Substance profile
Thymol
Thymol is colorless, translucent crystals or plates from ethyl acetate with an odor of thyme.
01 · Identification
What Thymol is
Thymol is colorless, translucent crystals or plates from ethyl acetate with an odor of thyme. Its molecular formula is C10H14O and its molecular weight is 150.22 g/mol. It boils at 233 °C, melts at 49.6 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Thymol identifiers and molecular data
Thymol CAS number and EC number
Thymol molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Thymol hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Thymol pictograms and signal word
Thymol hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | 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.
Thymol hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Thymol. 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 Thymol
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 Thymol 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
Thymol precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 11 precautionary statements to Thymol. 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
Thymol 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 | тимол |
| Spanish español | Timol |
| Czech čeština | thymol 2-isopropyl-5-methylfenol |
| Danish dansk | thymol |
| German Deutsch | Thymol |
| Estonian eesti | tümool |
| Greek ελληνικά | θυμόλη |
| English English | thymol |
| French français | thymol |
| Croatian hrvatski | timol |
| Italian italiano | timolo |
| Latvian latviešu | timols |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | timolis |
| Hungarian magyar | timol |
| Maltese Malti | timol |
| Dutch Nederlands | thymol |
| Polish polski | tymol 2-izopropylo-5-metylofenol |
| Portuguese português | timol |
| Romanian română | timol |
| Slovak slovenčina | tymol |
| Slovenian slovenščina | timol |
| Finnish suomi | tymoli |
| Swedish svenska | tymol |
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
Thymol GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Thymol, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Thymol
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- 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 Thymol in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Thymol health hazards and exposure limits
Thymol hazard summary
Mild irritant with systemic effects similar to those of phenol; If ingested causes stomach pain, vomiting, and hyperactivity; Can cause convulsions and coma; Emergency treatment: Phenol and related agents; [HSDB] Causes somnolence, ataxia, and coma at lethal doses in rats; [RTECS] Can cause burns; [eChemPortal: ESIS] No increased birth defects in 52 pregnancies with exposure during the first trimester; [REPROTOX] Safe when used as a flavoring agent in food; [JECFA] Causes burns; Harmful if swallowed; [Aldrich MSDS] See Phenol.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Thymol 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.
Thymol boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 233 °C (451.4 °F) | HSDB | |
| 233 °C (451.4 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 232.5 °C (450.5 °F) | range, midpoint shown | JECFA |
Thymol melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 49.6 °C (121.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| 51.5 °C (124.7 °F) | HMDB |
Thymol density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.9699 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 0.972 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC |
Thymol solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | In water, 900 mg/L at 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB |
| In water: 0.098 g in 100 g at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Thymol vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.016 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 0.0953 mmHg | at 40 °C | HSDB | |
| 1 mmHg | at 64 °C | HSDB |
Thymol flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 110 °C (230 °F) | HSDB |
Thymol odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | 86 to 790 ppb | HSDB | |
| The olfactory threshold of thymol in water is reported as 500 ug/L. | HSDB | ||
| Odor Threshold Low: 0.001 [ppm] | Haz-Map |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Thymol 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.
Thymol fire potential
Flammable
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Solubility
1 g dissolves in about 1000 mL water, 1 mL alcohol, 0.7 mL chloroform, 1.5 mL ether, 1.7 mL olive oil at 25 °C; soluble in glacial acetic acids, oils, fixed alkali hydroxide
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Thymol storage and handling
Thymol storage conditions
Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities: Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Thymol incompatible materials
Incompatible with acetanilide.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Thymol in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Thymol — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Thymol?
The CAS number of Thymol is 89-83-8. Its EC number is 201-944-8.
What is the chemical formula of Thymol?
The molecular formula of Thymol is C10H14O and its molecular weight is 150.22 g/mol.
What does a Thymol label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Thymol carries the pictograms Corrosion, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Thymol flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Thymol 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 110 °C (230 °F) (HSDB).
Is Thymol a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Thymol. 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 Thymol?
The boiling point reported for Thymol is 233 °C (451.4 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Thymol?
The melting point reported for Thymol is 49.6 °C (121.3 °F) (HSDB).
How should Thymol be stored?
Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities: Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Thymol
Keep going: substances starting with T, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.