Substance profile
Silicon tetrachloride
Silicon tetrachloride is colorless, clear, mobile, fuming liquid with a suffocating odor.
01 · Identification
What Silicon tetrachloride is
Silicon tetrachloride is colorless, clear, mobile, fuming liquid with a suffocating odor. Its molecular formula is Cl4Si and its molecular weight is 169.9 g/mol. It boils at 59 °C, melts at -70 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning. It is classed as corrosives.
02 · Identifiers
Silicon tetrachloride identifiers and molecular data
Silicon tetrachloride CAS number and EC number
Silicon tetrachloride molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Silicon tetrachloride hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Silicon tetrachloride pictograms and signal word
Silicon tetrachloride hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 2 | H315 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
Silicon tetrachloride hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
Silicon tetrachloride supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Silicon tetrachloride. 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 Silicon tetrachloride
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 Silicon tetrachloride 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
Silicon tetrachloride precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 9 precautionary statements to Silicon tetrachloride. 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
Silicon tetrachloride 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 | силициев тетрахлорид |
| Spanish español | Tetracloruro de silicio |
| Czech čeština | tetrachlorsilan |
| Danish dansk | Siliciumtetrafluorid |
| German Deutsch | Siliciumtetrachlorid |
| Estonian eesti | ränitetrakloriid |
| Greek ελληνικά | τετραχλωριούχο πυρίτιο |
| English English | silicon tetrachloride |
| French français | tétrachlorure de silicium |
| Croatian hrvatski | silikon tetraklorid |
| Italian italiano | tetracloruro di silicio |
| Latvian latviešu | silīcija tetrahlorīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | silicio tetrafluoridas |
| Hungarian magyar | szilícium-tetraklorid |
| Maltese Malti | tetraklorur tas-siliċju |
| Dutch Nederlands | siliciumtetrachloride |
| Polish polski | tetrachlorosilan tetrachlorek krzemu |
| Portuguese português | tetracloreto de silício |
| Romanian română | tetraclorură de siliciu |
| Slovak slovenčina | chlorid kremičitý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | silicijev tetraklorid |
| Finnish suomi | piitetrakloridi |
| Swedish svenska | kiseltetraklorid |
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
Silicon tetrachloride GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Silicon tetrachloride, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Silicon tetrachloride
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Reacts violently with water.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF IN EYES:
- Get medical advice/attention.
- If skin irritation occurs:
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Silicon tetrachloride in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Silicon tetrachloride health hazards and exposure limits
Silicon tetrachloride hazard summary
Decomposes in water to release hydrochloric acid; [Merck Index # 8500] Contact can cause severe burns to skin and eyes; Inhalation can cause pulmonary edema; [CAMEO] Silicon tetrachloride is a skin irritant. [Quick CPC] Corrosive to rabbit skin when applied undiluted; In a spill accident, several people were treated for burning of the eyes and respiratory tract; in most cases, symptoms cleared within 24 hours; [AIHA]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Silicon tetrachloride 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.
Silicon tetrachloride boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 59 °C (138.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 57.61 °C (135.7 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 57 °C (134.6 °F) | ICSC |
Silicon tetrachloride melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -70 °C (-94 °F) | HSDB | |
| -68 °C (-90.4 °F) | ICSC |
Silicon tetrachloride density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.48 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.48 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 1.482 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC |
Silicon tetrachloride solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with benzene, ether, chloroform, petroleum ether | HSDB | |
| Miscible in all proportions with carbon tetrachloride, tin tetrachloride, titanium chloride, sulfur mono- & dichlorides | HSDB | ||
| Solubility in water: reaction | ICSC |
Silicon tetrachloride vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 195.016 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC |
| 236 mmHg | at 25 °C, Calculated from experimentally derived coefficients | HSDB | |
| 236 mmHg | Haz-Map |
Silicon tetrachloride vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 5.9 (air = 1) | ICSC | |
| 7.59 g/l | HSDB |
Silicon tetrachloride critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 244.72 °C (472.5 °F) | HSDB |
Silicon tetrachloride corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Corrosive to most metals when water is present | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Silicon tetrachloride 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.
Silicon tetrachloride fire potential
NOT FLAMMABLE
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Silicon tetrachloride storage and handling
Silicon tetrachloride safe storage
Keep under inert gas. Separated from food and feedstuffs and incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Dry. Well closed. Keep in a well-ventilated room.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Silicon tetrachloride storage conditions
Storage temperature: ambient.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Silicon tetrachloride incompatible materials
Will react with water or steam to produce heat, toxic and corrosive fumes. /Silicon chloride/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Silicon tetrachloride reactivity
Chlorosilanes, such as SILICON TETRACHLORIDE, are compounds in which silicon is bonded to from one to four chlorine atoms with other bonds to hydrogen and/or alkyl groups. Chlorosilanes react with water, moist air, or steam to produce heat and toxic, corrosive fumes of hydrogen chloride. They may also produce flammable gaseous H2. They can serve as chlorination agents. Chlorosilanes react vigorously with both organic and inorganic acids and with bases to generate toxic or flammable gases. This material is incompatible with alkali metals and dimethyl sulfoxide.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Silicon tetrachloride in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Silicon tetrachloride 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.
Silicon tetrachloride under UN 1818 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILICON TETRACHLORIDE | 8 | C1 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 8 is “Corrosive substances” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon tetrachloride | 8 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 8 is “Corrosive material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Silicon tetrachloride — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Silicon tetrachloride?
The CAS number of Silicon tetrachloride is 10026-04-7. Its EC number is 233-054-0.
What is the chemical formula of Silicon tetrachloride?
The molecular formula of Silicon tetrachloride is Cl4Si and its molecular weight is 169.9 g/mol.
What does a Silicon tetrachloride label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Silicon tetrachloride carries the pictogram Exclamation mark and the signal word is Warning.
Is Silicon tetrachloride flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Silicon tetrachloride 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 Silicon tetrachloride a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Silicon tetrachloride. 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 Silicon tetrachloride?
The boiling point reported for Silicon tetrachloride is 59 °C (138.2 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Silicon tetrachloride?
The melting point reported for Silicon tetrachloride is -70 °C (-94 °F) (HSDB).
How should Silicon tetrachloride be stored?
Storage temperature: ambient. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Silicon tetrachloride
Keep going: substances starting with S, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.