Substance profile
Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl Alcohol is a water-white liquid with a faint aromatic odor.
01 · Identification
What Benzyl Alcohol is
Benzyl Alcohol is a water-white liquid with a faint aromatic odor. Its molecular formula is C7H8O and its molecular weight is 108.14 g/mol. It boils at 205 °C, melts at -15.2 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning.
02 · GHS classification
Hazards and label elements
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
Precautionary statements: P261, P264, P270, P272, P280, P301, P305, P312, P313, P330, P333, P337, P338
This page lists only the codes assigned to Benzyl Alcohol. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
03 · Physical and chemical properties
Benzyl Alcohol 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.
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 205.3 °C (401.5 °F) | HSDB | |
| 205 °C (401 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 205 °C (401 °F) | ICSC | ||
| Melting point | -15.2 °C (4.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| -15.28 °C (4.5 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| -15 °C (5 °F) | ICSC | ||
| Density | 1.04 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.05 g/cm³ | OSHA | ||
| 1.0419 g/cm³ | at 24 °C | HSDB | |
| Solubility | Soluble in benzene, methanol, chloroform, ethanol, ether, methanol, chloroform and acetone | HSDB | |
| In water, 35,000 mg/L at 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| In water, 42,900 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| Vapor pressure | 0.1 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
| 0.099 mmHg | at 20 °C | ICSC | |
| 0.094 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| Flash point | 100.56 °C (213 °F) | HSDB | |
| 104.44 °C (220 °F) | HSDB | ||
| 93.33 °C (200 °F) | HSDB | ||
| Autoignition temperature | 436.11 °C (817 °F) | HSDB | |
| 436 °C (816.8 °F) | ICSC | ||
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 1.3 % by volume | CAMEO | |
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 13 % by volume | CAMEO | |
| Vapor density | 3.72 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 3.7 (air = 1) | ICSC | ||
| Odor threshold | 5.5 ppm | HSDB | |
| Odor Threshold Low: 5.5 [ppm] | Haz-Map | ||
| Odor threshold from CHEMINFO | Haz-Map | ||
| Critical temperature and pressure | 441.85 °C (827.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| Corrosivity | Will attack some plastics | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
04 · Handling and storage
Storing and handling Benzyl Alcohol
Storage conditions
Benzyl alcohol is stored in stainless steel tanks. Because benzyl alcohol oxidizes readily, it is advisable to cover the surface of the liquid with nitrogen.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Incompatible materials
Mixtures with sulfuric acid decompose expliosively at 180 °C.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Benzyl Alcohol in the storage compatibility matrix →
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Benzyl Alcohol
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 Benzyl Alcohol 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.
Nearby
Substances next to Benzyl Alcohol
Keep going: substances starting with B, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.