Substance profile
Propionyl chloride
Propionyl chloride is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor.
01 · Identification
What Propionyl chloride is
Propionyl chloride is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. Its molecular formula is C3H5ClO and its molecular weight is 92.52 g/mol. It boils at 80 °C, melts at -94 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Propionyl chloride identifiers and molecular data
Propionyl chloride CAS number and EC number
Propionyl chloride molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Propionyl chloride hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Propionyl chloride pictograms and signal word
Propionyl chloride hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids GHS chapter 2.6 | Category 2 | H225 | GHS02 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
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.
Propionyl chloride hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Propionyl chloride supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Propionyl chloride. 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 Propionyl chloride
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 Propionyl chloride 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
Propionyl chloride precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 10 precautionary statements to Propionyl chloride. 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
Propionyl chloride 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 | пропионилхлорид |
| Spanish español | Cloruro de propionilo |
| Czech čeština | propionylchlorid |
| Danish dansk | propionylchlorid |
| German Deutsch | Propionylchlorid Propionsäurechlorid |
| Estonian eesti | propionüülkloriid |
| Greek ελληνικά | προπιονυλοχλωρίδιο |
| English English | propionyl chloride |
| French français | chlorure de propionyle |
| Croatian hrvatski | propionil-klorid |
| Italian italiano | propionile cloruro |
| Latvian latviešu | propionilhlorīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | propionilchloridas |
| Hungarian magyar | propionil-klorid |
| Maltese Malti | klorur tal-propjonil |
| Dutch Nederlands | propionylchloride |
| Polish polski | chlorek propionoilu chlorek kwasu propionowego |
| Portuguese português | cloreto de propionilo |
| Romanian română | clorură de propionil |
| Slovak slovenčina | propanoylchlorid |
| Slovenian slovenščina | propionil klorid |
| Finnish suomi | propionyylikloridi |
| Swedish svenska | propionylklorid |
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
Propionyl chloride GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Propionyl chloride, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Propionyl chloride
- Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Reacts violently with water.
- 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.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- Store in a well-ventilated place.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Propionyl chloride in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Propionyl chloride health hazards and exposure limits
Propionyl chloride hazard summary
Decomposed vigorously by water; [Merck Index] Reacts with water producing propionic acid and hydrochloric acid; Corrosive and highly irritating to skin and eyes; [CAMEO] Reacts violently with water; Causes burns; Inhalation may cause corrosive injuries to upper respiratory tract and lungs; [Alfa Aesar MSDS]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Propionyl chloride 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.
Propionyl chloride boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 80 °C (176 °F) | HSDB | |
| 80 °C (176 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC |
Propionyl chloride melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -94 °C (-137.2 °F) | HSDB |
Propionyl chloride density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.0646 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
| 1.065 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC |
Propionyl chloride solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in ether | HSDB |
Propionyl chloride flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 12.22 °C (54 °F) | HSDB |
Propionyl chloride vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.2 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Propionyl chloride corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Corrosive | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Propionyl chloride 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.
Propionyl chloride fire potential
Flammable ... .
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Propionyl chloride storage and handling
Propionyl chloride 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. Never allow product to get in contact with water during storage. Reacts violently with water. Storage class (TRGS 510): Flammable liquids
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Propionyl chloride incompatible materials
Exothermic reaction with diisopropyl ether produces much gas. The reaction may be dangerous if confined.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Propionyl chloride reactivity
Acid halides, such as PROPIONYL CHLORIDE, are water reactive; some are violently reactive. They are incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, alcohols, amines, and alkali. 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].
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Propionyl chloride in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Propionyl chloride 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.
Propionyl chloride under UN 1815 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROPIONYL CHLORIDE | 3 | FC | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 3 is “Flammable liquids” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propionyl chloride | 3 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 3 is “Flammable and combustible liquid” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Propionyl chloride — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Propionyl chloride?
The CAS number of Propionyl chloride is 79-03-8. Its EC number is 201-170-0.
What is the chemical formula of Propionyl chloride?
The molecular formula of Propionyl chloride is C3H5ClO and its molecular weight is 92.52 g/mol.
What does a Propionyl chloride label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Propionyl chloride carries the pictograms Flame and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Propionyl chloride flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Propionyl chloride H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapour. The flash point reported for it is 12.22 °C (54 °F) (HSDB).
Is Propionyl chloride a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Propionyl chloride. 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 Propionyl chloride?
The boiling point reported for Propionyl chloride is 80 °C (176 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Propionyl chloride?
The melting point reported for Propionyl chloride is -94 °C (-137.2 °F) (HSDB).
How should Propionyl chloride be stored?
CLP Annex VI assigns Propionyl chloride 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. Never allow product to get in contact with water during storage. Reacts violently with water. Storage class (TRGS 510): Flammable liquids (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Propionyl chloride
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