Substance profile
Cyanamide
Cyanamide is an orthorhombic, elongated, six-sided tablets from dimethyl phthalate.
01 · Identification
What Cyanamide is
Cyanamide is an orthorhombic, elongated, six-sided tablets from dimethyl phthalate. Its molecular formula is CH2N2 and its molecular weight is 42.04 g/mol. It boils at 260 °C, melts at 45 °C, is slightly soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Cyanamide identifiers and molecular data
Cyanamide CAS number and EC number
Cyanamide molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Cyanamide
- carbamonitril
03 · GHS classification
Cyanamide hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Cyanamide pictograms and signal word
Cyanamide 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 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 1 | H318 | GHS05 |
| Skin sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H317 | GHS07 |
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 2 | H351 | GHS08 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 2 | H373 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 3 | H412 | — |
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.
Cyanamide 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>. |
| H361fd | Suspected of damaging fertility. Suspected of damaging the unborn child. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H373 | May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H318 | Causes serious eye damage. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
| H412 | Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Cyanamide. 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 Cyanamide
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 Cyanamide 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
Cyanamide precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 20 precautionary statements to Cyanamide. 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
Cyanamide 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 | цианамид карбамонитрил |
| Spanish español | Cianamida carbamonitrilo |
| Czech čeština | kyanamid karbonitril |
| Danish dansk | cyanamid carbamonitril |
| German Deutsch | Cyanamid Carbamonitril |
| Estonian eesti | tsüaanamiid karbamonitriil |
| Greek ελληνικά | κυαναμίδιο |
| English English | cyanamide carbamonitril |
| French français | cyanamide carbamonitrile |
| Croatian hrvatski | cijanamid karbamonitril |
| Italian italiano | cianammide carbanonitril |
| Latvian latviešu | ciānamīds karbamonitrils |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | cianamidas karbamonitrilas |
| Hungarian magyar | ciánamid karbamonitril |
| Maltese Malti | ċjanammid karbamonitril |
| Dutch Nederlands | cyaanamide carbanonitril |
| Polish polski | cyjanamid cyjanoamid |
| Portuguese português | Cianamida carbamonitrilo |
| Romanian română | cianamidă carbamonitril |
| Slovak slovenčina | kyánamid karbamonitril |
| Slovenian slovenščina | cianamid karbamonitril |
| Finnish suomi | syanamidi karbamonitriili |
| Swedish svenska | cyanamid karbamonitril |
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
Cyanamide GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Cyanamide, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Cyanamide
- Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Suspected of damaging fertility. Suspected of damaging the unborn child.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Causes serious eye damage.
- May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF IN EYES:
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- If skin irritation or rash occurs:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Cyanamide in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Cyanamide health hazards and exposure limits
Cyanamide carcinogenicity classification
Cancer Classification: Group C Possible Human Carcinogen
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.
Cyanamide occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 2 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 2 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
Cyanamide 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.
Cyanamide boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 260 °C (500 °F) | decomposes | NIOSH |
| 260 °C (500 °F) | decomposes, at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Cyanamide melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 45 °C (113 °F) | NIOSH | |
| 44 °C (111.2 °F) | ICSC |
Cyanamide density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.28 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.282 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Cyanamide solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Slightly soluble in carbon disulfide | HSDB | |
| In chloroform 2.4 g/kg, 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Cyanamide vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.0037 mmHg | at 20 °C | HSDB |
| 0.0038 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
Cyanamide flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 141 °C (285.8 °F) | closed cup | HSDB |
| 141.11 °C (286 °F) | NIOSH |
Cyanamide lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Combustible Solid | NIOSH |
Cyanamide vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 1.45 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Cyanamide corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Non-corrosive, as far as known | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Cyanamide 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.
Cyanamide fire potential
Cyanamide may burn, but does not readily ignite.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Solubility
In butanol 28.8; ethyl acetate 42.4, methyl ethyl ketone 50.5 (all g/100 g at 20 °C); sol in phenols, amines, ethers, ketones; very sparingly soluble in benzene, halogenated hydrocarbons; practically insoluble in cyclohexane.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Cyanamide storage and handling
Cyanamide safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs and incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Cool. Store at maximum 20 °C, never exceed 30 °C. Dry. Well closed. Keep in a well-ventilated room. Store only if stabilized. Store in stainless steel, polyethylene or polypropylene.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Cyanamide storage conditions
The commercial 50% solution produced by Degussa AG is stabilized by a special buffer system to a pH between 4.0 and 4.6. Typically, it contains less than 1.5 % dicyandiamide, less than 0.5% urea, and less than 0.1 % thiourea. This solution is stable for at least 3 months if stored at a temperature below 20 °C. Prolonged storage leads to an increase in the pH and thus to instability of the solution. If a pH of 5.2 has been reached, the product should be used quickly, above pH 5.5 it should be discarded immediately by mixing it with at least the double volume of water. Otherwise, a thermal runaway reaction leading to temperatures above 100 °C and potential bursting of the container may occur.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Cyanamide incompatible materials
... On contact with acid or fumes, it emits toxic fumes of cyanide and nitroxides.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Cyanamide reactivity
CYANAMIDE is the amide of cyanic acid. Non-flammable but combustible (flash point: 140 °C). Decomposes on warming above 49 °C. Emits toxic fumes of CN- and NOx when heated to decomposition or on contact with acids or acid fumes (Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference, p. 353 (1987)). Contact with moisture, acids or bases may cause a violent reaction at temperatures above about 40 °C. Dry solid may polymerize at temperatures above 122 °C. Rapid or explosive polymerization may occur during the evaporation of aqueous solutions. Reacts explosively with strong oxidizing agents and strong reducing agents. Attacks various metals (International Chemical Safety Card).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Cyanamide in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Cyanamide — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Cyanamide?
The CAS number of Cyanamide is 420-04-2. Its EC number is 206-992-3.
What is the chemical formula of Cyanamide?
The molecular formula of Cyanamide is CH2N2 and its molecular weight is 42.04 g/mol.
What does a Cyanamide label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Cyanamide carries the pictograms Health hazard, Skull and crossbones and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Cyanamide flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Cyanamide 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 141 °C (285.8 °F), closed cup (HSDB).
Is Cyanamide a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI assigns Cyanamide H351 — suspected of causing cancer. That is category 2: the evidence points that way but is not conclusive.
What is the exposure limit for Cyanamide?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Cyanamide 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 Cyanamide?
The boiling point reported for Cyanamide is 260 °C (500 °F), decomposes (NIOSH).
What is the melting point of Cyanamide?
The melting point reported for Cyanamide is 45 °C (113 °F) (NIOSH).
How should Cyanamide be stored?
The commercial 50% solution produced by Degussa AG is stabilized by a special buffer system to a pH between 4.0 and 4.6. Typically, it contains less than 1.5 % dicyandiamide, less than 0.5% urea, and less than 0.1 % thiourea. This solution is stable for at least 3 months if stored at a temperature below 20 °C. Prolonged storage leads to an increase in the pH and thus to instability of the solution. If a pH of 5.2 has been reached, the product should be used quickly, above pH 5.5 it should be discarded immediately by mixing it with at least the double volume of water. Otherwise, a thermal runaway reaction leading to temperatures above 100 °C and potential bursting of the container may occur. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Cyanamide
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