Substance profile
Chloroacetaldehyde
Chloroacetaldehyde is a colorless liquid with an acrid, penetrating odor.
01 · Identification
What Chloroacetaldehyde is
Chloroacetaldehyde is a colorless liquid with an acrid, penetrating odor. Its molecular formula is C2H3ClO and its molecular weight is 78.5 g/mol. It boils at 85.5 °C, melts at -16.3 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 2nd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Chloroacetaldehyde identifiers and molecular data
Chloroacetaldehyde CAS number and EC number
Chloroacetaldehyde molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Chloroacetaldehyde hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Chloroacetaldehyde pictograms and signal word
Chloroacetaldehyde hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 2 | H351 | GHS08 |
| 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.
Chloroacetaldehyde hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H351 | Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Chloroacetaldehyde. 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 Chloroacetaldehyde
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 Chloroacetaldehyde 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
Chloroacetaldehyde precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 17 precautionary statements to Chloroacetaldehyde. 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
Chloroacetaldehyde 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 | хлороацеталдехид |
| Spanish español | Cloroacetaldehído |
| Czech čeština | chlorethanal |
| Danish dansk | chloracetaldehyd |
| German Deutsch | Chloracetaldehyd |
| Estonian eesti | kloroatseetaldehüüd |
| Greek ελληνικά | χλωροακεταλδεΰδη |
| English English | chloroacetaldehyde |
| French français | chloroacétaldéhyde |
| Croatian hrvatski | kloracetaldehid |
| Italian italiano | cloroacetaldeide |
| Latvian latviešu | hloracetaldehīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | chloracetaldehidas |
| Hungarian magyar | klóracetaldehid |
| Maltese Malti | kloroaċetaldeid |
| Dutch Nederlands | chlooraceetaldehyde |
| Polish polski | chloroacetaldehyd |
| Portuguese português | cloroacetaldeído |
| Romanian română | aldehidă cloroacetică |
| Slovak slovenčina | chlóracetaldehyd |
| Slovenian slovenščina | kloroacetaldehid |
| Finnish suomi | klooriasetaldehydi |
| Swedish svenska | kloracetaldehyd |
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
Chloroacetaldehyde GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Chloroacetaldehyde, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Chloroacetaldehyde
- Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- 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 exposed or concerned:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- 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 Chloroacetaldehyde in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Chloroacetaldehyde health hazards and exposure limits
Chloroacetaldehyde hazard summary
Liquid causes second or third degree burns after short contact; [CHRIS] Exposed subjects complain of mucous membrane irritation, tearing, coughing, and choking; [ACGIH] Can cause pulmonary edema after heavy inhalation exposure; [ICSC]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Chloroacetaldehyde 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 | 45 ppm (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 45.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs: Human data: Volunteers found 45 ppm to be very disagreeable and conjunctival irritation was observed [Dow 1962]. | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
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
Chloroacetaldehyde 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.
Chloroacetaldehyde boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 85.5 °C (185.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| 85.56 °C (186 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 85 °C (185 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Chloroacetaldehyde melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -16.3 °C (2.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| -19.44 °C (-3 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -16.11 °C (3 °F) | CAMEO |
Chloroacetaldehyde density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.19 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.19 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Chloroacetaldehyde solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible in all proportions with water | HSDB | |
| Soluble in ether | HSDB | ||
| Soluble in acetone and methanol | HSDB |
Chloroacetaldehyde vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 100 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 99.7582 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
Chloroacetaldehyde flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 87.78 °C (190 °F) | HSDB |
Chloroacetaldehyde autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 88 °C (190.4 °F) | HSDB |
Chloroacetaldehyde lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Above 88 °C explosive vapor/air mixtures may be formed. | HSDB | |
| Contact with oxidizing materials & acids may cause ... explosions. | HSDB | ||
| Class IIIA Combustible Liquid: Fl.P. at or above 140 °F and below 200 °F. | NIOSH |
Chloroacetaldehyde vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.7 (air = 1) | CAMEO |
Chloroacetaldehyde odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor threshold: 3.0 mg/cu m | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Chloroacetaldehyde 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.
Chloroacetaldehyde fire potential
MODERATE, WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT OR FLAME
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Chloroacetaldehyde storage and handling
Chloroacetaldehyde safe storage
Separated from strong oxidants, acids, metals and food and feedstuffs.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Chloroacetaldehyde storage conditions
Safe Storage: Separated from strong oxidants, acids, metals and food and feedstuffs. /Chloroacetaldehyde (40% Solution)/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Chloroacetaldehyde incompatible materials
Oxidizers, acids.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Chloroacetaldehyde reactivity
2-CHLOROETHANAL polymerizes on standing. At greater than 50% concentration in water, it forms an insoluble hemihydrate. Sensitive to heat. Reacts with oxidizing agents. Incompatible with acids and water (NTP, 1992). Burns to give poisonous and irritating gases.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Chloroacetaldehyde in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Chloroacetaldehyde — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Chloroacetaldehyde?
The CAS number of Chloroacetaldehyde is 107-20-0. Its EC number is 203-472-8.
What is the chemical formula of Chloroacetaldehyde?
The molecular formula of Chloroacetaldehyde is C2H3ClO and its molecular weight is 78.5 g/mol.
What does a Chloroacetaldehyde label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Chloroacetaldehyde carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones, Health hazard, Corrosion and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Chloroacetaldehyde flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Chloroacetaldehyde 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 87.78 °C (190 °F) (HSDB).
Is Chloroacetaldehyde a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI assigns Chloroacetaldehyde H351 — suspected of causing cancer. That is category 2: the evidence points that way but is not conclusive.
What is the exposure limit for Chloroacetaldehyde?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Chloroacetaldehyde 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 Chloroacetaldehyde?
The boiling point reported for Chloroacetaldehyde is 85.5 °C (185.9 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Chloroacetaldehyde?
The melting point reported for Chloroacetaldehyde is -16.3 °C (2.7 °F) (HSDB).
How should Chloroacetaldehyde be stored?
Safe Storage: Separated from strong oxidants, acids, metals and food and feedstuffs. /Chloroacetaldehyde (40% Solution)/ (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Chloroacetaldehyde
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