Substance profile
Boron tribromide
Boron tribromide is colorless, fuming liquid with a sharp, irritating odor.
01 · Identification
What Boron tribromide is
Boron tribromide is colorless, fuming liquid with a sharp, irritating odor. It boils at 91.3 °C, melts at -46 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as corrosives.
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 |
|---|---|
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H300 | Fatal if swallowed. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Supplemental EU statements: EUH014
Precautionary statements: P260, P270, P271, P280, P301, P304, P310, P330, P331
This page lists only the codes assigned to Boron tribromide. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
03 · Physical and chemical properties
Boron tribromide 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 | 91.3 °C (196.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| 90 °C (194 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 91.11 °C (196 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| Melting point | -46 °C (-50.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -46.11 °C (-51 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| Density | 2.6 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 2.7 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 2.645 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| Solubility | Soluble in carbon tetrachloride, sulfur dioxide (liquid), sulfur dichloride; moderately soluble in methylcyclohexane | HSDB | |
| Decomposes | decomposes | NIOSH | |
| Decomposes (NIOSH, 2024) | decomposes | CAMEO | |
| Vapor pressure | 40 mmHg | at 14 °C | HSDB |
| 39.7533 mmHg | at 14 °C | ICSC | |
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | May explode when heated. | HSDB | |
| ... May ... explode in moist air ... | Boranes | HSDB | |
| Noncombustible Liquid | NIOSH | ||
| Vapor density | 8.6 (air = 1) | ICSC | |
| Critical temperature and pressure | 307.85 °C (586.1 °F) | HSDB | |
| Corrosivity | Strongly attacks metals and wood | HSDB | |
| Corrosive to rubber and bakelite | HSDB | ||
| Corrosive to tissue | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
04 · Handling and storage
Storing and handling Boron tribromide
Storage conditions
Separate from alkalies, oxidizing materials, alcohols, ethers, alkali metals, phosphorus, wood. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Incompatible materials
Reacts with water and various metals.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Reactivity
BORON TRIBROMIDE strongly attacks wood and rubber with generation of flammable hydrogen gas. Reacts exothermically and violently with water. Mixing tungsten trioxide and boron tribromide caused an explosion when the reaction was not cooled in an ice bath.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Boron tribromide in the storage compatibility matrix →
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Boron tribromide
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 Boron tribromide 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 Boron tribromide
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