Provenance

Reference data from EU CLP Annex VI and published regulations — verify against your supplier's SDS before use.

Build a label

Substance profile

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is yellow-green orthogonal crystals.

CAS 1314-85-8 P4S3 220.1 g/mol Danger

01 · Identification

What Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is yellow-green orthogonal crystals. Its molecular formula is P4S3 and its molecular weight is 220.1 g/mol. It boils at 408 °C, melts at 173 °C.

Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as flammable agents - 2nd degree.

02 · Identifiers

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide identifiers and molecular data

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide CAS number and EC number

CAS number1314-85-8
EC number215-245-0
Index number (CLP Annex VI)015-012-00-1

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide molecular formula and molecular weight

Molecular formulaP4S3
Molecular weight220.1 g/mol
Chemical class Flammable agents - 2nd degree

Other names for Tetraphosphorus trisulphide

  • phosphorus sesquisulphid

03 · GHS classification

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide hazard classification

Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide pictograms and signal word

Signal wordDanger

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide hazard class and category

GHS hazard classes Tetraphosphorus trisulphid… falls into
Hazard class Category From code Pictogram
Flammable solids GHS chapter 2.7 Category 1 or 2 H228 GHS02
In contact with water emits flammable gases GHS chapter 2.12 Category 1 H260 GHS02
Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 Category 4 H302 GHS07
Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 Category 1 H400 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.

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide hazard statements (H-codes)

Hazard statements assigned to Tetraphosphorus trisulphid…
CodeHazard statement
H228 Flammable solid.
H260 In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
H302 Harmful if swallowed.
H400 Very toxic to aquatic life.

This page lists only the codes assigned to Tetraphosphorus trisulphid…. 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 Tetraphosphorus trisulphid…

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 Tetraphosphorus… 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

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide precautionary statements

CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Tetraphosphorus trisulphid…. 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.

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

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide 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 тетрафосфорен трисулфид фосфорен сесквисулфид
Spanish español Trisulfuro de tetrafósforo sesquisulfuro de fósforo
Czech čeština trisulfid tetrafosforu
Danish dansk tetraphosphortrisulfid phosphorsesquisulfid
German Deutsch Tetraphosphortrisulfid Phosphorsesquisulfid
Estonian eesti tetrafosfortrisulfiid fosforseskvisulfiid
Greek ελληνικά τρισουλφίδιο του τετραφωσφόρoυ sesqui-θειούχος φωσφόρος
English English tetraphosphorus trisulphide phosphorus sesquisulphid
French français trisulfure de tétraphosphore sesquisulfure de phosphore
Croatian hrvatski tetrafosforov trisulfid fosforov seskvisulfid
Italian italiano trisolfuro di tetrafosforo fosforo trisolfuro
Latvian latviešu tetrafosfora trisulfīds fosfora seskvisulfīds
Lithuanian lietuvių tetrafosforo trisulfidas fosforo seskvisulfidas
Hungarian magyar tetrafoszfor-triszulfid foszfor-szeszkviszulfid
Maltese Malti trisulfur tat-tetrafosforu seskwisulfur tal-fosforu
Dutch Nederlands tetrafosfortrisulfide fosforsesquisulfide
Polish polski trisiarczek tetrafosforu
Portuguese português trissulfureto de tetrafósforo sesquissulfureto de fósforo
Romanian română trisulfură de tetrafosfor sesquisulfură de fosfor
Slovak slovenčina trisulfid tetrafosforu seskvisulfid fosforu
Slovenian slovenščina tetrafosforjev trisulfid fosforjev seskvisulfid
Finnish suomi tetrafosforitrisulfidi fosforiseskvisulfidi
Swedish svenska tetrafosfortrisulfid fosforseskvisulfid

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

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide GHS label elements

Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Tetraphosphorus trisulphid…, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.

GHS02 Flame pictogramGHS07 Exclamation mark pictogramGHS09 Environment pictogram

Danger

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide

  • Flammable solid.
  • In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously.
  • Harmful if swallowed.
  • Very toxic to aquatic life.
  • Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
  • Avoid release to the environment.
  • IF SWALLOWED:
  • Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/ if you feel unwell.
  • Rinse mouth.
  • Collect spillage.
  • Dispose of contents/container to

Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity

Need this as an actual label? Open Tetraphosphorus trisulphid… in the GHS label constructor →

07 · Health hazards

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide health hazards and exposure limits

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide hazard summary

A dangerous fire risk by friction; [Hawley] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; Occupationally exposed individuals have reported quickly developing erythema with vesicles or pustules accompanied by pain and pruritis; Allergic contact dermatitis and contact urticaria have also been reported; Emergency treatment: Phosphorus; [HSDB] (PubMed search for (1314-85-8 OR Phosphorus sesquisulfide} AND human[mh] AND (Occupational Diseases [mh] OR Occupational Exposure [mh]) yields no results about allergic skin disease.) Ignites easily by friction; Reacts slowly with water producing phosphoric acid and hydrogen sulfide; A strong reducing agent; May ignite on exposure to moisture; [CAMEO] Causes changes in renal tubules and glomeruli in oral lethal-dose studies of rabbits; [RTECS] A mucous membrane and upper respiratory tract irritant; [Aldrich MSDS]

Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases

08 · Physical and chemical properties

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide 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.

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide boiling point

Property Value Conditions Source
Boiling point 407.5 °C (765.5 °F) HSDB

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide melting point

Property Value Conditions Source
Melting point 172.5 °C (342.5 °F) HSDB

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide density

Property Value Conditions Source
Density 2.03 g/cm³ at 20 °C HSDB

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide solubility

Property Value Conditions Source
Solubility Solubility in benzene = 2.5 g/100g at 17 °C, 17 g/100g at 80 °C at 17 °C HSDB
100 G/100 CC CARBON DISULFIDE AT 17 °C; 11.1 G/100 CC BENZENE AT 30 °C at 17 °C HSDB

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide autoignition temperature

Property Value Conditions Source
Autoignition temperature 100 °C (212 °F) HSDB

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide lower explosive limit (LEL)

Property Value Conditions Source
Lower explosive limit (LEL) Flammable by spontaneous ignition. HSDB

Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.

09 · Fire and explosion

Tetraphosphorus trisulphid… 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.

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide fire potential

HIGHLY FLAMMABLE.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Solubility

Insoluble in cold water; decomposed by hot water, yielding H2S; Soluble in carbon disulfide (60% w/w at 20 °C); soluble in benzene, similar hydrocarbons, phorphorus trichloride

Source: HSDB

10 · Handling and storage

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide storage and handling

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide storage conditions

Protect against physical damage. Store in cool, ventilated place. Separate from other materials.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide incompatible materials

Decomp by hot water, yielding hydrogen sulfide (H2S)

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide reactivity

PHOSPHORUS SESQUISULFIDE is a reducing agent.

Source: CAMEO Chemicals

Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Tetraphosphorus trisulphi… in the storage compatibility matrix →

11 · Questions

Tetraphosphorus trisulphide — frequently asked questions

What is the CAS number of Tetraphosphorus trisulphide?

The CAS number of Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is 1314-85-8. Its EC number is 215-245-0.

What is the chemical formula of Tetraphosphorus trisulphide?

The molecular formula of Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is P4S3 and its molecular weight is 220.1 g/mol.

What does a Tetraphosphorus trisulphide label have to show?

Under CLP Annex VI the label for Tetraphosphorus trisulphide carries the pictograms Flame, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Danger.

Is Tetraphosphorus trisulphide flammable?

Yes. CLP Annex VI assigns Tetraphosphorus trisulphide H228 and H260 — flammable solid.

Is Tetraphosphorus trisulphide a carcinogen?

CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Tetraphosphorus trisulphide. 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 Tetraphosphorus trisulphide?

The boiling point reported for Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is 407.5 °C (765.5 °F) (HSDB).

What is the melting point of Tetraphosphorus trisulphide?

The melting point reported for Tetraphosphorus trisulphide is 172.5 °C (342.5 °F) (HSDB).

How should Tetraphosphorus trisulphide be stored?

Protect against physical damage. Store in cool, ventilated place. Separate from other materials. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))

Get the free GHS / CLP / OSHA deadline calendar

Verified 2026–2029 compliance dates in one PDF — plus alerts when the rules change.