Substance profile
Caprolactam
Caprolactam is hygroscopic leaflets from petroleum ether with an unpleasant odor.
01 · Identification
What Caprolactam is
Caprolactam is hygroscopic leaflets from petroleum ether with an unpleasant odor. Its molecular formula is C6H11NO and its molecular weight is 113.16 g/mol. It boils at 270 °C, melts at 69.3 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Caprolactam identifiers and molecular data
Caprolactam CAS number and EC number
Caprolactam molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Caprolactam
- ε-caprolactam
03 · GHS classification
Caprolactam hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Caprolactam pictograms and signal word
Caprolactam hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H332 | GHS07 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 2 | H315 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
Caprolactam hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H332 | Harmful if inhaled. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Caprolactam. 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 Caprolactam
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 Caprolactam 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
Caprolactam precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 16 precautionary statements to Caprolactam. 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
Caprolactam 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 | ε-капролактам |
| Spanish español | ε-Caprolactama |
| Czech čeština | ε-kaprolaktam |
| Danish dansk | ε-caprolactam |
| German Deutsch | ε-Caprolactam |
| Estonian eesti | ε-kaprolaktaam |
| Greek ελληνικά | ε-καπρολακτάμη |
| English English | ε-caprolactam |
| French français | ε-caprolactame |
| Croatian hrvatski | ε-kaprolaktam |
| Italian italiano | ε-caprolattame |
| Latvian latviešu | ε-kaprolaktāms |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | ε-kaprolaktamas |
| Hungarian magyar | ε- kaprolaktám |
| Maltese Malti | ε-caprolactam |
| Dutch Nederlands | ε-caprolactam |
| Polish polski | ε-kaprolaktam |
| Portuguese português | ε-caprolactama |
| Romanian română | ε-caprolactamă |
| Slovak slovenčina | ε-kaprolaktám |
| Slovenian slovenščina | ε-kaprolaktam |
| Finnish suomi | ε-kaprolaktaami |
| Swedish svenska | ε-kaprolaktam |
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
Caprolactam GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Caprolactam, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Caprolactam
- Harmful if inhaled.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- 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 IN EYES:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- If skin irritation occurs:
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Caprolactam in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Caprolactam health hazards and exposure limits
Caprolactam hazard summary
Caprolactam is used in the manufacture of synthetic fibers. Acute (short-term) exposure to caprolactam may result in irritation and burning of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin in humans. Headaches, malaise, confusion, and nervous irritation have been observed in workers exposed to caprolactam by inhalation. Chronic (long-term) exposure of workers to caprolactam has been observed to cause peeling of the hands and some eye, nose, and throat irritation, but no other effects on general health. EPA has not classified caprolactam for carcinogenicity.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
Caprolactam carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of this bioassay, caprolactam was not carcinogenic for F344 rats or B6C3F1 mice.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-214: Carcinogenesis Bioassay of Caprolactam (CASRN 105-60-2) in F344 Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Feed Study) (1982 )
Evaluation: No epidemiological data relevant to the carcinogenicity of caprolactam were available. There is evidence suggesting a lack of carcinogenicity of caprolactam in experimental animals. Overall evaluation: Caprolactam is probably not carcinogenic to humans (Group 4).
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.
Caprolactam occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 1 mg/m³ (dust), 0.22 ppm (1 mg/m³) (vapor) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | Dust: TWA 1 mg/m3 ST 3 mg/m3 Vapor: TWA 0.22 ppm (1 mg/m3) ST 0.66 ppm (3 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
Caprolactam 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.
Caprolactam boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 270 °C (518 °F) | HSDB | |
| 268.33 °C (515 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 266.89 °C (512.4 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Caprolactam melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 69.3 °C (156.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| 68.89 °C (156 °F) | NIOSH |
Caprolactam density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.02 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 1.05 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Caprolactam solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in chlorinated solvents, petroleum distillate, and cyclohexene. | HSDB | |
| Freely sol in methanol, ethanol,tetrahydrofurfuryl alc; ether, dimethylformamide, sol in chlorinated hydrocarbons, cyclohexene, petroleum fractions | HSDB | ||
| Soluble in benzene, ethanol, and chloroform | HSDB |
Caprolactam vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 8e-8 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 0.001 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 0.0019 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Caprolactam flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 138.89 °C (282 °F) | NIOSH | |
| 125 °C (257 °F) | CAMEO |
Caprolactam autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 375 °C (707 °F) | CAMEO |
Caprolactam lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.4 % by volume | NIOSH |
Caprolactam upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 8 % by volume | NIOSH |
Caprolactam vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.91 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Caprolactam storage and handling
Caprolactam safe storage
Separated from strong oxidants. Dry.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Caprolactam incompatible materials
Strong oxidizers, (acetic acid + dinitrogen trioxide).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Caprolactam reactivity
CAPROLACTAM is hygroscopic. This compound can react with strong oxidizing agents and strong bases. It can also react with chlorinated hydrocarbons and nitro compounds. A potentially explosive reaction occurs with acetic acid + dinitrogen trioxide. (NTP, 1992)
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Caprolactam in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Questions
Caprolactam — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Caprolactam?
The CAS number of Caprolactam is 105-60-2. Its EC number is 203-313-2.
What is the chemical formula of Caprolactam?
The molecular formula of Caprolactam is C6H11NO and its molecular weight is 113.16 g/mol.
What does a Caprolactam label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Caprolactam carries the pictogram Exclamation mark and the signal word is Warning.
Is Caprolactam flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Caprolactam 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. The flash point reported for it is 138.89 °C (282 °F) (NIOSH).
Is Caprolactam a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Caprolactam. 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. IARC places it in Group 3: not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Caprolactam?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Caprolactam is none See Appendix G (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 Caprolactam?
The boiling point reported for Caprolactam is 270 °C (518 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Caprolactam?
The melting point reported for Caprolactam is 69.3 °C (156.7 °F) (HSDB).
Nearby
Substances next to Caprolactam
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