Substance profile
Dimethylformamide
Dimethylformamide is a colorless to very slightly yellow liquid with a fishy odor.
01 · Identification
What Dimethylformamide is
Dimethylformamide is a colorless to very slightly yellow liquid with a fishy odor. Its molecular formula is C3H7NO and its molecular weight is 73.09 g/mol. It boils at 153 °C, melts at -60.3 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Dimethylformamide identifiers and molecular data
Dimethylformamide CAS number and EC number
Dimethylformamide molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Dimethylformamide
- DMF
- Dimethyl Formamide
- Dmf (Amide)
- Dmfa
- Formyldimethylamine
- N,N-Dimethylformamide
- N,N-Dimethylmethanamide
- N-Formyldimethylamine
- U-4224
- N,N-dimethylformamide
- dimethyl formamide
03 · GHS classification
Dimethylformamide hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Dimethylformamide pictograms and signal word
Dimethylformamide hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H312 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H332 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
Dimethylformamide hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H360D | May damage the unborn child. |
| H332 | Harmful if inhaled. |
| H312 | Harmful in contact with skin. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Dimethylformamide. 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 Dimethylformamide
Our own Dimethylformamide 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
Dimethylformamide precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 12 precautionary statements to Dimethylformamide. 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
Dimethylformamide 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 | N, N -диметилформамид диметилформамид |
| Spanish español | N, N -Dimetilformamida dimetil-formamida |
| Czech čeština | N, N -dimethylformamid dimethylformamid |
| Danish dansk | N, N- dimethylformamid dimethylformamid |
| German Deutsch | N, N -Dimethylformamid Dimethylformamid |
| Estonian eesti | N , N -dimetüülformamiid dimetüülformamiid |
| Greek ελληνικά | N, N -διμεθυλοφορμαμίδιο διμεθυλοφορμαμίδιο |
| English English | N, N -dimethylformamide dimethyl formamide |
| French français | N, N -diméthylformamide diméthylformamide |
| Croatian hrvatski | N , N -dimetilformamid dimetilformamid |
| Italian italiano | N , N -dimetilformamide dimetilformamide |
| Latvian latviešu | N , N -dimetilformamīds dimetilformamīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | N, N -dimetilformamidas dimetilformamidas |
| Hungarian magyar | N, N -dimetilformamid dimetilformamid |
| Maltese Malti | N, N -dimetilformammid dimetil formammidu |
| Dutch Nederlands | N , N -dimethylformamide dimethylformamide |
| Polish polski | dimetyloformamid DMF |
| Portuguese português | N , N -dimetilformamida dimetilformamida |
| Romanian română | N, N -dimetilformamidă dimetil formamidă |
| Slovak slovenčina | N, N -dimetylformamid dimetylformamid |
| Slovenian slovenščina | N, N -dimetilformamid dimetilformamid |
| Finnish suomi | N, N -dimetyyliformamidi dimetyyliformamidi |
| Swedish svenska | N, N -dimetylformamid dimetylformamid |
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
Dimethylformamide GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Dimethylformamide, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Dimethylformamide
- May damage the unborn child.
- Harmful if inhaled.
- Harmful in contact with skin.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- IF IN EYES:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Dimethylformamide in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Dimethylformamide health hazards and exposure limits
Dimethylformamide hazard summary
Dimethylformamide is used as an industrial solvent and in the production of fibers, films, and surface coatings. Acute (short-term) exposure to dimethylformamide has been observed to damage the liver in animals and in humans. Symptoms of acute exposure in humans include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, alcohol intolerance, and rashes. Chronic (long-term) occupational exposure to dimethylformamide by inhalation has resulted in effects on the liver and digestive disturbances in workers. Human studies suggested a possible association between dimethylformamide exposure and testicular cancer, but further studies failed to confirm this relationship. EPA has not classified dimethylformamide with respect to its carcinogenicity.
Source: EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants
Dimethylformamide carcinogenicity classification
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of dimethylformamide. There is evidence suggesting the lack of carcinogenicity of dimethylformamide in experimental animals. Overall evaluation: Dimethylformamide is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans (Group 3).
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.
Dimethylformamide occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 10.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 10 ppm (30 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 10 ppm (30 mg/m3) [skin] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 10 ppm (30 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 10 ppm (30 mg/m3) [skin] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 500 ppm (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 500.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 500 ppm | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
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
Dimethylformamide 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.
Dimethylformamide boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 152.8 °C (307 °F) | HSDB | |
| 152.78 °C (307 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 153 °C (307.4 °F) | ICSC |
Dimethylformamide melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -60.3 °C (-76.5 °F) | HSDB | |
| -61.11 °C (-78 °F) | NIOSH |
Dimethylformamide density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.95 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 0.95 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 0.9445 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Dimethylformamide solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with water and most common organic solvents | HSDB | |
| Miscible with ethanol, ethyl ether, acetone, benzene; slightly soluble in ligroin | HSDB | ||
| Miscible | NIOSH |
Dimethylformamide vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 3 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 3.87 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| 3.7 mmHg | at 25 °C | CAMEO |
Dimethylformamide flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 58 °C (136.4 °F) | Closed cup | HSDB |
| 57.78 °C (136 °F) | HSDB |
Dimethylformamide autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 445 °C (833 °F) | HSDB | |
| 440 °C (824 °F) | ICSC |
Dimethylformamide lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 2.2 % by volume | DOE PAC | |
| 2.2 % by volume | at 100 °C | HSDB |
Dimethylformamide upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 15.2 % by volume | NIOSH | |
| 15.2 % by volume | at 100 °C | HSDB |
Dimethylformamide vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.51 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 2.5 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Dimethylformamide odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | 300 mg/cu m (odor low) 300 mg/cu m (odor high) | HSDB | |
| Odor Threshold Low: 0.47 [ppm] | Haz-Map | ||
| Odor Threshold High: 100.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map |
Dimethylformamide critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 374 °C (705.2 °F) | HSDB |
Dimethylformamide corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Pure dimethylformamide is essentially noncorrosive to metals. However, copper, tin and their alloys should be avoided. | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Dimethylformamide 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.
Dimethylformamide fire potential
Combustible
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Dimethylformamide storage and handling
Dimethylformamide reactive group
CAMEO Chemicals places Dimethylformamide in the reactive group Amides and Imides. 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.
Dimethylformamide safe storage
Separated from incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Dimethylformamide 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. Handle and store under inert gas.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Dimethylformamide incompatible materials
CAN REACT VIGOROUSLY WITH OXIDIZING AGENTS, HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS, & INORG NITRATES.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Dimethylformamide reactivity
N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE may react violently with a broad range of chemicals, e.g.: alkaline metals (sodium, potassium), azides, hydrides (sodium borohydride, lithium aluminum hydride), bromine, chlorine, carbon tetrachloride, hexachlorocyclohexane, phosphorus pentaoxide, triethylaluminum, magnesium nitrate, organic nitrates. Forms explosive mixtures with lithium azide [Bretherick, 5th ed., 1995, p. 453]. Oxidation by chromium trioxide or potassium permanganate may lead to explosion [Pal B. C. et al., Chem. Eng. News, 1981, 59, p. 47].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Dimethylformamide in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Dimethylformamide — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Dimethylformamide?
The CAS number of Dimethylformamide is 68-12-2. Its EC number is 200-679-5.
What is the chemical formula of Dimethylformamide?
The molecular formula of Dimethylformamide is C3H7NO and its molecular weight is 73.09 g/mol.
What does a Dimethylformamide label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Dimethylformamide carries the pictograms Health hazard and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Danger.
Is Dimethylformamide flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Dimethylformamide 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 58 °C (136.4 °F), Closed cup (HSDB).
Is Dimethylformamide a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Dimethylformamide. 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. IARC places it in Group 2A: probably carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Dimethylformamide?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Dimethylformamide is 10.0 [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 Dimethylformamide?
The boiling point reported for Dimethylformamide is 152.8 °C (307 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Dimethylformamide?
The melting point reported for Dimethylformamide is -60.3 °C (-76.5 °F) (HSDB).
How should Dimethylformamide be stored?
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. Handle and store under inert gas. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Dimethylformamide
Keep going: substances starting with D, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.
Next