Substance profile
Isopentane
Isopentane is a volatile liquid or gas with a pleasant odor.
01 · Identification
What Isopentane is
Isopentane is a volatile liquid or gas with a pleasant odor. Its molecular formula is C5H12 and its molecular weight is 72.15 g/mol. It boils at 27.8 °C, melts at -160 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 4th degree.
02 · Identifiers
Isopentane identifiers and molecular data
Isopentane CAS number and EC number
Isopentane molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Isopentane
- 2-methylbutane
03 · GHS classification
Isopentane hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Isopentane pictograms and signal word
Isopentane hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 1 | H224 | GHS02 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 narcotic | H336 | GHS07 |
| Aspiration hazard GHS chapter 3.10 | Category 1 | H304 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | GHS09 |
Isopentane hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H224 | Extremely flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H304 | May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways. |
| H336 | May cause drowsiness or dizziness. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
Isopentane supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH066 | Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Isopentane. 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 Isopentane
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 Isopentane 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
Isopentane precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 8 precautionary statements to Isopentane. 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.
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
Isopentane 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 | изопентан 2-метилбутан |
| Spanish español | Isopentano 2-metilbutano |
| Czech čeština | isopentan 2-methylbutan |
| Danish dansk | isopentan 2-methylbutan |
| German Deutsch | Isopentan 2-Methylbutan |
| Estonian eesti | isopentaan 2-metüülbutaan |
| Greek ελληνικά | ισοπεντάνιο 2-μεθυλοβουτάνιο |
| English English | isopentane 2-methylbutane |
| French français | isopentane 2-méthylbutane |
| Croatian hrvatski | izopentan 2-metilbutan |
| Italian italiano | isopentano 2-metilbutano |
| Latvian latviešu | izopentāns 2-metilbutāns |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | izopentanas 2-metilbutanas |
| Hungarian magyar | izopentán 2-metilbután |
| Maltese Malti | isopentan 2-metilbutan |
| Dutch Nederlands | isopentaan 2-methylbutaan |
| Polish polski | izopentan 2-metylobutan |
| Portuguese português | isopentano 2-metilbutano |
| Romanian română | izopentan 2-metilbutan |
| Slovak slovenčina | izopentán 2-metylbután |
| Slovenian slovenščina | izopentan 2-metilbutan |
| Finnish suomi | isopentaani 2-metyylibutaani |
| Swedish svenska | isopentan 2-metylbutan |
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
Isopentane GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Isopentane, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Isopentane
- Extremely flammable liquid and vapour.
- May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
- May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking.
- 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.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Collect spillage.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Isopentane in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Isopentane health hazards and exposure limits
Isopentane hazard summary
CNS depression is observed in mice exposed for 5-60 minutes at concentrations of 90,000-120,000 ppm (9-12% by volume); Concentrations of 150,000-170,000 ppm are lethal for dogs. [HSDB] See n-Pentane.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Isopentane occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 1000.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 1000 ppm (2950 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | 120 ppm (350 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | 610 ppm (1800 mg/m³) [15 minutes] | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| IDLH | 1500 ppm (as n-Pentane) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
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
Isopentane 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.
Isopentane boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 27.83 °C (82.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| 27.78 °C (82 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 28 °C (82.4 °F) | ICSC |
Isopentane melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -159.8 °C (-255.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| -159.89 °C (-255.8 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| -160 °C (-256 °F) | ICSC |
Isopentane density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.6201 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 0.6 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 0.62 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Isopentane solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insoluble in water | HSDB | |
| In water, 48 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| In water, 49.6 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Isopentane vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 689 mmHg | OSHA | |
| 595 mmHg | at 21.1 °C | DOE PAC | |
| 592.549 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
Isopentane flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | -51 °C (-59.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -56.67 °C (-70 °F) | CAMEO |
Isopentane autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 420 °C (788 °F) | HSDB | |
| 426.67 °C (800 °F) | CAMEO |
Isopentane lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.4 % by volume | HSDB |
Isopentane upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 7.6 % by volume | HSDB |
Isopentane vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.48 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 2.5 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Isopentane odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor Threshold Low: 400.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map | |
| Odor threshold from ACGIH | Haz-Map |
Isopentane critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 187.25 °C (369.1 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Isopentane 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.
Isopentane fire potential
Flammable liquid. A very dangerous fire and explosion hazard when exposed to heat, flame or oxidizers.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Isopentane storage and handling
Isopentane safe storage
Fireproof. Well closed. Separated from strong oxidants. Store in an area without drain or sewer access. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Isopentane 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. Recommended storage temperature 2-8 °C Refrigerate before opening. Handle and open container with care.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Isopentane incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Oxidizing agents.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Isopentane reactivity
ISOPENTANE is a fire and explosion hazard when in contact with oxidizing agents. (NTP, 1992).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Isopentane in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Isopentane — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Isopentane?
The CAS number of Isopentane is 78-78-4. Its EC number is 201-142-8.
What is the chemical formula of Isopentane?
The molecular formula of Isopentane is C5H12 and its molecular weight is 72.15 g/mol.
What does a Isopentane label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Isopentane carries the pictograms Flame, Health hazard, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Isopentane flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Isopentane H224 — extremely flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is -51 °C (-59.8 °F) (HSDB).
Is Isopentane a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Isopentane. 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 exposure limit for Isopentane?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Isopentane is 1000.0 [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 Isopentane?
The boiling point reported for Isopentane is 27.83 °C (82.1 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Isopentane?
The melting point reported for Isopentane is -159.8 °C (-255.6 °F) (HSDB).
How should Isopentane be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Isopentane 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. Recommended storage temperature 2-8 °C Refrigerate before opening. Handle and open container with care. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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