Substance profile
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is a colorless liq with an irritating odor.
01 · Identification
What Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is a colorless liq with an irritating odor. Its molecular formula is C2H5ClO and its molecular weight is 80.51 g/mol. It boils at 59.5 °C, melts at -103 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether identifiers and molecular data
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether CAS number and EC number
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
- chlormethyl methyl ether
- chlorodimethyl ether
03 · GHS classification
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether pictograms and signal word
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether 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 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H312 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H332 | GHS07 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 1A or 1B | H350 | GHS08 |
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.
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H350 | May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H332 | Harmful if inhaled. |
| H312 | Harmful in contact with skin. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Chloromethyl Methyl Ether. 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 Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
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 Chloromethyl Methyl… 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
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 18 precautionary statements to Chloromethyl Methyl Ether. 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
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether 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 | метилхлорометилов етер хлородиметилов етер |
| Spanish español | Éter de clorometilo y metilo éter clorodimetílico |
| Czech čeština | chlormethyl(methyl)ether chlordimethylether |
| Danish dansk | chlormethylmethylether chlordimethylether |
| German Deutsch | Chlormethylmethylether ChlordimethyletherMonochlordimethylether |
| Estonian eesti | klorometüülmetüüleeter klorodimetüüleeter |
| Greek ελληνικά | χλωρομεθυλο-μεθυλαιθέρας χλωροδιμεθυλαιθέρας |
| English English | chlormethyl methyl ether chlorodimethyl ether |
| French français | oxyde de chlorméthyle et de méthyle oxyde de chlorodiméthyle |
| Croatian hrvatski | klormetil-metil-eter klordimetil-eter |
| Italian italiano | clorometil (metil) ossido cloro (metil) etere |
| Latvian latviešu | hlormetilmetilēteris hlordimetilēteris |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | chlormetilmetileteris chlordimetileteris |
| Hungarian magyar | klórmetil-metil-éter klórdimetil-éter |
| Maltese Malti | eter tal-metil tal-klorometil eter tal-klorodimetil |
| Dutch Nederlands | chloormethyl-methylether chloordimethylether |
| Polish polski | eter chlorometylowo-metylowy chloro(metoksy)metan |
| Portuguese português | éter clorometílico e metílico éter clorodimetílico |
| Romanian română | clorometil-metil-eter clorodimetil-eter |
| Slovak slovenčina | (chlórmetyl)(metyl)éter chlórdimetyléter |
| Slovenian slovenščina | klorometil metil eter klorodimetil eter |
| Finnish suomi | kloorimetyylimetyylieetteri klooridimetyylieetteri |
| Swedish svenska | klormetylmetyleter klordimetyleter |
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
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
- Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
- May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Harmful if inhaled.
- Harmful in contact with skin.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- 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:
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- 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 Chloromethyl Methyl Ether in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether health hazards and exposure limits
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether hazard summary
Chloromethyl methyl ether is used in some chemical manufacturing processes. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure causes severe irritation of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract, pulmonary edema, and pneumonia in humans. Chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure may cause chronic bronchitis in humans. Numerous case reports and epidemiological studies have reported increased incidences of respiratory cancer in workers occupationally exposed to chloromethyl methyl ether. Increased incidences of lung tumors have been observed in mice, rats, and hamsters exposed by inhalation. EPA has classified chloromethyl methyl ether as a Group A, known human carcinogen.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether carcinogenicity classification
CLASSIFICATION: A; human carcinogen. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: The observation of an increased incidence of respiratory cancer in exposed workers and the observation of respiratory tumors in mice, rats, and hamsters exposed by inhalation forms the basis for this classification. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Sufficient.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. Sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals. OVERALL EVALUATION: Group 1: The agent is carcinogenic to humans.
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.
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | Ca | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | [1910.1006] See Appendix B | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | Ca See Appendix A | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | NIOSH considers chloromethyl methyl ether to be a potential occupational carcinogen. | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
| IDLH | Ca [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
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether 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.
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 59.5 °C (139.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| 58.89 °C (138 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 58.89 °C (138 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -103.5 °C (-154.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| -103.33 °C (-154 °F) | NIOSH |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.06 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.0603 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.0605 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | MISCIBLE WITH ETHANOL & ETHER & MANY OTHER ORG SOLVENTS | HSDB | |
| SOL IN ACETONE, CHLOROFORM, ETHYL ETHER, ETHYL ALCOHOL | HSDB | ||
| Solubility in water: decomposes | decomposes | ICSC |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 30 mmHg | at 22 °C | HSDB |
| 192 mmHg | at 21.11 °C | NIOSH |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 0 °C (32 °F) | open cup | HSDB |
| 0 °C (32 °F) | NIOSH |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | VAPOR MAY EXPLODE IF IGNITED IN AN ENCLOSED AREA. | HSDB | |
| Class IB Flammable Liquid: Fl.P. below 73 °F and BP at or above 100 °F. | NIOSH | ||
| Explosive limits , vol% in air: | ICSC |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.8 (air = 1) | ICSC | |
| 0.524 (air = 1) | at 21.11 °C | HSDB |
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Will react with surface moisture to evolve hydrogen chloride which is corrosive to metal. | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether 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.
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether fire potential
A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether storage and handling
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether peroxide formation
D: Other compounds that may form peroxides
Source: Lab and Research Safety, University of Minnesota
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether safe storage
Fireproof. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing. Well closed. Separated from food and feedstuffs. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether storage conditions
Store at ambient temperature.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether incompatible materials
Water [Note: Reacts with water to form hydrochloric acid & formaldehyde].
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether reactivity
METHYL CHLOROMETHYL ETHER Is a halogenated ether. Ethers tend to form unstable peroxides when exposed to oxygen. Ethyl, isobutyl, ethyl tert-butyl, and ethyl tert-pentyl ether are particularly hazardous in this respect. Ether peroxides can sometimes be observed as clear crystals deposited on containers or along the surface of the liquid. Ethers can act as bases. They form salts with strong acids and addition complexes with Lewis acids. The complex between diethyl ether and boron trifluoride is an example. Ethers may react violently with strong oxidizing agents. In other reactions, which typically involve the breaking of the carbon-oxygen bond, ethers are relatively inert.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Chloromethyl Methyl Ether in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Chloromethyl Methyl Ether?
The CAS number of Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is 107-30-2. Its EC number is 203-480-1.
What is the chemical formula of Chloromethyl Methyl Ether?
The molecular formula of Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is C2H5ClO and its molecular weight is 80.51 g/mol.
What does a Chloromethyl Methyl Ether label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether carries the pictograms Flame, Health hazard and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Danger.
Is Chloromethyl Methyl Ether flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Chloromethyl Methyl Ether H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 0 °C (32 °F), open cup (HSDB).
Is Chloromethyl Methyl Ether a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Chloromethyl Methyl Ether as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer.
What is the exposure limit for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is Ca (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 Chloromethyl Methyl Ether?
The boiling point reported for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is 59.5 °C (139.1 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Chloromethyl Methyl Ether?
The melting point reported for Chloromethyl Methyl Ether is -103.5 °C (-154.3 °F) (HSDB).
How should Chloromethyl Methyl Ether be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Chloromethyl Methyl Ether the storage statement P403. Store at ambient temperature. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Chloromethyl Methyl Ether
Keep going: substances starting with C, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.