Substance profile
Mercury difulminate
Mercury difulminate is a grey, pale brown or white crystalline solid.
01 · Identification
What Mercury difulminate is
Mercury difulminate is a grey, pale brown or white crystalline solid. Its molecular formula is C2HgN2O2 and its molecular weight is 284.63 g/mol.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Mercury difulminate identifiers and molecular data
Mercury difulminate CAS number and EC number
Mercury difulminate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Mercury difulminate
- mercuric fulminate
- fulminate of mercury
03 · GHS classification
Mercury difulminate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Mercury difulminate pictograms and signal word
Mercury difulminate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explosives GHS chapter 2.1 | Category Unstable explosive | H200 | GHS01 |
| 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 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 2 | H373 | GHS08 |
| 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 |
Mercury difulminate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H200 | Unstable explosives. |
| H331 | Toxic if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H373 | May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Mercury difulminate. 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 Mercury difulminate
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 Mercury difulminate 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
Mercury difulminate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to Mercury difulminate. 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
Mercury difulminate 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 | живачен дифулминат живачен фулминатфулминат на живака |
| Spanish español | Difulminato de mercurio fulminato mercúricofulminato de mercurio |
| Czech čeština | fulminát rtuťnatý |
| Danish dansk | kviksølvdifulminat kviksølvfulminatfulminat af kviksølv |
| German Deutsch | Quecksilberdifulminat QuecksilberfulminatKnallquecksilber |
| Estonian eesti | Elavhõbedifulminaat elavhõbe(II)fulminaatpaukhappe elavhõbesool |
| Greek ελληνικά | δικροτικός υδράργυρος κροτικός υδράργυρος(II)κροτικό άλας υδραργύρου |
| English English | mercury difulminate mercuric fulminatefulminate of mercury |
| French français | difulminate de mercure fulminate mercuriquefulminate de mercure of |
| Croatian hrvatski | živin difulminat živin fulminatfulminat žive |
| Italian italiano | difulminato di mercurio |
| Latvian latviešu | dzīvsudraba difulmināts dzīvsudraba(II) fulminātsdzīvsudraba fulmināts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | gyvsidabrio difulminatas gyvsidabrio fulminatas |
| Hungarian magyar | higany-difulminát higany-fulminát |
| Maltese Malti | difulminat tal-merkurju fulminat merkurikufulminat tal-merkurju |
| Dutch Nederlands | kwikdifulminaat kwik(II)fulminaatkwikfulminaatknalkwikslagkwik |
| Polish polski | piorunian rtęci(II) fulminian rtęci(II)fulminian rtęciowy |
| Portuguese português | difulminato de mercúrio fulminato mercúricofulminato de mercúrio |
| Romanian română | difulminat de mercur fulminat mercuricfulminat de mercur |
| Slovak slovenčina | hydrargýrium-difulminát fulminát ortuťnatý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | živosrebrov difulminat živosrebrov fulminatfulminat živega srebra |
| Finnish suomi | elohopeadifulminaatti elohopeafulminaatti |
| Swedish svenska | kvicksilverdifulminat kvicksilverfulminatknallkvicksilver |
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
Mercury difulminate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Mercury difulminate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Mercury difulminate
- Unstable explosives.
- Toxic if inhaled.
- Toxic in contact with skin.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- 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/…
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- 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 Mercury difulminate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Mercury difulminate health hazards and exposure limits
Mercury difulminate hazard summary
A skin and eye irritant; Mercury poisoning has been reported in munitions workers handling this substance; [HSDB] Fulminates are compounds with the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen group that are sensitive explosives. [Hawley] See Mercury, inorganic compounds and the linked occupational disease.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Mercury difulminate occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.1 [mg/m3], as Hg | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 10 mg Hg/m3 (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 10.0 [mg/m3], as Hg | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
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
Mercury difulminate 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.
Mercury difulminate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | Explodes | HSDB |
Mercury difulminate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 4.42 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Mercury difulminate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in alcohol, ammonium hydroxide, and hot water; slightly soluble in cold water | HSDB | |
| In water, 100 mg/L at 15.5 °C | at 15.5 °C | HSDB |
Mercury difulminate lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | An explosive sensitive to flame, heat, impact, friction, intense radiation, or contact with sulfuric acid. Self-explodes. | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Mercury difulminate 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.
Mercury difulminate fire potential
Dangerously flammable; should be kept moist until used.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Mercury difulminate storage and handling
Mercury difulminate storage conditions
Explodes readily when dry, keep moist till use.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Mercury difulminate incompatible materials
Incompatible with sulfuric acid.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Mercury difulminate reactivity
Contact with sulfuric acid causes explosion, [Urbanski, 1967, vol. 3, 135, 149]. Aqueous ammonia and Hg react to form an explosive solid, likely a fulminate. (Thodos, G. Amer. Inst. Chen. Engrs. J., 1964, 10, 274.).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Mercury difulminate in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Mercury difulminate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Mercury difulminate?
The CAS number of Mercury difulminate is 628-86-4. Its EC number is 211-057-8.
What is the chemical formula of Mercury difulminate?
The molecular formula of Mercury difulminate is C2HgN2O2 and its molecular weight is 284.63 g/mol.
What does a Mercury difulminate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Mercury difulminate carries the pictograms Exploding bomb, Skull and crossbones, Health hazard and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Mercury difulminate flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Mercury difulminate 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.
Is Mercury difulminate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Mercury difulminate. 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 Mercury difulminate?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Mercury difulminate is 0.1 [mg/m3], as Hg (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 melting point of Mercury difulminate?
The melting point reported for Mercury difulminate is Explodes (HSDB).
How should Mercury difulminate be stored?
Explodes readily when dry, keep moist till use. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Mercury difulminate
Keep going: substances starting with M, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.