Substance profile
Sodium
Sodium is a light, silvery-white metal; body-centered cubic structure; lustrous when freshly cut.
01 · Identification
What Sodium is
Sodium is a light, silvery-white metal; body-centered cubic structure; lustrous when freshly cut. Its molecular formula is Na and its molecular weight is 22.99 g/mol. It boils at 881 °C, melts at 97.8 °C, is practically insoluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 3rd degree.
02 · Identifiers
Sodium identifiers and molecular data
Sodium CAS number and EC number
Sodium molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Sodium hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Sodium pictograms and signal word
Sodium hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| In contact with water emits flammable gases GHS chapter 2.12 | Category 1 | H260 | 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.
Sodium hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H260 | In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Sodium supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Sodium. 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 Sodium
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 Sodium 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
Sodium precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 5 precautionary statements to Sodium. 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
Sodium 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 | натрий |
| Spanish español | Sodio |
| Czech čeština | sodík |
| Danish dansk | natrium |
| German Deutsch | Natrium |
| Estonian eesti | naatrium |
| Greek ελληνικά | νάτριο |
| English English | sodium |
| French français | sodium |
| Croatian hrvatski | natrij |
| Italian italiano | sodio |
| Latvian latviešu | nātrijs |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | natris |
| Hungarian magyar | nátrium |
| Maltese Malti | sodju |
| Dutch Nederlands | natrium |
| Polish polski | sód |
| Portuguese português | sódio |
| Romanian română | sodiu |
| Slovak slovenčina | sodík |
| Slovenian slovenščina | natrij |
| Finnish suomi | natrium |
| Swedish svenska | natrium |
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
Sodium GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Sodium, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Sodium
- In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Reacts violently with water.
- 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.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Sodium in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Sodium health hazards and exposure limits
Sodium hazard summary
Can cause second or third degree burns after brief skin contact. [CHRIS] Reacts violently with water releasing hydrogen gas, which will ignite and explode in air; Reacts rapidly with moisture in air or tissues to form caustic sodium hydroxide; [CHEMINFO MSDS]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Sodium 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.
Sodium boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 881.4 °C (1618.5 °F) | HSDB | |
| 882.78 °C (1621 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 880 °C (1616 °F) | ICSC |
Sodium melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 97.82 °C (208.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| 97.5 °C (207.5 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| 97.4 °C (207.3 °F) | ICSC |
Sodium density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.206 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 0.968 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 0.971 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Sodium solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insoluble in benzene, kerosene, naphtha | HSDB | |
| Dissolves in liquid ammonia to give blue solution: dissolves in mercury, forming sodium amalgam | HSDB | ||
| Solubility in water: reaction | ICSC |
Sodium vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.000001388 mmHg | at 127 °C | HSDB |
| 1.2 mmHg | Haz-Map | ||
| Vapor pressure at 20 °C: negligible | at 20 °C | ICSC |
Sodium autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 121.11 °C (250 °F) | CAMEO | |
| 122.5 °C (252.5 °F) | range, midpoint shown | ICSC | |
| 115 °C (239 °F) | above this value | HSDB |
Sodium lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | DANGEROUS, WHEN EXPOSED TO MOISTURE IN ANY FORM! KEEP DRY AT ALL TIMES! | HSDB |
Sodium critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 2236 °C (4056 °F) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Sodium 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.
Sodium fire potential
VIOLENTLY DECOMPOSES WATER, FORMING SODIUM HYDROXIDE & HYDROGEN WHICH MAY IGNITE SPONTANEOUSLY.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Sodium storage and handling
Sodium peroxide formation
D*: Other compounds that may form peroxides
Source: Lab and Research Safety, University of Minnesota
Sodium safe storage
Fireproof. Keep under mineral oil. Dry. Well closed.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Sodium storage conditions
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from water.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Sodium incompatible materials
REACTS VIOLENTLY /WITH WATER/, WITH FORMATION OF FLAMMABLE HYDROGEN GAS & CAUSTIC SODA SOLN.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Sodium in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Sodium 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.
Sodium under UN 1428 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SODIUM | 4.3 | W2 | I | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 4.3 is “Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases” (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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 4.3 | I | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 4.3 is “Dangerous when wet material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Sodium — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Sodium?
The CAS number of Sodium is 7440-23-5. Its EC number is 231-132-9.
What is the chemical formula of Sodium?
The molecular formula of Sodium is Na and its molecular weight is 22.99 g/mol.
What does a Sodium label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Sodium carries the pictograms Flame and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Sodium flammable?
Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Sodium H260 — in contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
Is Sodium a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Sodium. 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 Sodium?
The boiling point reported for Sodium is 881.4 °C (1618.5 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Sodium?
The melting point reported for Sodium is 97.82 °C (208.1 °F) (HSDB).
How should Sodium be stored?
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Separate from water. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Sodium
Keep going: substances starting with S, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.