Substance profile
Copper sulfate
Copper sulfate is grayish-white to greenish-white rhombic crystals or amorphous powder with a pleasant odor.
01 · Identification
What Copper sulfate is
Copper sulfate is grayish-white to greenish-white rhombic crystals or amorphous powder with a pleasant odor. Its molecular formula is CuO4S and its molecular weight is 159.61 g/mol. It boils at 650 °C, melts at 590 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning.
02 · Identifiers
Copper sulfate identifiers and molecular data
Copper sulfate CAS number and EC number
Copper sulfate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Copper sulfate
- bluestone
- blue vitriol
- CuSO4
- Blue Copper
- Blue Stone
- Copper Monosulfate
- Copper Sulfate (1:1)
- Copper Sulfate (Cuso4)
- Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate
- Copper(2+) Sulfate
- Copper(2+) Sulfate (1:1)
- Copper(Ii) Sulfate
- Cupric Sulfate
- Cupric Sulfate Anhydrous
- Cupric Sulphate
- copper sulphate
03 · GHS classification
Copper sulfate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Copper sulfate pictograms and signal word
Copper sulfate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | 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 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H410 | GHS09 |
Copper sulfate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Copper sulfate. 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 Copper sulfate
Our own Copper sulfate safety data sheet walks through all sixteen sections of the published data. What it is not is the document an inspector asks for: an SDS is issued for a product by its supplier, so the sheet covering the grade actually standing in your store exists only in that supplier’s version. Collecting those and keeping them current as suppliers revise them is a separate job.
04 · Precautionary statements
Copper sulfate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 16 precautionary statements to Copper sulfate. 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
Copper sulfate 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 | меден сулфат |
| Spanish español | Sulfato de cobre |
| Czech čeština | síran měďnatý |
| Danish dansk | kobbersulfat |
| German Deutsch | Kupfersulfat Kupfer(II)-sulfat |
| Estonian eesti | vasksulfaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | θειικός χαλκός |
| English English | copper sulphate |
| French français | sulfate de cuivre |
| Croatian hrvatski | bakrov sulfat |
| Italian italiano | solfato di rame |
| Latvian latviešu | vara sulfāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | vario sulfatas |
| Hungarian magyar | réz(II)-szulfát |
| Maltese Malti | sulfat tar-ram |
| Dutch Nederlands | kopersulfaat |
| Polish polski | siarczan(VI) miedzi(II) siarczan miedziowy |
| Portuguese português | sulfato de cobre |
| Romanian română | sulfat de cupru |
| Slovak slovenčina | síran meďnatý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | bakrov sulfat |
| Finnish suomi | kuparisulfaatti |
| Swedish svenska | kopparsulfat |
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
Copper sulfate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Copper sulfate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Copper sulfate
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- 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/…
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Copper sulfate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Copper sulfate health hazards and exposure limits
Copper sulfate hazard summary
A strong irritant; [Merck Index] A severe skin and eye irritant; A respiratory tract irritant; Can cause copper poisoning after ingestion; [ICSC] Interferes with embryo development in high-dose animal studies; [REPROTOX] An irritant; [MSDSonline] See Copper sulfate. See Copper.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Copper sulfate occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 1.0 [mg/m3], as Cu | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 100.0 [mg/m3], as Cu | 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
Copper sulfate 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.
Copper sulfate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 650 °C (1202 °F) | decomp to cupric oxide | HSDB |
| 650 °C (1202 °F) | DrugBank |
Copper sulfate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 590 °C (1094 °F) | HSDB |
Copper sulfate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 3.6 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 3.6 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC |
Copper sulfate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Solubility in water, g/l at 20 °C: 203 (freely soluble) | at 20 °C | ICSC |
| 1.04 g/100 cc methanol @ 18 °C | at 18 °C | HSDB |
Copper sulfate autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Source notes
Further notes on Copper sulfate
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.
Solubility
Soluble in methanol (1.1 g/100 ml), but insoluble in ethanol; it readily dissolves in aqueous ammonia and excess alkali metal cyanides, with the formation of complexes
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Copper sulfate storage and handling
Copper sulfate reactive group
CAMEO Chemicals places Copper sulfate in the reactive group Salts, Acidic. Compatibility with other chemicals is worked out from the group, not from the individual substance — which is why two substances you have never seen react can still be flagged as a pair that must be separated.
A reactive group is a CAMEO Chemicals (US NOAA) grouping, not a GHS hazard class: it has no code, no category and no legal force. It is what the storage compatibility matrix on this site computes from.
Copper sulfate safe storage
Well closed. Dry. Store only in original container. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Copper sulfate storage conditions
KEEP TIGHTLY CLOSED.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Copper sulfate incompatible materials
Anhydrous copper sulfate causes hydroxylamine to ignite & the hydrated salt is vigorously reduced.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Copper sulfate reactivity
Anhydrous CUPRIC SULFATE serves as a weak oxidizing agent. Causes hydroxylamine to ignite. Gains water readily. The hydrated salt is vigorously reduced by hydroxylamine [Mellor 8:292(1946-1947)]. Both forms are incompatible with finely powdered metals. Both are incompatible with magnesium, corrode steel and iron, may react with alkalis, phosphates, acetylene gas, hydrazine, or nitromethane, and may react with beta-naphthol, propylene glycol, sulphathiazole and triethanolamine if the pH exceeds 7 (NTP, 1992). Both act as acidic salts, corrode metals and irritate tissues.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Copper sulfate in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Copper sulfate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Copper sulfate?
The CAS number of Copper sulfate is 7758-98-7. Its EC number is 231-847-6.
What is the chemical formula of Copper sulfate?
The molecular formula of Copper sulfate is CuO4S and its molecular weight is 159.61 g/mol.
What does a Copper sulfate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Copper sulfate carries the pictograms Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Warning.
Is Copper sulfate flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Copper sulfate 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.
Is Copper sulfate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Copper sulfate. 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 Copper sulfate?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Copper sulfate is 1.0 [mg/m3], as Cu (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). 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 Copper sulfate?
The boiling point reported for Copper sulfate is 650 °C (1202 °F), decomp to cupric oxide (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Copper sulfate?
The melting point reported for Copper sulfate is 590 °C (1094 °F) (HSDB).
How should Copper sulfate be stored?
KEEP TIGHTLY CLOSED. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Copper sulfate
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