Substance profile
Diethyl Sulfate
Diethyl Sulfate is colorless, oily liquid darkens with age with a peppermint odor.
01 · Identification
What Diethyl Sulfate is
Diethyl Sulfate is colorless, oily liquid darkens with age with a peppermint odor. Its molecular formula is C4H10O4S and its molecular weight is 154.19 g/mol. It boils at 209 °C, melts at -25 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Diethyl Sulfate identifiers and molecular data
Diethyl Sulfate CAS number and EC number
Diethyl Sulfate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Diethyl Sulfate
- diethyl sulphate
03 · GHS classification
Diethyl Sulfate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Diethyl Sulfate pictograms and signal word
Diethyl Sulfate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Germ cell mutagenicity GHS chapter 3.5 | Category 1A or 1B | H340 | GHS08 |
| 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.
Diethyl Sulfate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H350 | May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H340 | May cause genetic defects <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. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Diethyl 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 Diethyl Sulfate
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 Diethyl Sulfate 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
Diethyl Sulfate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to Diethyl 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.
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
Diethyl 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 | диетилсулфат |
| Spanish español | Sulfato de dietilo |
| Czech čeština | diethyl-sulfát |
| Danish dansk | diethylsulfat |
| German Deutsch | Diethylsulfat |
| Estonian eesti | dietüülsulfaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | θειικός διαιθυλεστέρας |
| English English | diethyl sulphate |
| French français | sulfate de diéthyle |
| Croatian hrvatski | dietil-sulfat |
| Italian italiano | dietilsolfato |
| Latvian latviešu | dietilsulfāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | dietilsulfatas |
| Hungarian magyar | dietil-szulfát |
| Maltese Malti | sulfat tad-dietil |
| Dutch Nederlands | diëthylsulfaat |
| Polish polski | siarczan(VI) dietylu |
| Portuguese português | sulfato de dietilo |
| Romanian română | sulfat de dietil |
| Slovak slovenčina | dietyl-sulfát |
| Slovenian slovenščina | dietil sulfat |
| Finnish suomi | dietyylisulfaatti |
| Swedish svenska | dietylsulfat |
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
Diethyl Sulfate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Diethyl Sulfate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Diethyl Sulfate
- May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- May cause genetic defects <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.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- 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.
- 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/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Diethyl Sulfate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Diethyl Sulfate health hazards and exposure limits
Diethyl Sulfate hazard summary
Diethyl sulfate is used as an ethylating agent and as a chemical intermediate. No information is available on the acute (short-term), chronic (long-term), reproductive, or developmental effects of diethyl sulfate in humans. In an epidemiological study, an excess mortality rate from laryngeal cancer was associated with occupational exposure to high concentrations of diethyl sulfate. In one study, rats orally exposed to diethyl sulfate developed tumors in the forestomach. EPA has not classified diethyl sulfate with respect to potential carcinogenicity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified diethyl sulfate as a Group 2A, probable human carcinogen.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
Diethyl Sulfate carcinogenicity classification
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity in humans of diethyl sulfate. There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of diethyl sulfate in experimental animals. Diethyl sulfate is probably carcinogenic to humans (2A). In making the overall evaluation, the Working Group took into account diethyl sulfate is a strong direct alkylating agent which ethylates DNA and that as a result, it is genotoxic in virtually all test systems examined including potent effects in somatic and germ cells of mammals exposed in vivo.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Diethyl sulfate: reasonably anticipated to be a 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.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Diethyl 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.
Diethyl Sulfate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 209.44 °C (409 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
| 208 °C (406.4 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 209.5 °C (409.1 °F) | decomposes | HSDB |
Diethyl Sulfate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -25 °C (-13 °F) | HSDB | |
| -24.44 °C (-12 °F) | CAMEO |
Diethyl Sulfate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.2 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.1803 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 1.172 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Diethyl Sulfate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible in alcohol and ether. | HSDB | |
| Solubility in water: reaction | ICSC | ||
| In water, 7,000 mg/l @ 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Diethyl Sulfate vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.15 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
| 0.212 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| 0.75 mmHg | at 36 °C | DOE PAC |
Diethyl Sulfate flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 104.44 °C (220 °F) | HSDB | |
| 104 °C (219.2 °F) | ICSC |
Diethyl Sulfate autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 436.11 °C (817 °F) | HSDB | |
| 360 °C (680 °F) | ICSC |
Diethyl Sulfate lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 4.1 % by volume | CAMEO | |
| 1.8 % by volume | ICSC |
Diethyl Sulfate upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 12.2 % by volume | ICSC |
Diethyl Sulfate vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 5.31 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 5.3 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Diethyl Sulfate corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Noncorrosive | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Diethyl Sulfate 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.
Diethyl Sulfate fire potential
Combustible when exposed to heat or flame... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Diethyl Sulfate storage and handling
Diethyl Sulfate safe storage
Separated from food and feedstuffs. Dry. Well closed. Keep in a well-ventilated room. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Diethyl Sulfate storage conditions
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Diethyl Sulfate incompatible materials
React violently with 3,8-dinitro-9-phenylphenanthridine plus water. Reaction with iron plus water forms explosive hydrogen gas.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Diethyl Sulfate reactivity
The presence of moisture in a metal container of DIETHYL SULFATE caused the formation of sulfuric acid which reacts with the metal to release hydrogen which pressurized and exploded the container [Chem. Abst. 28:2908(1934)].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Diethyl Sulfate in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Diethyl Sulfate UN number and transport classification
Transport classification is a separate system from the GHS classification above. It decides how a package is marked and how a load may be carried; it does not follow from the workplace label, and the workplace label does not follow from it. The entries below are linked by CAS number, never by name.
Diethyl Sulfate under UN 1594 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIETHYL SULPHATE | 6.1 | T1 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 6.1 is “Toxic substances” (ADR 2.1.1.1).
United States · 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
| Proper shipping name (column 2) | Class or division | PG | Labels (column 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diethyl sulfate | 6.1 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 6.1 is “Poisonous materials” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Diethyl Sulfate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Diethyl Sulfate?
The CAS number of Diethyl Sulfate is 64-67-5. Its EC number is 200-589-6.
What is the chemical formula of Diethyl Sulfate?
The molecular formula of Diethyl Sulfate is C4H10O4S and its molecular weight is 154.19 g/mol.
What does a Diethyl Sulfate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Diethyl Sulfate carries the pictograms Corrosion, Health hazard and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Danger.
Is Diethyl Sulfate flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Diethyl 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. The flash point reported for it is 104.44 °C (220 °F) (HSDB).
Is Diethyl Sulfate a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Diethyl Sulfate as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer. IARC places it in Group 2A: probably carcinogenic to humans.
What is the boiling point of Diethyl Sulfate?
The boiling point reported for Diethyl Sulfate is 209.44 °C (409 °F), at 760 mmHg (CAMEO).
What is the melting point of Diethyl Sulfate?
The melting point reported for Diethyl Sulfate is -25 °C (-13 °F) (HSDB).
How should Diethyl Sulfate be stored?
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/ (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Diethyl Sulfate
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