Substance profile
Tellurium
Tellurium is a grayish-white, lustrous, brittle, crystalline solid, hexagonal, rhombohedral structure and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Tellurium is
Tellurium is a grayish-white, lustrous, brittle, crystalline solid, hexagonal, rhombohedral structure and is odorless. Its molecular formula is Te and its molecular weight is 127.6 g/mol. It boils at 990 °C, melts at 450 °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
Tellurium identifiers and molecular data
Tellurium CAS number and EC number
Tellurium molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Tellurium hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Tellurium pictograms and signal word
Tellurium hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive toxicity GHS chapter 3.7 | Category Lactation | H362 | — |
Tellurium hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H360Df | May damage the unborn child. Suspected of damaging fertility. |
| H362 | May cause harm to breast-fed children. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Tellurium. 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 Tellurium
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 Tellurium 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
Tellurium precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 4 precautionary statements to Tellurium. 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
Tellurium 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 | телур |
| Spanish español | Telurio |
| Czech čeština | tellur |
| Danish dansk | tellur |
| German Deutsch | Tellur |
| Estonian eesti | telluur |
| Greek ελληνικά | τελλούριο |
| English English | tellurium |
| French français | Tellure |
| Croatian hrvatski | telurij |
| Italian italiano | tellurio |
| Latvian latviešu | telūrs |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | telūras |
| Hungarian magyar | Tellúr |
| Maltese Malti | tellurju |
| Dutch Nederlands | telluur |
| Polish polski | tellur |
| Portuguese português | telúrio |
| Romanian română | telur |
| Slovak slovenčina | telúr |
| Slovenian slovenščina | telur |
| Finnish suomi | telluuri |
| Swedish svenska | tellur |
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
Tellurium GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Tellurium, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Tellurium
- May damage the unborn child. Suspected of damaging fertility.
- May cause harm to breast-fed children.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Get medical advice/attention.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Tellurium in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Tellurium health hazards and exposure limits
Tellurium occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.1 [mg/m3], as Te | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 0.1 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 0.1 mg/m3 [*Note: The PEL also applies to other tellurium compounds (as Te) except Tellurium hexafluoride and Bismuth telluride.] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 0.1 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 0.1 mg/m3 [*Note: The REL also applies to other tellurium compounds (as Te) except Tellurium hexafluoride and Bismuth telluride.] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 25 mg Te/m3 (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 25.0 [mg/m3], as Te | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 25 mg/cu m (as Te) | 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
Tellurium 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.
Tellurium boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 989.9 °C (1813.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| 990 °C (1814 °F) | NIOSH |
Tellurium melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 449.8 °C (841.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| 450 °C (842 °F) | NIOSH |
Tellurium density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 6.24 g/cm³ | NIOSH |
Tellurium solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insol in benzene, carbon disulfide | HSDB | |
| INSOL IN HOT & COLD WATER, HYDROCHLORIC ACID; SOL IN NITRIC ACID, AQ REGIA, POTASSIUM CYANIDE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, SULFURIC ACID | HSDB | ||
| Insoluble | NIOSH |
Tellurium vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0 mmHg | approx | NIOSH |
| 1 mmHg | at 520 °C | CAMEO |
Tellurium autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 340 °C (644 °F) | ICSC |
Tellurium lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | A FINELY DIVIDED SUSPENSION IN AIR CAN BE EXPLODED. | OF ELEMENTAL TELLURIUM | HSDB |
| Combustible Solid | NIOSH |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Tellurium 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.
Tellurium fire potential
FIRE HAZARD: MODERATE, IN FORM OF DUST WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT OR FLAME OR BY CHEM REACTION WITH OXIDIZING AGENTS.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Tellurium storage and handling
Tellurium safe storage
Separated from halogens and interhalogens.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Tellurium incompatible materials
THE REACTION BETWEEN ZINC & ... TELLURIUM IS ACCOMPANIED BY INCANDESCENCE.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Tellurium reactivity
Mixtures of tellurium tetrabromide or tellurium tetrachloride with ammonia produces tellurium nitride complexes that are explosive upon heating. Tellurium trioxide is a powerful oxidant, which reacts violently when heated with a variety of metallic and non metallic materials. Noncombustible, substance itself does not burn but may decompose upon heating to produce corrosive and/or toxic fumes.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Tellurium in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Tellurium — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Tellurium?
The CAS number of Tellurium is 13494-80-9. Its EC number is 236-813-4.
What is the chemical formula of Tellurium?
The molecular formula of Tellurium is Te and its molecular weight is 127.6 g/mol.
What does a Tellurium label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Tellurium carries the pictogram Health hazard and the signal word is Danger.
Is Tellurium flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Tellurium 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 Tellurium a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Tellurium. 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 Tellurium?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Tellurium is 0.1 [mg/m3], as Te (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 Tellurium?
The boiling point reported for Tellurium is 989.9 °C (1813.8 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Tellurium?
The melting point reported for Tellurium is 449.8 °C (841.6 °F) (HSDB).
Nearby
Substances next to Tellurium
Keep going: substances starting with T, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.