Substance profile
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic Acid is white crystals, fine needles, or fluffy white crystalline powder and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Salicylic Acid is
Salicylic Acid is white crystals, fine needles, or fluffy white crystalline powder and is odorless. Its molecular formula is C7H6O3 and its molecular weight is 138.12 g/mol. It boils at 256 °C, melts at 159 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Salicylic Acid identifiers and molecular data
Salicylic Acid CAS number and EC number
Salicylic Acid molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Salicylic Acid hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Salicylic Acid pictograms and signal word
Salicylic Acid 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 |
Salicylic Acid hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H361d | Suspected of damaging the unborn child. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H318 | Causes serious eye damage. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Salicylic Acid. 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 Salicylic Acid
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 Salicylic Acid 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
Salicylic Acid precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 8 precautionary statements to Salicylic Acid. 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
Salicylic Acid 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 | салицилова киселина |
| Spanish español | Ácido salicílico |
| Czech čeština | kyselina salicylová |
| Danish dansk | salicylsyre |
| German Deutsch | Salicylsäure |
| Estonian eesti | salitsüülhape |
| Greek ελληνικά | σαλικυλικό οξύ |
| English English | salicylic acid |
| French français | acide salicylique |
| Croatian hrvatski | salicilna kiselina |
| Italian italiano | Acido salicilico |
| Latvian latviešu | salicilskābe |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | salicilo rūgštis |
| Hungarian magyar | szalicilsav |
| Maltese Malti | aċidu saliċiliku |
| Dutch Nederlands | salicylzuur |
| Polish polski | kwas salicylowy |
| Portuguese português | ácido salicílico |
| Romanian română | acid salicilic |
| Slovak slovenčina | kyselina salicylová |
| Slovenian slovenščina | salicilna kislina |
| Finnish suomi | salisyylihappo |
| Swedish svenska | salicylsyra |
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
Salicylic Acid GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Salicylic Acid, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Salicylic Acid
- Suspected of damaging the unborn child.
- Harmful if swallowed.
- 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 Salicylic Acid in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Salicylic Acid health hazards and exposure limits
Salicylic Acid hazard summary
An eye irritant; [CAMEO] Symptoms of salicylism after an acute overdose include ringing in the ears, confusion, hyperventilation, vomiting, and in severe cases, seizure and coma; Topical salicylic acid is keratolytic in concentrations greater than 3%; [HSDB] See Acetylsalicylic acid.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Salicylic Acid carcinogenicity classification
Studied by the US National Toxicology Program: TR-524: Photocarcinogenesis Study of Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid (CASRNs 79-14-1 and 69-72-7) in SKH-1 Mice (Simulated Solar Light and Topical Application Studies) (2007 )
An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Salicylic Acid 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.
Salicylic Acid boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 256 °C (492.8 °F) | sublimes, sublimes | ICSC |
| 211 °C (411.8 °F) | at 20 mmHg (reduced pressure) | HSDB |
Salicylic Acid melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 159 °C (318.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 157.22 °C (315 °F) | CAMEO |
Salicylic Acid density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.4 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.443 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.44 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Salicylic Acid solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in oil of turpentine, alcohol, ether | HSDB | |
| SLIGHTLY SOL IN TOLUENE | HSDB |
Salicylic Acid vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.000082 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 0.00015 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC | |
| 0.000082 mmHg | Haz-Map |
Salicylic Acid flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 157.22 °C (315 °F) | HSDB | |
| 157 °C (314.6 °F) | ICSC |
Salicylic Acid autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 540 °C (1004 °F) | HSDB | |
| 570 °C (1058 °F) | ICSC |
Salicylic Acid lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.1 % by volume | at 200 °C | HSDB |
| DUST IS EXPLOSIVE IN AIR ... . | HSDB |
Salicylic Acid vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 4.8 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Salicylic Acid corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Non-corrosive | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Salicylic Acid 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.
Salicylic Acid fire potential
SLIGHT WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT OF FLAME; CAN REACT WITH OXIDIZING MATERIALS
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Solubility
Solubility (weight percent): carbon tetrachloride 0.262 (25 °C); benzene 0.775 (25 °C); propanol 27.36 (21 °C); absolute ethanol 34.87 (21 °C); acetone 396 (23 °C)
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Salicylic Acid storage and handling
Salicylic Acid safe storage
Separated from incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Salicylic Acid storage conditions
Salicylic acid should be stored in well-closed containers. Salicylic acid collodion should be stored in tight containers at 15-30 °C. Because the collodion is flammable, it should not be stored near heat or an open flame. Salicylic acid plaster should be stored in well-closed containers, preferably at 15-30 °C. The Trans-Ver-Sal plaster should be stored at a temperature less than 37.8 °C.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Salicylic Acid incompatible materials
Incompatability: Iron salts, spirit nitrous ether, lead acetate, iodine.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Salicylic Acid in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Salicylic Acid — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Salicylic Acid?
The CAS number of Salicylic Acid is 69-72-7. Its EC number is 200-712-3.
What is the chemical formula of Salicylic Acid?
The molecular formula of Salicylic Acid is C7H6O3 and its molecular weight is 138.12 g/mol.
What does a Salicylic Acid label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Salicylic Acid carries the pictograms Health hazard, Exclamation mark and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Salicylic Acid flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Salicylic Acid 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 157.22 °C (315 °F) (HSDB).
Is Salicylic Acid a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Salicylic Acid. 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 Salicylic Acid?
The boiling point reported for Salicylic Acid is 256 °C (492.8 °F), sublimes, sublimes (ICSC).
What is the melting point of Salicylic Acid?
The melting point reported for Salicylic Acid is 159 °C (318.2 °F) (HSDB).
How should Salicylic Acid be stored?
Salicylic acid should be stored in well-closed containers. Salicylic acid collodion should be stored in tight containers at 15-30 °C. Because the collodion is flammable, it should not be stored near heat or an open flame. Salicylic acid plaster should be stored in well-closed containers, preferably at 15-30 °C. The Trans-Ver-Sal plaster should be stored at a temperature less than 37.8 °C. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Salicylic Acid
Keep going: substances starting with S, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.