Substance profile
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is a colorless liquid with a suffocating odor.
01 · Identification
What Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether is a colorless liquid with a suffocating odor. Its molecular formula is C2H4Cl2O and its molecular weight is 114.96 g/mol. It boils at 104 °C, melts at -41.5 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).
Other names for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
- oxybis(chloromethane)
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 |
|---|---|
| H225 | Highly flammable liquid and vapour. |
| H350 | May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H311 | Toxic in contact with skin. |
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
Precautionary statements: P201, P210, P233, P241, P242, P260, P270, P271, P280, P301, P302, P304, P308, P310, P312, P313, P330, P352, P403
This page lists only the codes assigned to Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
03 · Physical and chemical properties
Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether 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 | 104 °C (219.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 106.11 °C (223 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| 106.11 °C (223 °F) | OSHA | ||
| Melting point | -41.5 °C (-42.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| -42 °C (-43.6 °F) | ICSC | ||
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.315 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| Solubility | Miscible with ethanol, ethyl ether | HSDB | |
| In water, 1,020 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| In water, 2.20X10+4 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| Vapor pressure | 30 mmHg | at 22 °C | CAMEO |
| 29.4 mmHg | at 25 °C, from experimentally derived coefficients | HSDB | |
| 29.2524 mmHg | at 25 °C | ICSC | |
| Flash point | 19 °C (66.2 °F) | below this value, closed cup | HSDB |
| 18.89 °C (66 °F) | below this value | OSHA | |
| 19 °C (66.2 °F) | below this value | Haz-Map | |
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Forms explosive mixture with air. | HSDB | |
| Vapor density | 4 (air = 1) | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
04 · Handling and storage
Storing and handling Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
Storage conditions
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practicable to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Incompatible materials
Incompatible with strong acids. ... May form shock-sensitive compounds on contact with oxidizers, peroxides, and sunlight. Attacks many plastics.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Reactivity
DICHLORODIMETHYL ETHER is incompatible with the following: Acids, water [Note: Reacts with water to form hydrochloric acid & formaldehyde.] (NIOSH, 2024).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether in the storage compatibility matrix →
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
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 Bis(Chloromethyl)… 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 Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether
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