Substance profile
Dimethyl Carbonate
Dimethyl Carbonate is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor.
01 · Identification
What Dimethyl Carbonate is
Dimethyl Carbonate is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. Its molecular formula is C3H6O3 and its molecular weight is 90.08 g/mol. It boils at 90.5 °C, melts at 0.5 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Dimethyl Carbonate identifiers and molecular data
Dimethyl Carbonate CAS number and EC number
Dimethyl Carbonate molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Dimethyl Carbonate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Dimethyl Carbonate pictograms and signal word
Dimethyl Carbonate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 2 | H225 | GHS02 |
Dimethyl Carbonate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Dimethyl Carbonate. 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 Dimethyl Carbonate
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 Dimethyl Carbonate 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
Dimethyl Carbonate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 5 precautionary statements to Dimethyl Carbonate. 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.
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
Dimethyl Carbonate 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 | диметилов карбонат |
| Spanish español | Carbonato de dimetilo |
| Czech čeština | dimethyl-karbonát |
| Danish dansk | dimethylcarbonat |
| German Deutsch | Dimethylcarbonat |
| Estonian eesti | dimetüülkarbonaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | ανθρακικός διμεθυλεστέρας ανθρακικό διμεθύλιο |
| English English | dimethyl carbonate |
| French français | carbonate de diméthyle |
| Croatian hrvatski | dimetil-karbonat |
| Italian italiano | dimetil-carbonato |
| Latvian latviešu | dimetilkarbonāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | dimetilkarbonatas |
| Hungarian magyar | dimetil-karbonát |
| Maltese Malti | karbonat tad-dimetil |
| Dutch Nederlands | dimethylcarbonaat |
| Polish polski | węglan dimetylu |
| Portuguese português | carbonato de dimetilo |
| Romanian română | carbonat de dimetil |
| Slovak slovenčina | dimetyl-karbonát |
| Slovenian slovenščina | dimetil karbonat |
| Finnish suomi | dimetyylikarbonaatti |
| Swedish svenska | dimetylkarbonat |
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
Dimethyl Carbonate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Dimethyl Carbonate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Dimethyl Carbonate
- Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
- 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.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Dimethyl Carbonate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Dimethyl Carbonate health hazards and exposure limits
Dimethyl Carbonate hazard summary
A dangerous fire risk; [Hawley] A mild eye irritant; [ICSC] An irritant; [MSDSonline]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Dimethyl Carbonate 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.
Dimethyl Carbonate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 90.5 °C (194.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| 90 °C (194 °F) | ICSC | ||
| 90.91 °C (195.6 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC |
Dimethyl Carbonate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 0.5 °C (32.9 °F) | HSDB | |
| 3 °C (37.4 °F) | ICSC |
Dimethyl Carbonate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.07 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.0636 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.065 g/cm³ | at 17 °C | DOE PAC |
Dimethyl Carbonate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with alcohol and ether | HSDB | |
| Miscible with acids and alkalies; stable in the presence of water; soluble in most organic solvents | HSDB | ||
| Soluble in oxygenated solvents | HSDB |
Dimethyl Carbonate vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 55.364 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 55.5046 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC |
Dimethyl Carbonate flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 14 °C (57.2 °F) | Closed cup | HSDB |
| 18 °C (64.4 °F) | Open cup | HSDB | |
| -0.56 °C (31 °F) | CAMEO |
Dimethyl Carbonate autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 458 °C (856.4 °F) | HSDB |
Dimethyl Carbonate lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 4.2 % by volume | HSDB |
Dimethyl Carbonate upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 12.9 % by volume | HSDB |
Dimethyl Carbonate vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.1 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Dimethyl Carbonate critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 274.85 °C (526.7 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Dimethyl Carbonate 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.
Dimethyl Carbonate fire potential
A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat, open flames (sparks), or oxidizers.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Dimethyl Carbonate storage and handling
Dimethyl Carbonate safe storage
Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants. Well closed. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Dimethyl Carbonate storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Air sensitive.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Dimethyl Carbonate incompatible materials
Vapor/air mixtures are explosive.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Dimethyl Carbonate reactivity
DIMETHYL CARBONATE reacts with acids to liberate heat along with methanol and carbon dioxide. Strong oxidizing acids may cause a vigorous reaction that is sufficiently exothermic to ignite the reaction products. Heat is also generated by the interaction with caustic solutions. Flammable hydrogen is generated by mixing with alkali metals and hydrides.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Dimethyl Carbonate in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Dimethyl Carbonate 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.
Dimethyl Carbonate under UN 1161 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIMETHYL CARBONATE | 3 | F1 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 3 is “Flammable liquids” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimethyl carbonate | 3 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 3 is “Flammable and combustible liquid” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Dimethyl Carbonate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Dimethyl Carbonate?
The CAS number of Dimethyl Carbonate is 616-38-6. Its EC number is 210-478-4.
What is the chemical formula of Dimethyl Carbonate?
The molecular formula of Dimethyl Carbonate is C3H6O3 and its molecular weight is 90.08 g/mol.
What does a Dimethyl Carbonate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Dimethyl Carbonate carries the pictogram Flame and the signal word is Danger.
Is Dimethyl Carbonate flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Dimethyl Carbonate H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 14 °C (57.2 °F), Closed cup (HSDB).
Is Dimethyl Carbonate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Dimethyl Carbonate. 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 boiling point of Dimethyl Carbonate?
The boiling point reported for Dimethyl Carbonate is 90.5 °C (194.9 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Dimethyl Carbonate?
The melting point reported for Dimethyl Carbonate is 0.5 °C (32.9 °F) (HSDB).
How should Dimethyl Carbonate be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Dimethyl Carbonate the storage statement P403. Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Air sensitive. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Dimethyl Carbonate
Keep going: substances starting with D, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.