Substance profile
Silver nitrate
Silver nitrate is colorless rhombic cyrstals and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Silver nitrate is
Silver nitrate is colorless rhombic cyrstals and is odorless. Its molecular formula is AgNO3 and its molecular weight is 169.873 g/mol. It boils at 440 °C, melts at 212 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as corrosives.
02 · Identifiers
Silver nitrate identifiers and molecular data
Silver nitrate CAS number and EC number
Silver nitrate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Silver nitrate
- lunar caustic
- AgNO3
- Nitric Acid Silver(I) Salt
- Nitric Acid, Silver(1+) Salt
- Silbernitrat
- Silver (I) Nitrate
- Silver (I) Nitrate (1:1)
- Silver Mononitrate
- Silver Nitrate (Agno3)
- Silver(1+) Nitrate
03 · GHS classification
Silver nitrate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Silver nitrate pictograms and signal word
Silver nitrate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxidising liquids or Oxidising solids | Category 2 or 3 | H272 | GHS03 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H410 | GHS09 |
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.
Silver nitrate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H272 | May intensify fire; oxidiser. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Silver nitrate. 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 Silver nitrate
Our own Silver nitrate safety data sheet walks through all sixteen sections of the published data. What it is not is the document an inspector asks for: an SDS is issued for a product by its supplier, so the sheet covering the grade actually standing in your store exists only in that supplier’s version. Collecting those and keeping them current as suppliers revise them is a separate job.
04 · Precautionary statements
Silver nitrate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 8 precautionary statements to Silver nitrate. 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.
Disposal
What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.
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
Silver nitrate 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 | сребърен нитрат |
| Spanish español | Nitrato de plata |
| Czech čeština | dusičnan stříbrný |
| Danish dansk | sølvnitrat |
| German Deutsch | Silbernitrat |
| Estonian eesti | hõbenitraat |
| Greek ελληνικά | νιτρικός άργυρος |
| English English | silver nitrate |
| French français | nitrate d'argent |
| Croatian hrvatski | srebrov nitrat |
| Italian italiano | nitrato di argento |
| Latvian latviešu | sudraba nitrāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | sidabro nitratas |
| Hungarian magyar | ezüst-nitrát |
| Maltese Malti | nitrat tal-fidda |
| Dutch Nederlands | zilvernitraat |
| Polish polski | azotan(V) srebra |
| Portuguese português | nitrato de prata |
| Romanian română | azotat de argint |
| Slovak slovenčina | dusičnan strieborný |
| Slovenian slovenščina | srebrov nitrat |
| Finnish suomi | hopeanitraatti |
| Swedish svenska | silvernitrat |
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
Silver nitrate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Silver nitrate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Silver nitrate
- May intensify fire; oxidiser.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Silver nitrate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Silver nitrate health hazards and exposure limits
Silver nitrate hazard summary
Concentrated solutions can cause burns of the skin and eyes. A generalized argryia (silver discoloration of the skin and other organs) was reported in the past among workers heavily exposed to AgNo3 in manufacturing and photography. Methemoglobinemia was reported in the past after treatment of burn patients with 0.5% silver nitrate. [HSDB] Silver nitrate, used in burn therapy, is a reported inducer of methemoglobinemia. [ATSDR Case Studies, # 16] Used extensively in dressings soaked with 0.5% AgNO3 with no apparent toxicity; [Nordberg, p. 1212] See NITRATES and NITRITES.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Silver nitrate occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.01 [mg/m3], as Ag | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 10 mg Ag/m3 (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 10.0 [mg/m3], as Ag | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 10 mg/cu m (as ag). /Silver (metal dust and soluble compounds, as Ag)/ | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
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
Silver nitrate 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.
Silver nitrate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 440 °C (824 °F) | decomposes, decomposes | HSDB |
| 440 °C (824 °F) | decomposes, at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Silver nitrate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 212 °C (413.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| 212.22 °C (414 °F) | CAMEO |
Silver nitrate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 5.35 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 4.35 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | ICSC | |
| 4.35 g/cm³ | at 19 °C | CAMEO |
Silver nitrate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | 1 g sol in 30 ml alcohol; 1 g sol in 6.5 ml boiling alcohol; 1 g sol in 253 ml acetone; readily sol in ammonia water | HSDB | |
| SOL IN ETHER, GLYCEROL | HSDB |
Silver nitrate autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Silver nitrate storage and handling
Silver nitrate reactive group
CAMEO Chemicals places Silver nitrate in the reactive group Nitrate and Nitrite Compounds, Inorganic. Compatibility with other chemicals is worked out from the group, not from the individual substance — which is why two substances you have never seen react can still be flagged as a pair that must be separated.
A reactive group is a CAMEO Chemicals (US NOAA) grouping, not a GHS hazard class: it has no code, no category and no legal force. It is what the storage compatibility matrix on this site computes from.
Silver nitrate safe storage
Separated from combustible substances, reducing agents and incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Well closed. Store only in original container. Store in an area without drain or sewer access. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Silver nitrate storage conditions
... Protect from light and store in inert, collapsible containers or in other suitable single-dose containers at 15-30 °C; freezing of the ophthalmic soln should be avoided and the soln should not be used when cold.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Silver nitrate incompatible materials
Silver nitrate (or other soluble salt) reacts with acetylene in presence of ammonia to form silver acetylide, a sensitive and powerful detonator when dry. In the absence of ammonia, or when calcium acetylide is added to a silver nitrate soln, explosive double salts of silver acetylide and silver nitrate are produced. Mercurous acetylide precipitates silver acetylide from aqueous nitrate.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Silver nitrate in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Transport
Silver nitrate 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.
Silver nitrate under UN 1493 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER NITRATE | 5.1 | O2 | II | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 5.1 is “Oxidizing 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver nitrate | 5.1 | II | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 5.1 is “Oxidizer” (49 CFR 173.2).
11 · Questions
Silver nitrate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Silver nitrate?
The CAS number of Silver nitrate is 7761-88-8. Its EC number is 231-853-9.
What is the chemical formula of Silver nitrate?
The molecular formula of Silver nitrate is AgNO3 and its molecular weight is 169.873 g/mol.
What does a Silver nitrate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Silver nitrate carries the pictograms Flame over circle, Corrosion and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Silver nitrate flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Silver nitrate 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 Silver nitrate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Silver nitrate. 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 Silver nitrate?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Silver nitrate is 0.01 [mg/m3], as Ag (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). 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 Silver nitrate?
The boiling point reported for Silver nitrate is 440 °C (824 °F), decomposes, decomposes (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Silver nitrate?
The melting point reported for Silver nitrate is 212 °C (413.6 °F) (HSDB).
How should Silver nitrate be stored?
... Protect from light and store in inert, collapsible containers or in other suitable single-dose containers at 15-30 °C; freezing of the ophthalmic soln should be avoided and the soln should not be used when cold. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
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