Substance profile
Ethyl methyl ether
Ethyl methyl ether is a colorless liquid.
01 · Identification
What Ethyl methyl ether is
Ethyl methyl ether is a colorless liquid. Its molecular formula is C3H8O and its molecular weight is 60.1 g/mol. It boils at 7.4 °C, melts at -113 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Ethyl methyl ether identifiers and molecular data
Ethyl methyl ether CAS number and EC number
Ethyl methyl ether molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Ethyl methyl ether hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Ethyl methyl ether pictograms and signal word
Ethyl methyl ether hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable gases GHS chapter 2.2 | Category 1A | H220 | GHS02 |
Ethyl methyl ether hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H220 | Extremely flammable gas. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Ethyl methyl ether. 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 Ethyl methyl ether
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 Ethyl methyl ether 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
Ethyl methyl ether precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 3 precautionary statements to Ethyl methyl ether. 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
Ethyl methyl ether 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 | етилметилов етер |
| Spanish español | Éter de etilo y metilo |
| Czech čeština | ethyl(methyl)ether |
| Danish dansk | methylethylether |
| German Deutsch | Ethylmethylether |
| Estonian eesti | etüülmetüüleeter |
| Greek ελληνικά | αιθυλομεθυλαιθέρας |
| English English | ethyl methyl ether |
| French français | éthyl méthyl éther |
| Croatian hrvatski | etil-metil-eter |
| Italian italiano | etil-metil-etere |
| Latvian latviešu | etilmetilēteris |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | etilmetileteris |
| Hungarian magyar | etil-metil-éter |
| Maltese Malti | eter tal-metil tal-etil |
| Dutch Nederlands | ethylmethylether |
| Polish polski | eter etylowo-metylowy metoksyetanmetoksyetylen |
| Portuguese português | éter etílico e metílico |
| Romanian română | etil-metil-eter |
| Slovak slovenčina | etyl(metyl)éter |
| Slovenian slovenščina | etil metil eter |
| Finnish suomi | etyylimetyylieetteri |
| Swedish svenska | etylmetyleter |
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
Ethyl methyl ether GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Ethyl methyl ether, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Ethyl methyl ether
- Extremely flammable gas.
- Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- Keep container tightly closed.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Ethyl methyl ether in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Ethyl methyl ether health hazards and exposure limits
Ethyl methyl ether hazard summary
Risk of fire and explosion; [Hawley] Extremely flammable; Forms spontaneously combustible peroxides on contact with air; Evaporating liquid can cause frostbite; [CAMEO] Acts as general anesthetic in inhalation animal experiments; [RTECS] Can form explosive mixtures with air; Inhalation can cause CNS depression and asphyxiation; [MSDSonline]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Ethyl methyl ether 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.
Ethyl methyl ether boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 7.4 °C (45.3 °F) | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -113 °C (-171.4 °F) | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.7251 g/cm³ | at 0 °C | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | SOL IN ACETONE | HSDB | |
| MISCIBLE IN ETHYL ALCOHOL, ETHYL ETHER | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 1493 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | -37.22 °C (-35 °F) | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 190 °C (374 °F) | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 2 % by volume | HSDB | |
| ... DANGEROUS ... EXPLOSION RISK. | HSDB | ||
| Ether tends to form unstable, explosive peroxides on standing in presence of air. | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 10.1 % by volume | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.1 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Ethyl methyl ether critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 164.7 °C (328.5 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Ethyl methyl ether 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.
Ethyl methyl ether fire potential
HIGHLY FLAMMABLE; DANGEROUS FIRE ... RISK.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Ethyl methyl ether storage and handling
Ethyl methyl ether incompatible materials
... can react vigorously with oxidizing materials (e.g., air, O2).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Ethyl methyl ether reactivity
Ethers, such as ETHYL METHYL ETHER, can act as bases. They form salts with strong acids and addition complexes with Lewis acids. The complex between diethyl ether and boron trifluoride is an example. Ethers may react violently with strong oxidizing agents. In other reactions, which typically involve the breaking of the carbon-oxygen bond, ethers are relatively inert.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Ethyl methyl ether in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Ethyl methyl ether 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.
Ethyl methyl ether under UN 1039 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHYL METHYL ETHER | 2 | 2F | — | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 2 is “Gases” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl methyl ether | 2.1 | — | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 2.1 is “Flammable gas” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Ethyl methyl ether — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Ethyl methyl ether?
The CAS number of Ethyl methyl ether is 540-67-0.
What is the chemical formula of Ethyl methyl ether?
The molecular formula of Ethyl methyl ether is C3H8O and its molecular weight is 60.1 g/mol.
What does a Ethyl methyl ether label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Ethyl methyl ether carries the pictograms Flame and Gas cylinder and the signal word is Danger.
Is Ethyl methyl ether flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Ethyl methyl ether H220 — extremely flammable gas. The flash point reported for it is -37.22 °C (-35 °F) (HSDB).
Is Ethyl methyl ether a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Ethyl methyl ether. 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 Ethyl methyl ether?
The boiling point reported for Ethyl methyl ether is 7.4 °C (45.3 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Ethyl methyl ether?
The melting point reported for Ethyl methyl ether is -113 °C (-171.4 °F) (HSDB).
How should Ethyl methyl ether be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Ethyl methyl ether the storage statement P403.
Nearby
Substances next to Ethyl methyl ether
Keep going: substances starting with E, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.