Substance profile
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is an oily liquid with a faint aromatic odor.
01 · Identification
What Phenoxyethanol is
Phenoxyethanol is an oily liquid with a faint aromatic odor. Its molecular formula is C8H10O2 and its molecular weight is 138.16 g/mol. It boils at 245 °C, melts at 14 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Phenoxyethanol identifiers and molecular data
Phenoxyethanol CAS number and EC number
Phenoxyethanol molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Phenoxyethanol
- 2-phenoxyethanol
03 · GHS classification
Phenoxyethanol hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Phenoxyethanol pictograms and signal word
Phenoxyethanol hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 1 | H318 | GHS05 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
Phenoxyethanol hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H318 | Causes serious eye damage. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Phenoxyethanol. 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 Phenoxyethanol
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 Phenoxyethanol 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
Phenoxyethanol precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 8 precautionary statements to Phenoxyethanol. 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
Phenoxyethanol 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 | 2-феноксиетанол |
| Spanish español | 2-Fenoxietanol |
| Czech čeština | 2-fenoxyethan-1-ol |
| Danish dansk | 2-phenoxyethanol |
| German Deutsch | 2-Phenoxyethanol |
| Estonian eesti | 2-fenoksüetanool |
| Greek ελληνικά | 2-φαινοξυαιθανόλη |
| English English | 2-phenoxyethanol |
| French français | 2-phénoxyéthanol |
| Croatian hrvatski | 2-fenoksietanol |
| Italian italiano | 2-fenossietanolo |
| Latvian latviešu | 2-fenoksietanols |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | 2-fenoksietanolis |
| Hungarian magyar | 2-fenoxietanol |
| Maltese Malti | 2-fenossietanol |
| Dutch Nederlands | 2-fenoxyethanol |
| Polish polski | 2-fenoksyetanol |
| Portuguese português | 2-fenoxietanol |
| Romanian română | 2-fenoxietanol |
| Slovak slovenčina | 2-fenoxyetanol |
| Slovenian slovenščina | 2-fenoksietanol |
| Finnish suomi | 2-fenoksietanoli |
| Swedish svenska | 2-fenoxietanol |
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
Phenoxyethanol GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Phenoxyethanol, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Phenoxyethanol
- Harmful if swallowed.
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Causes serious eye damage.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF IN EYES:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Phenoxyethanol in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Phenoxyethanol health hazards and exposure limits
Phenoxyethanol hazard summary
Can cause corneal injury; [CAMEO] A skin irritant that can have adverse effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems; [ICSC] Sensitization to this molecule is very rare. [Kanerva, p. 1825] No reproductive toxicity in animal studies, but liver and kidney injury occur at high doses. [MSDSonline] See Glycol Ethers.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Phenoxyethanol boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 245.2 °C (473.4 °F) | HSDB | |
| 243 °C (469.4 °F) | HSDB | ||
| 245.22 °C (473.4 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Phenoxyethanol melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 14 °C (57.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 13.89 °C (57 °F) | CAMEO |
Phenoxyethanol density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.1024 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.104 g/cm³ | CAMEO | ||
| 1.1094 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Phenoxyethanol solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Freely soluble in alcohol, ether, and sodium hydroxide | HSDB | |
| Soluble in ethanol, alkali, chloroform | HSDB | ||
| 2.67 g/100 mL water | HSDB |
Phenoxyethanol vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.0098 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
| 0.007 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| 0.03 mmHg | at 25 °C | DOE PAC |
Phenoxyethanol flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 126.67 °C (260 °F) | HSDB | |
| 121.11 °C (250 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 127 °C (260.6 °F) | ICSC |
Phenoxyethanol autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 500 °C (932 °F) | ICSC |
Phenoxyethanol vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4.8 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 4.77 (air = 1) | CAMEO |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Phenoxyethanol fire potential
Combustible when exposed to heat or flame ... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Phenoxyethanol storage and handling
Phenoxyethanol safe storage
Separated from strong oxidants.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Phenoxyethanol incompatible materials
Can react vigorously with oxidizing materials.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Phenoxyethanol reactivity
ETHYLENE GLYCOL PHENYL ETHER may react violently with strong oxidizing agents. May generate flammable and/or toxic gases with alkali metals, nitrides, and other strong reducing agents. May initiate the polymerization of isocyanates and epoxides.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Phenoxyethanol in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Phenoxyethanol — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Phenoxyethanol?
The CAS number of Phenoxyethanol is 122-99-6. Its EC number is 204-589-7.
What is the chemical formula of Phenoxyethanol?
The molecular formula of Phenoxyethanol is C8H10O2 and its molecular weight is 138.16 g/mol.
What does a Phenoxyethanol label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Phenoxyethanol carries the pictograms Corrosion and Exclamation mark and the signal word is Danger.
Is Phenoxyethanol flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Phenoxyethanol 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 126.67 °C (260 °F) (HSDB).
Is Phenoxyethanol a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Phenoxyethanol. 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 Phenoxyethanol?
The boiling point reported for Phenoxyethanol is 245.2 °C (473.4 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Phenoxyethanol?
The melting point reported for Phenoxyethanol is 14 °C (57.2 °F) (HSDB).
Nearby
Substances next to Phenoxyethanol
Keep going: substances starting with P, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.