Substance profile
Calcium phosphide
Calcium phosphide is red-brown crystalline powder or gray lumps with a musty, like acetylene odor.
01 · Identification
What Calcium phosphide is
Calcium phosphide is red-brown crystalline powder or gray lumps with a musty, like acetylene odor. Its molecular formula is Ca3P2 and its molecular weight is 182.18 g/mol. It melts at 1599 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Calcium phosphide identifiers and molecular data
Calcium phosphide CAS number and EC number
Calcium phosphide molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Calcium phosphide
- tricalcium diphosphide
03 · GHS classification
Calcium phosphide hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Calcium phosphide pictograms and signal word
Calcium phosphide hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| In contact with water emits flammable gases GHS chapter 2.12 | Category 1 | H260 | GHS02 |
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H300 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H311 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 1 | H318 | GHS05 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
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.
Calcium phosphide hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H260 | In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H300 | Fatal if swallowed. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H318 | Causes serious eye damage. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
Calcium phosphide supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH029 | Contact with water liberates toxic gas. |
| EUH032 | Contact with acids liberates very toxic gas. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Calcium phosphide. 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 Calcium phosphide
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 Calcium phosphide 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
Calcium phosphide precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to Calcium phosphide. 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.
Disposal
What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.
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
Calcium phosphide 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 | калциев фосфид трикалциев дифосфид |
| Spanish español | fosfuro de calcio difosfuro de tricalcio |
| Czech čeština | fosfid vápenatý trikalcium difosfid |
| Danish dansk | calciumphosphid tricalciumdiphosphid |
| German Deutsch | Calciumphosphid Tricalciumdiphosphid |
| Estonian eesti | kaltsiumfosfiid trikaltsiumdifosfiid |
| Greek ελληνικά | φωσφορούχο ασβέστιο, λευκός φωσφόρος |
| English English | calcium phosphide tricalcium diphosphide |
| French français | calcium phosphide tricalcium diphosphide |
| Croatian hrvatski | kalcijev fosfid trikalcijev difosfid |
| Italian italiano | fosfuro di calcio difosfuro di tricalcio |
| Latvian latviešu | kalcija fosfīds trikalcija difosfīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | kalcio fosfidas trikalcio difosfidas |
| Hungarian magyar | kalcium-foszfid trikalcium-difoszfid |
| Maltese Malti | fosfur tal-kalċju difosfur tat-trikalċju |
| Dutch Nederlands | calciumfosfide tricalciumdifosfide |
| Polish polski | fosforek wapnia difosforek triwapnia |
| Portuguese português | fosforeto de cálcio difosforeto de tricálcio |
| Romanian română | fosfură de calciu difosfură de tricalciu |
| Slovak slovenčina | fosfid vápenatý, difosfid trivápenatý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | kalcijev fosfid trikalcijev difosfid |
| Finnish suomi | Kalsiumfosfidi trikalsiumdifosfidi |
| Swedish svenska | kalciumfosfid trikalciumdifosfid |
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
Calcium phosphide GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Calcium phosphide, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Calcium phosphide
- In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Fatal if swallowed.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Causes serious eye damage.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Contact with water liberates toxic gas.
- Contact with acids liberates very toxic gas.
- 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.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- IF IN EYES:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Rinse mouth.
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Calcium phosphide in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Calcium phosphide health hazards and exposure limits
Calcium phosphide hazard summary
Reacts with water to form the highly toxic and flammable phosphine; [Hawley] This chemical ingredient is not found in any products. [NPIRS] See PHOSPHIDES. See Phosphine.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Calcium phosphide 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.
Calcium phosphide boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | Decomposes | decomposes | HSDB |
Calcium phosphide melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 1599 °C (2910 °F) | CAMEO | |
| 1600 °C (2912 °F) | ICSC | ||
| 1600 °C (2912 °F) | approximate | HSDB |
Calcium phosphide density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.51 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 2.5 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 2.51 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Calcium phosphide solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insol in alcohol, ether; reacts with water | HSDB | |
| Decomposed by water to phosphine | decomposes | HSDB |
Calcium phosphide odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | 1-100 mg/cu m. | HSDB | |
| Odor Threshold Low: 0.13 [ppm] | Haz-Map | ||
| Odor Threshold High: 13.4 [ppm] | Haz-Map |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Calcium phosphide 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.
Calcium phosphide fire potential
DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD BY CHEMICAL REACTION ... THEY REACT WITH WATER, STEAM, ACID, OR ACID FUMES TO PRODUCE TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE PHOSPHINE GAS. /PHOSPHIDES/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Calcium phosphide storage and handling
Calcium phosphide safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs and incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Cool. Dry. Keep in a well-ventilated room.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Calcium phosphide storage conditions
KEEP DRY AND TIGHTLY CLOSED.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Calcium phosphide incompatible materials
Reacts with chlorine, chlorine monoxide, evolving phosphine.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Calcium phosphide reactivity
CALCIUM PHOSPHIDE and hydrochloric acid undergo a very energetic reaction [Mellor 8:841 1946-47]. Calcium and other alkaline earth phosphides incandesce in oxygen when heated.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Calcium phosphide in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Calcium phosphide 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.
Calcium phosphide under UN 1360 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALCIUM PHOSPHIDE | 4.3 | WT2 | I | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 4.3 is “Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium phosphide | 4.3 | I | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 4.3 is “Dangerous when wet material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Calcium phosphide — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Calcium phosphide?
The CAS number of Calcium phosphide is 1305-99-3. Its EC number is 215-142-0.
What is the chemical formula of Calcium phosphide?
The molecular formula of Calcium phosphide is Ca3P2 and its molecular weight is 182.18 g/mol.
What does a Calcium phosphide label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Calcium phosphide carries the pictograms Flame, Skull and crossbones, Corrosion and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Calcium phosphide flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Calcium phosphide H260 — in contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
Is Calcium phosphide a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Calcium phosphide. 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 Calcium phosphide?
The boiling point reported for Calcium phosphide is Decomposes, decomposes (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Calcium phosphide?
The melting point reported for Calcium phosphide is 1599 °C (2910 °F) (CAMEO).
How should Calcium phosphide be stored?
KEEP DRY AND TIGHTLY CLOSED. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Calcium phosphide
Keep going: substances starting with C, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.