Substance profile
Butyronitrile
Butyronitrile is a colorless liquid with a sharp, suffocating odor.
01 · Identification
What Butyronitrile is
Butyronitrile is a colorless liquid with a sharp, suffocating odor. Its molecular formula is C4H7N and its molecular weight is 69.11 g/mol. It boils at 118 °C, melts at -112 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Butyronitrile identifiers and molecular data
Butyronitrile CAS number and EC number
Butyronitrile molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Butyronitrile
- n-butyronitrile
03 · GHS classification
Butyronitrile hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Butyronitrile pictograms and signal word
Butyronitrile 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 3 | H301 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H311 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H331 | GHS06 |
Butyronitrile hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H331 | Toxic if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Butyronitrile. 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 Butyronitrile
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 Butyronitrile 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
Butyronitrile precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to Butyronitrile. 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
Butyronitrile 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 -бутиронитрил |
| Spanish español | n -Butironitrilo |
| Czech čeština | butyronitril |
| Danish dansk | n -butyronitril |
| German Deutsch | n -Butyronitril |
| Estonian eesti | n -butüronitriil |
| Greek ελληνικά | n -βουτυρονιτρίλιο |
| English English | n -butyronitrile |
| French français | n -butyronitrile |
| Croatian hrvatski | n -butironitril |
| Italian italiano | n- butirronitrile nitrile butirrico |
| Latvian latviešu | n -butironitrils |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | n -butironitrilas |
| Hungarian magyar | n -butironitril |
| Maltese Malti | n -butironitril |
| Dutch Nederlands | n -butyronitril |
| Polish polski | butanonitryl cyjanek propylubutyronitryl |
| Portuguese português | n -butironitrilo |
| Romanian română | n -butironitril |
| Slovak slovenčina | butyronitril butánnitril |
| Slovenian slovenščina | n -butironitril |
| Finnish suomi | n -butyronitriili |
| Swedish svenska | n -butyronitril |
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
Butyronitrile GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Butyronitrile, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Butyronitrile
- Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
- Toxic if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- 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:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- 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 Butyronitrile in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Butyronitrile health hazards and exposure limits
Butyronitrile occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | TWA 8 ppm (22 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | N.D. | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
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
Butyronitrile 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.
Butyronitrile boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 117.5 °C (243.5 °F) | at 760 mmHg | HSDB |
| 117.78 °C (244 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 117.78 °C (244 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Butyronitrile melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -112 °C (-169.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| -112.22 °C (-170 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -112.78 °C (-171 °F) | CAMEO |
Butyronitrile density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.81 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 0.8 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 0.7936 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Butyronitrile solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with alc, ether, dimethylformamide | HSDB | |
| Sol in benzene | HSDB | ||
| In water, 33,000 mg/l at 25 °C. | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Butyronitrile vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 14 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 20.68 mmHg | CAMEO | ||
| 19.5 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Butyronitrile flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 24 °C (75.2 °F) | OPEN CUP | HSDB |
| 16.67 °C (62 °F) | NIOSH |
Butyronitrile autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 501.67 °C (935 °F) | HSDB | |
| 487.78 °C (910 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 501 °C (933.8 °F) | ICSC |
Butyronitrile lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.65 % by volume | HSDB |
Butyronitrile vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.4 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Butyronitrile critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 309.1 °C (588.4 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Butyronitrile 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.
Butyronitrile fire potential
FLAMMABLE, DANGEROUS FIRE RISK.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Butyronitrile storage and handling
Butyronitrile safe storage
Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants, strong reducing agents, strong bases, strong acids and food and feedstuffs. Keep in a well-ventilated room.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Butyronitrile incompatible materials
Strong oxidizers & reducing agents, strong acids & bases.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Butyronitrile in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Butyronitrile — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Butyronitrile?
The CAS number of Butyronitrile is 109-74-0. Its EC number is 203-700-6.
What is the chemical formula of Butyronitrile?
The molecular formula of Butyronitrile is C4H7N and its molecular weight is 69.11 g/mol.
What does a Butyronitrile label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Butyronitrile carries the pictograms Flame and Skull and crossbones and the signal word is Danger.
Is Butyronitrile flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Butyronitrile H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 24 °C (75.2 °F), OPEN CUP (HSDB).
Is Butyronitrile a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Butyronitrile. 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 Butyronitrile?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Butyronitrile is none (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)). 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 Butyronitrile?
The boiling point reported for Butyronitrile is 117.5 °C (243.5 °F), at 760 mmHg (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Butyronitrile?
The melting point reported for Butyronitrile is -112 °C (-169.6 °F) (HSDB).
How should Butyronitrile be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Butyronitrile the storage statement P403.
Nearby
Substances next to Butyronitrile
Keep going: substances starting with B, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.