Substance profile
Cumene
Cumene is a colorless liquid with a gasoline-like odor.
01 · Identification
What Cumene is
Cumene is a colorless liquid with a gasoline-like odor. Its molecular formula is C9H12 and its molecular weight is 120.19 g/mol. It boils at 152 °C, melts at -96 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Cumene identifiers and molecular data
Cumene CAS number and EC number
Cumene molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Cumene hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Cumene pictograms and signal word
Cumene hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 3 | H226 | GHS02 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 1A or 1B | H350 | GHS08 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
| Aspiration hazard GHS chapter 3.10 | Category 1 | H304 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | 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.
Cumene hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H226 | 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>. |
| H304 | May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways. |
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Cumene. 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 Cumene
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 Cumene 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
Cumene precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 12 precautionary statements to Cumene. 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
Cumene 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 | кумен |
| Spanish español | Cumeno |
| Czech čeština | kumen |
| Danish dansk | cumen |
| German Deutsch | Cumol |
| Estonian eesti | kumeen |
| Greek ελληνικά | Κουμένιο |
| English English | Cumene |
| French français | Cumène |
| Croatian hrvatski | kumen |
| Italian italiano | cumene |
| Latvian latviešu | kumols |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | kumenas |
| Hungarian magyar | Kumol |
| Maltese Malti | Kumen |
| Dutch Nederlands | cumeen |
| Polish polski | Kumen |
| Portuguese português | cumeno |
| Romanian română | Cumen |
| Slovak slovenčina | kumén |
| Slovenian slovenščina | kumen |
| Finnish suomi | kumeeni |
| Swedish svenska | Kumen |
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
Cumene GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Cumene, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Cumene
- 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>.
- May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- 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.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Collect spillage.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Cumene in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Cumene health hazards and exposure limits
Cumene hazard summary
Cumene is used in a variety of petroleum products. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to cumene may cause headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, slight incoordination, and unconsciousness in humans. Cumene has a potent central nervous system (CNS) depressant action characterized by a slow induction period and long duration of narcotic effects in animals. Cumene is a skin and eye irritant. No information is available on the chronic (long-term), reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects of cumene in humans. Animal studies have reported increased liver, kidney, and adrenal weights from inhalation exposure to cumene. EPA has classified cumene as a Group D, not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
Cumene carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of these 2-year inhalation studies, there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of cumene in male F344/N rats based on increased incidences of respiratory epithelial adenoma in the nose and renal tubule adenoma or carcinoma (combined). Increased incidences of interstitial cell adenoma of the testis may have been related to exposure to cumene. There was some evidence of carcinogenic activity of cumene in female F344/N rats based on the incidences of respiratory epithelium adenoma in the nose. There was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of cumene in male B6C3F1 mice based on increased incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar neoplasms. The increased incidences of hemangiosarcoma in the spleen and follicular cell adenoma in the thyroid gland in male mice may have been related to cumene exposure. There was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of cumene in female B6C3F1 mice based on increased incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar neoplasms. Increased incidences of hepatocellular adenoma or carcinoma (combined) in female mice were also considered to be related to exposure to cumene.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-542: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Cumene (CASRN 98-82-8) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (2009 )
Evaluation: No data were available from studies in humans. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of cumene. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of alpha-methylstyrene. Cumene is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). alpha-Methylstyrene is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).
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.
Cumene occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 50.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 50 ppm (245 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 50 ppm (245 mg/m3) [skin] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 50 ppm (245 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 50 ppm (245 mg/m3) [skin] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 900 ppm ; Based on 10% of the lower explosive limit. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 900.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 900 ppm | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
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
Cumene 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.
Cumene boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 152.4 °C (306.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| 152.22 °C (306 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 152.39 °C (306.3 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Cumene melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -96 °C (-140.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -96.11 °C (-141 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -96.06 °C (-140.9 °F) | CAMEO |
Cumene density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.86 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 0.9 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 0.862 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Cumene solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with ethanol, ethyl ether, acetone, benzene, petroleum ether, carbon tetrachloride | HSDB | |
| In water, 50 mg/L at 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| In water, 61.3 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Cumene vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 8 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 25.85 mmHg | CAMEO | ||
| 4.5 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Cumene flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 38.89 °C (102 °F) | HSDB | |
| 35.56 °C (96 °F) | NIOSH |
Cumene autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 423.89 °C (795 °F) | HSDB | |
| 425 °C (797 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 420 °C (788 °F) | ICSC |
Cumene lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 0.9 % by volume | HSDB |
Cumene upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 6.5 % by volume | HSDB |
Cumene vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4.1 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 4.2 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Cumene odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Human odor perception: 0.06 mg/cu m= 0.012 ppm. | HSDB | |
| Detection of cumene in air 0.008 ppm. | HSDB | ||
| Recognition of cumene in air 0.047 ppm. | HSDB |
Cumene critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 357.85 °C (676.1 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Cumene 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.
Cumene fire potential
Flammable liquid.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Cumene storage and handling
Cumene peroxide formation
B: Compounds that form peroxides on concentration (distillation/evaporation)
Source: Lab and Research Safety, University of Minnesota
Cumene safe storage
Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants and acids. Cool. Keep in the dark. Store only if stabilized. Store in an area without drain or sewer access. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Cumene storage conditions
... Precautions ... such as mounds around storage tanks, sills at doorways or especially designed floors /are needed/ to limit spread of escaping liquid. Open flames & other sources of ignition should be excluded where cumene is stored.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Cumene incompatible materials
Reacts with oxidizing materials. Reacts with nitric acid and sulfuric acid with release of energy.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Cumene reactivity
Mixing CUMENE in equal molar portions with any of the following substances in a closed container caused the temperature and pressure to increase: chlorosulfonic acid, nitric acid, oleum, NFPA 1991.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Cumene in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Cumene — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Cumene?
The CAS number of Cumene is 98-82-8. Its EC number is 202-704-5.
What is the chemical formula of Cumene?
The molecular formula of Cumene is C9H12 and its molecular weight is 120.19 g/mol.
What does a Cumene label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Cumene carries the pictograms Flame, Health hazard, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Cumene flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Cumene H226 — flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 38.89 °C (102 °F) (HSDB).
Is Cumene a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Cumene as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer. IARC places it in Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Cumene?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Cumene is 50.0 [ppm] (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 Cumene?
The boiling point reported for Cumene is 152.4 °C (306.3 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Cumene?
The melting point reported for Cumene is -96 °C (-140.8 °F) (HSDB).
How should Cumene be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Cumene the storage statement P403. ... Precautions ... such as mounds around storage tanks, sills at doorways or especially designed floors /are needed/ to limit spread of escaping liquid. Open flames & other sources of ignition should be excluded where cumene is stored. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Cumene
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