Substance profile
Tetrachloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene is a colorless liquid with an ether-like odor.
01 · Identification
What Tetrachloroethylene is
Tetrachloroethylene is a colorless liquid with an ether-like odor. Its molecular formula is C2Cl4 and its molecular weight is 165.8 g/mol. It boils at 121 °C, melts at -22.2 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
02 · Identifiers
Tetrachloroethylene identifiers and molecular data
Tetrachloroethylene CAS number and EC number
Tetrachloroethylene molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Tetrachloroethylene
- perchloroethylene
- perc
- PCE
- Ankilostin
- Antisol 1
- Carbon Bichloride
- Carbon Dichloride
- Didakene
- Dilatin Pt
- Dow-Per
- Ent 1,860
- Ethene, Tetrachloro-
- Ethylene Tetrachloride
- Ethylene, Tetrachloro-
- F 1110
- Antisal 1
03 · GHS classification
Tetrachloroethylene hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Tetrachloroethylene pictograms and signal word
Tetrachloroethylene hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 | Category 2 | H351 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | GHS09 |
Tetrachloroethylene hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H351 | Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Tetrachloroethylene. 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 Tetrachloroethylene
Our own Tetrachloroethylene 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
Tetrachloroethylene precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Tetrachloroethylene. 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
Tetrachloroethylene 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 | тетрахлороетилен |
| Spanish español | Tetracloroetileno |
| Czech čeština | tetrachlorethen |
| Danish dansk | tetrachlorethylen |
| German Deutsch | Tetrachlorethen Perchlorethylen |
| Estonian eesti | tetrakloroetüleen |
| Greek ελληνικά | τετραχλωροαιθυλένιο |
| English English | tetrachloroethylene |
| French français | tétrachloroéthylène |
| Croatian hrvatski | tetrakloretilen |
| Italian italiano | tetracloroetilene |
| Latvian latviešu | tetrahloretilēns |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | tetrachloretilenas |
| Hungarian magyar | tetraklóretilén |
| Maltese Malti | tetrakloroetilen |
| Dutch Nederlands | tetrachloorethyleen |
| Polish polski | tetrachloroeten tetrachloroetylenperchloroetylen |
| Portuguese português | tetracloroetileno |
| Romanian română | tetracloroetilenă |
| Slovak slovenčina | tetrachlóretén |
| Slovenian slovenščina | tetrakloroetilen |
| Finnish suomi | tetrakloorietyleeni |
| Swedish svenska | tetrakloreten |
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
Tetrachloroethylene GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Tetrachloroethylene, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Tetrachloroethylene
- Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Obtain special instructions before use.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF exposed or concerned:
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Tetrachloroethylene in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Tetrachloroethylene health hazards and exposure limits
Tetrachloroethylene hazard summary
Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Tetrachloroethylene carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of these 2-year inhalation studies, there was clear evidence of carcinogenicity of tetrachloroethylene for male F344/N rats as shown by an increased incidence of mononuclear cell leukemia and uncommon renal tubular cell neoplasms. There was some evidence of carcinogenicity of tetrachloroethylene for female F344/N rats as shown by increased incidences of mononuclear cell leukemia. There was clear evidence of carcinogenicity for B6C3F1 mice as shown by increased incidences of both hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in males and of hepatocellular carcinomas in females.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-311: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene) (CASRN 127-18-4) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (1986 )
Evaluation: There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of tetrachloroethylene. Positive associations have been observed for cancer of the bladder. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of tetrachloroethylene. Tetrachloroethylene is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Tetrachloroethylene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
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.
Tetrachloroethylene occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 100.0 [ppm], Ceiling(OSHA) = 200 ppm(300 ppm is 5-min peak in any 3 hrs) | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 100 ppm | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | 200 ppm; 300 ppm (Peak) [a single time up to 5 min for any 3 hrs] | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | Ca Minimize workplace exposure concentrations. See Appendix A | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 150 ppm ; A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 150.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | NIOSH considers tetrachloroethylene to be a potential occupational carcinogen. [150 ppm] | 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
Tetrachloroethylene 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.
Tetrachloroethylene boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 121.2 °C (250.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 121.11 °C (250 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 121.11 °C (250 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Tetrachloroethylene melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -22.2 °C (-8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -18.89 °C (-2 °F) | NIOSH |
Tetrachloroethylene density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.62 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.623 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.63 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Tetrachloroethylene solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insoluble in water | HSDB | |
| Miscible with alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzene | HSDB | ||
| In water, 206 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Tetrachloroethylene vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 14 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 14 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 18.5 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Tetrachloroethylene flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | No flash point in conventional closed tester. | HSDB |
Tetrachloroethylene autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 650 °C (1202 °F) | above this value | ICSC |
| Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Tetrachloroethylene lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Mixtures with lithium shavings ... are impact-sensitive and will explode, sometimes violently. | HSDB | |
| Noncombustible Liquid, but decomposes in a fire to hydrogen chloride and phosgene. | decomposes | NIOSH |
Tetrachloroethylene vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 5.83 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 5.7 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Tetrachloroethylene odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Recognition in air: 4.68 ppm (chemically pure) | HSDB | |
| The odor threshold for tetrachloroethylene has been established as 32 mg/ cu m. | HSDB |
Tetrachloroethylene critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 347.1 °C (656.8 °F) | HSDB |
Tetrachloroethylene corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Corrosion of aluminum, iron, and zinc, which is negligible unless water is present, can be inhibited by the addition of stabilizers | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Tetrachloroethylene 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.
Tetrachloroethylene fire potential
Nonflammable liquid.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Fire and explosion
The presence of 0.5% of trichloroethylene as impurity in tetrachloroethylene during unheated drying over solid sodium hydroxide caused the generation of dichloroacetylene. After subsequent fractional distillation, the volatile fore-run exploded.
Source: HSDB
Fully encapsulating, vapor-protective clothing should be worn for spills and leaks with no fire. Do not touch damaged containers or spilled material unless wearing appropriate protective clothing. Stop leak if you can do it without risk. Use water spray to reduce vapors; do not put water directly on leak, spill area or inside container. Keep combustibles (wood, paper, oil, etc.) away from spilled material. SMALL SPILL: Cover with DRY earth, DRY sand or other non-combustible material followed with plastic sheet to minimize spreading or contact with rain. Use clean, non-sparking tools to collect material and place it into loosely covered plastic containers for later disposal. Prevent entry into waterways, sewers, basements or confined areas.
Source: HSDB
Odor
The distinctive odor of tetrachloroethylene does not necessarily provide adequate warning. Because tetrachloroethylene quickly desensitizes olfactory responses, persons can suffer exposure to vapor concentrations in excess of TLV limits without smelling it.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Tetrachloroethylene storage and handling
Tetrachloroethylene reactive group
CAMEO Chemicals places Tetrachloroethylene in the reactive groups Halogenated Organic Compounds, Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated. 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.
Tetrachloroethylene safe storage
Separated from metals, ignition sources and food and feedstuffs. See Chemical Dangers. Keep in the dark. Keep in a well-ventilated room. Dry. Cool.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Tetrachloroethylene storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Tetrachloroethylene incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Strong oxidizing agents, strong bases.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Tetrachloroethylene reactivity
PERCHLOROETHYLENE decomposes upon heating and exposure to UV light to give phosgene and HCl. Reacts violently with finely dispersed light metals (aluminum) and zinc. [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980 p. 887]. Mixtures with finely divided barium or lithium metal can detonate [ASESB Pot. Incid. 39. 1968; Chem. Eng. News 46(9):38. 1968]. Decomposes very slowly in water to form trichloroacetic acid and hydrochloric acid
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Tetrachloroethylene in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Tetrachloroethylene 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.
Tetrachloroethylene under UN 1897 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TETRACHLOROETHYLENE | 6.1 | T1 | III | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 6.1 is “Toxic 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tetrachloroethylene | 6.1 | III | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 6.1 is “Poisonous materials” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Tetrachloroethylene — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Tetrachloroethylene?
The CAS number of Tetrachloroethylene is 127-18-4. Its EC number is 204-825-9.
What is the chemical formula of Tetrachloroethylene?
The molecular formula of Tetrachloroethylene is C2Cl4 and its molecular weight is 165.8 g/mol.
What does a Tetrachloroethylene label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Tetrachloroethylene carries the pictograms Health hazard and Environment and the signal word is Warning.
Is Tetrachloroethylene flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Tetrachloroethylene 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 No flash point in conventional closed tester. (HSDB).
Is Tetrachloroethylene a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI assigns Tetrachloroethylene H351 — suspected of causing cancer. That is category 2: the evidence points that way but is not conclusive. IARC places it in Group 2A: probably carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Tetrachloroethylene?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Tetrachloroethylene is 100.0 [ppm], Ceiling(OSHA) = 200 ppm(300 ppm is 5-min peak in any 3 hrs) (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 Tetrachloroethylene?
The boiling point reported for Tetrachloroethylene is 121.2 °C (250.2 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Tetrachloroethylene?
The melting point reported for Tetrachloroethylene is -22.2 °C (-8 °F) (HSDB).
How should Tetrachloroethylene be stored?
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Tetrachloroethylene
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