Substance profile
Phosphorus oxychloride
Phosphorus oxychloride is a clear, colorless to yellow, oily liquid with a pungent & musty odor.
01 · Identification
What Phosphorus oxychloride is
Phosphorus oxychloride is a clear, colorless to yellow, oily liquid with a pungent & musty odor. Its molecular formula is Cl3OP and its molecular weight is 153.33 g/mol. It boils at 106 °C, melts at 1.3 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as corrosives.
02 · Identifiers
Phosphorus oxychloride identifiers and molecular data
Phosphorus oxychloride CAS number and EC number
Phosphorus oxychloride molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Phosphorus oxychloride
- phosphoryl trichloride
03 · GHS classification
Phosphorus oxychloride hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Phosphorus oxychloride pictograms and signal word
Phosphorus oxychloride hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 1 | H372 | GHS08 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Phosphorus oxychloride hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H372 | Causes 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>. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Phosphorus oxychloride supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
| EUH029 | Contact with water liberates toxic gas. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Phosphorus oxychloride. 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 Phosphorus oxychloride
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 Phosphorus oxychloride 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
Phosphorus oxychloride precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 11 precautionary statements to Phosphorus oxychloride. 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
Phosphorus oxychloride 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 | фосфорилтрихлорид |
| Spanish español | Tricloruro de fosforilo |
| Czech čeština | trichlorid fosforylu |
| Danish dansk | phosphoryltrichlorid |
| German Deutsch | Phosphoryltrichlorid PhosphoroxidchloridPhosphorylchlorid |
| Estonian eesti | fosforüültrikloriid |
| Greek ελληνικά | τριχλωρίδιο του φωσφoρυλίου |
| English English | phosphoryl trichloride |
| French français | trichlorure de phosphoryle |
| Croatian hrvatski | fosforil triklorid |
| Italian italiano | tricloruro di fosforile |
| Latvian latviešu | fosforiltrihlorīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | fosforiltrichloridas |
| Hungarian magyar | foszforil-triklorid |
| Maltese Malti | triklorur tal-fosforil |
| Dutch Nederlands | fosforyltrichloride |
| Polish polski | trichlorek fosforylu trichlorektlenek fosforutlenochlorek fosforu |
| Portuguese português | tricloreto de fosforilo |
| Romanian română | triclorură de fosforil |
| Slovak slovenčina | trichlorid-oxid fosforečný |
| Slovenian slovenščina | fosforil triklorid |
| Finnish suomi | fosforyylitrikloridi fosforioksikloridi |
| Swedish svenska | fosforyltriklorid |
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
Phosphorus oxychloride GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Phosphorus oxychloride, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Phosphorus oxychloride
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Causes 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>.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Reacts violently with water.
- Contact with water liberates toxic gas.
- 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.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Phosphorus oxychloride in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Phosphorus oxychloride health hazards and exposure limits
Phosphorus oxychloride hazard summary
Liquid causes second or third degree burns after short contact; [CHRIS] Highly corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] Mucous membrane irritation, bronchitis, pulmonary edema, and nephritis have been reported after occupational exposure. [ACGIH] Liver injury in animals in a chronic study; [Desai, H. Phosphorus and Phosphorus Compounds. In: Sullivan J, Krieger G (eds). Hazardous Materials Toxicology. Baltimore:Williams & Wilkins,1992;939] A corrosive substance that can cause pulmonary edema; [ICSC] A lachrymator; [CHEMINFO]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Phosphorus oxychloride occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 0.1 ppm (0.6 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | 0.5 ppm (3 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 0.1 ppm (0.6 mg/m3) ST 0.5 ppm (3 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
Phosphorus oxychloride 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.
Phosphorus oxychloride boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 105.8 °C (222.4 °F) | HSDB | |
| 105.56 °C (222 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 106.11 °C (223 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Phosphorus oxychloride melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 1.25 °C (34.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| 1.11 °C (34 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 1.22 °C (34.2 °F) | CAMEO |
Phosphorus oxychloride density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.645 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.645 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Phosphorus oxychloride solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Reacts with water | HSDB | |
| Decomposes | decomposes | NIOSH | |
| Decomposes (NIOSH, 2024) | decomposes | CAMEO |
Phosphorus oxychloride vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 40 mmHg | at 27.22 °C | NIOSH |
| 40 mmHg | at 27.3 °C | HSDB |
Phosphorus oxychloride flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | Not Flammable (EPA, 1998) | CAMEO |
Phosphorus oxychloride autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Phosphorus oxychloride lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | SMALL QUANTITIES OF PHOSPHORUS OXYCHLORIDE WERE EMPTIED INTO SCRAP NICKEL DRUM CONTAINING ABOUT 28 LB OF WATER. AFTER DELAY OF 15-30 MIN, THE DRUM EXPLODED. | HSDB |
Phosphorus oxychloride vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 5.3 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Phosphorus oxychloride critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 331.8 °C (629.2 °F) | HSDB |
Phosphorus oxychloride corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | PRODUCTS OF ITS REACTION WITH WATER RAPIDLY CORRODE STEEL & MOST METALS | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Phosphorus oxychloride 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.
Phosphorus oxychloride fire potential
PRODUCTS OF ITS REACTION WITH WATER RAPIDLY CORRODE STEEL & MOST METALS WITH FORMATION OF FLAMMABLE HYDROGEN GAS.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Fire and explosion
POOR STIRRING DURING FORMYLATION OF 2,5-DIMETHYLPYRROLE WITH THE PREFORMED COMPLEX OF DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE WITH PHOSPHORYL CHLORIDE CAUSED ERUPTION OF FLASK CONTENTS. REACTION OF COMPLEX WITH LOCAL EXCESS OF PYRROLE MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
Source: HSDB
AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER POURING & CAPPING OF CHLORIDE RECOVERED FROM PREPN OF FERROCENE-1,1'-DICARBONYL CHLORIDE. THE STORAGE BOTTLE CONTAINED PHOSPHORYL CHLORIDE RECOVERED FROM SIMILAR PREPN & WHICH HAS BEEN STORED FOR ABOUT 3 MO.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Phosphorus oxychloride storage and handling
Phosphorus oxychloride storage conditions
Keep in tightly closed containers.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Phosphorus oxychloride incompatible materials
WILL REACT WITH WATER OR STEAM TO PRODUCE HEAT AND TOXIC AND CORROSIVE FUMES.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Phosphorus oxychloride reactivity
PHOSPHORUS OXYCHLORIDE is water reactive. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, alcohols, bases (including amines). May react vigorously or explosively if mixed with diisopropyl ether or other ethers in the presence of trace amounts of metal salts [J. Haz. Mat., 1981, 4, 291]. Combining the chloride with zinc dust caused immediate ignition, due to the formation of phosphine gas which ignites, [Mellor, 1940, Vol. 8, 1025]. An exotherm starting with the mixing of phosphorus oxychloride with acetone (a ketone) lead to an explosion, may behave similarly with other ketones, [Organic Process Research and Development, Vol.4, No. 6,200, "Phosphorus Oxychloride and Acetone: An Incompatibility Investigation Using ARC."]
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Phosphorus oxychloride in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Phosphorus oxychloride — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Phosphorus oxychloride?
The CAS number of Phosphorus oxychloride is 10025-87-3. Its EC number is 233-046-7.
What is the chemical formula of Phosphorus oxychloride?
The molecular formula of Phosphorus oxychloride is Cl3OP and its molecular weight is 153.33 g/mol.
What does a Phosphorus oxychloride label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Phosphorus oxychloride carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones, Health hazard and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Phosphorus oxychloride flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Phosphorus oxychloride 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 Not Flammable (EPA, 1998) (CAMEO).
Is Phosphorus oxychloride a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Phosphorus oxychloride. 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 Phosphorus oxychloride?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Phosphorus oxychloride is none See Appendix G (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 Phosphorus oxychloride?
The boiling point reported for Phosphorus oxychloride is 105.8 °C (222.4 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Phosphorus oxychloride?
The melting point reported for Phosphorus oxychloride is 1.25 °C (34.3 °F) (HSDB).
How should Phosphorus oxychloride be stored?
Keep in tightly closed containers. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Phosphorus oxychloride
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