Butyl Acetate CAS number and EC number
Butyl Acetate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Butyl Acetate
- n-butyl acetate
03 · GHS classification
Butyl Acetate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Butyl Acetate pictograms and signal word
Butyl Acetate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 3 | H226 | GHS02 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 narcotic | H336 | GHS07 |
Butyl Acetate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H226 | Flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H336 | May cause drowsiness or dizziness. |
Butyl Acetate supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH066 | Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Butyl Acetate. 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 Butyl Acetate
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 Butyl Acetate 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
Butyl Acetate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 5 precautionary statements to Butyl Acetate. 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.
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
Butyl Acetate 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 | n -бутилов ацетат |
| Spanish español | Acetato de n -butilo |
| Czech čeština | n -butyl-acetát |
| Danish dansk | n -butylacetat |
| German Deutsch | n -Butylacetat |
| Estonian eesti | n -butüülatsetaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | οξικός n -βουτυλεστέρας οξικό n -βουτύλιο |
| English English | n -butyl acetate |
| French français | acétate de n -butyle |
| Croatian hrvatski | n -butil-acetat |
| Italian italiano | acetato di n -butile |
| Latvian latviešu | n -butilacetāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | n -butilacetatas |
| Hungarian magyar | n -butil-acetát |
| Maltese Malti | aċetat ta’ n -butil |
| Dutch Nederlands | n -butylacetaat |
| Polish polski | octan butylu |
| Portuguese português | acetato de n -butilo |
| Romanian română | acetat de n -butil |
| Slovak slovenčina | n -butyl-acetát |
| Slovenian slovenščina | n -butil acetat |
| Finnish suomi | n -butyyliasetaatti |
| Swedish svenska | n -butylacetat |
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
Butyl Acetate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Butyl Acetate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Butyl Acetate
- Flammable liquid and vapour.
- May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
- Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking.
- 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.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Butyl Acetate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Butyl Acetate health hazards and exposure limits
Butyl Acetate hazard summary
Narcosis induced in acute animal studies; In animal experiments, causes liver injury in doses greater than 500 mg/kg; [ACGIH] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; Inhalation of high concentrations can cause CNS depression; [ICSC]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Butyl Acetate occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 150.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 150 ppm (710 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 150 ppm (710 mg/m3) See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 150 ppm (710 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | 200 ppm (950 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 150 ppm (710 mg/m3) ST 200 ppm (950 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 1700 ppm ; Based on 10% of the lower explosive limit. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 1700.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 1700 ppm | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
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
Butyl Acetate 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.
Butyl Acetate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 126 °C (258.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| 125.56 °C (258 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 126.5 °C (259.7 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Butyl Acetate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -77 °C (-106.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| -77.22 °C (-107 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -77.89 °C (-108.2 °F) | CAMEO |
Butyl Acetate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.88 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 0.8825 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 0.875 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Butyl Acetate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | In water, 8.33X10+3 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| In water, 6,700 ppm at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| Soluble in 120 parts water at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 10 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 10 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 11.5 mmHg | at 25 °C, ext | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 22.22 °C (72 °F) | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 425 °C (797 °F) | HSDB | |
| 404.44 °C (760 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 420 °C (788 °F) | ICSC |
Butyl Acetate lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.3 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 1.4 % by volume | HSDB | ||
| 1.7 % by volume | NIOSH |
Butyl Acetate upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 7.6 % by volume | HSDB | |
| 7.5 % by volume | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor thresholds of 7 ppm and 20 ppm have been reported. | HSDB | |
| Detection in water: 0.066 mg/kg; 0.043 mg/kg | HSDB | ||
| 33.13 mg/cu m (odor low); 94.66 mg/cu m (odor high). | HSDB |
Butyl Acetate critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 304.85 °C (580.7 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Butyl Acetate 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.
Butyl Acetate fire potential
Flammable liquid.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Butyl Acetate storage and handling
Butyl Acetate safe storage
Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants, strong bases and strong acids. Cool.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Butyl Acetate storage conditions
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.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Butyl Acetate incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Strong oxidizing agents, Strong reducing agents, Strong bases.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Butyl Acetate reactivity
BUTYL ACETATE is an ester. Esters react with acids to liberate heat along with alcohols and acids. Strong oxidizing acids may cause a vigorous reaction that is sufficiently exothermic to ignite the reaction products. Heat is also generated by the interaction of esters with caustic solutions. Flammable hydrogen is generated by mixing esters with alkali metals and hydrides. Attacks many plastics. [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980. p. 233].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Butyl Acetate in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Butyl Acetate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Butyl Acetate?
The CAS number of Butyl Acetate is 123-86-4. Its EC number is 204-658-1.
What does a Butyl Acetate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Butyl Acetate carries the pictograms Flame and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Warning.
Is Butyl Acetate flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Butyl Acetate H226 — flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 22.22 °C (72 °F) (HSDB).
Is Butyl Acetate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Butyl Acetate. 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 Butyl Acetate?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Butyl Acetate is 150.0 [ppm] (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 Butyl Acetate?
The boiling point reported for Butyl Acetate is 126 °C (258.8 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Butyl Acetate?
The melting point reported for Butyl Acetate is -77 °C (-106.6 °F) (HSDB).
How should Butyl Acetate be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Butyl Acetate the storage statement P403. 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. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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