Substance profile
Malononitrile
Malononitrile is a colorless solid.
01 · Identification
What Malononitrile is
Malononitrile is a colorless solid. Its molecular formula is C3H2N2 and its molecular weight is 66.06 g/mol. It boils at 219 °C, melts at 32 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as reactive agents - 2nd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Malononitrile identifiers and molecular data
Malononitrile CAS number and EC number
Malononitrile molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Malononitrile hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Malononitrile pictograms and signal word
Malononitrile hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H301 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H311 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H331 | GHS06 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H410 | GHS09 |
Malononitrile hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H331 | Toxic if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Malononitrile. 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 Malononitrile
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 Malononitrile 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
Malononitrile precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 13 precautionary statements to Malononitrile. 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.
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
Malononitrile 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 | малононитрил |
| Spanish español | Malononitrilo |
| Czech čeština | malononitril |
| Danish dansk | malononitril |
| German Deutsch | Malonsäuredinitril MalononitrilPropandinitril |
| Estonian eesti | malononitriil |
| Greek ελληνικά | μηλονονιτρίλιο |
| English English | malononitrile |
| French français | malononitrile |
| Croatian hrvatski | malononitril |
| Italian italiano | malononitrile |
| Latvian latviešu | malononitrils |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | malono rūgšties nitrilas |
| Hungarian magyar | malonsav-dinitril |
| Maltese Malti | malononitril |
| Dutch Nederlands | malononitril |
| Polish polski | malononitryl dicyjanek metyludinitryl kwasu malonowego |
| Portuguese português | malononitrilo |
| Romanian română | malononitril |
| Slovak slovenčina | malononitril |
| Slovenian slovenščina | malononitril |
| Finnish suomi | malononitriili |
| Swedish svenska | malononitril |
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
Malononitrile GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Malononitrile, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Malononitrile
- Toxic if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- 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.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Rinse mouth.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Malononitrile in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Malononitrile health hazards and exposure limits
Malononitrile hazard summary
The toxicity of this compound is due to liver metabolism and the release of cyanide. Animals show liver injury after subcutaneous doses. [HSDB] A severe irritant of the skin and eyes; Violent polymerization may occur if heated above 266 deg F or contacts strong bases at lower temperatures; [CAMEO] See NITRILES.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Malononitrile occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | TWA 3 ppm (8 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | N.D. | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
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
Malononitrile 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.
Malononitrile boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 218.89 °C (426 °F) | NIOSH | |
| 220 °C (428 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 218.5 °C (425.3 °F) | range, midpoint shown, at 760 mmHg | HSDB |
Malononitrile melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 32 °C (89.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| 32.22 °C (90 °F) | NIOSH |
Malononitrile density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.19 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.191 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Malononitrile solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | SOL IN ACETIC ACID, CHLOROFORM | HSDB | |
| Soluble in acetone and benzene | HSDB | ||
| In water, 1.33X10+5 mg/l @ 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Malononitrile vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.2 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 0.2025 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC | |
| 11 mmHg | at 99 °C | DOE PAC |
Malononitrile flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 130 °C (266 °F) | HSDB |
Malononitrile lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | May spontaneously explode when stored at 70-80 °C. | HSDB | |
| Combustible Solid | NIOSH |
Malononitrile vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 2.3 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Malononitrile 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.
Malononitrile fire potential
Combustible when exposed to heat or flame.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Malononitrile storage and handling
Malononitrile safe storage
Cool. Separated from strong bases and food and feedstuffs. Well closed. Keep in a well-ventilated room.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Malononitrile incompatible materials
Strong bases [Note: May polymerize violently on prolonged heating at 265 degrees F, or in contact with strong bases at lower temperatures].
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Malononitrile reactivity
MALONONITRILE is a white, low-melting powder (m. p. 30.5 °C), toxic, combustible. Violent polymerization on contact with strong bases (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide) or when heated above 130 °C. When stored at 70-80 °C for 2 months, spontaneous explosion (decomposition) occurred [Bretherick, 5th ed., 1995, p. 394].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Malononitrile in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Malononitrile 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.
Malononitrile under UN 2647 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MALONONITRILE | 6.1 | T2 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malononitrile | 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
Malononitrile — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Malononitrile?
The CAS number of Malononitrile is 109-77-3. Its EC number is 203-703-2.
What is the chemical formula of Malononitrile?
The molecular formula of Malononitrile is C3H2N2 and its molecular weight is 66.06 g/mol.
What does a Malononitrile label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Malononitrile carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Malononitrile flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Malononitrile 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 130 °C (266 °F) (HSDB).
Is Malononitrile a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Malononitrile. 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 Malononitrile?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Malononitrile is none (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)). 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 Malononitrile?
The boiling point reported for Malononitrile is 218.89 °C (426 °F) (NIOSH).
What is the melting point of Malononitrile?
The melting point reported for Malononitrile is 32 °C (89.6 °F) (HSDB).
Nearby
Substances next to Malononitrile
Keep going: substances starting with M, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.