Substance profile
Nickel tetracarbonyl
Nickel tetracarbonyl is a colorless liquid with a peculiar sooty odor @ low concn (gas).
01 · Identification
What Nickel tetracarbonyl is
Nickel tetracarbonyl is a colorless liquid with a peculiar sooty odor @ low concn (gas). Its molecular formula is C4NiO4 and its molecular weight is 170.73 g/mol. It boils at 43 °C, melts at -19.3 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as carcinogens.
Other names for Nickel tetracarbonyl
- tetracarbonylnickel
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. |
| H351 | Suspected of causing cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H360D | May damage the unborn child. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
Precautionary statements: P201, P210, P233, P241, P242, P260, P271, P273, P280, P304, P308, P310, P313, P391, P403, P501
This page lists only the codes assigned to Nickel tetracarbonyl. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
03 · Physical and chemical properties
Nickel tetracarbonyl 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 | 43 °C (109.4 °F) | HSDB | |
| 43.33 °C (110 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 42.78 °C (109 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO | |
| Melting point | -19.3 °C (-2.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| -25 °C (-13 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -19 °C (-2.2 °F) | CAMEO | ||
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ | ICSC | |
| 1.3188 g/cm³ | at 21.11 °C | HSDB | |
| 1.31 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC | |
| Solubility | Sol in about 5000 parts water free from air; sol in alcohol, benzene, chloroform, acetone, carbon tetrachloride. | HSDB | |
| Soluble in alcohol and many organic solvents, soluble in concentrated nitric acid; insoluble in water | HSDB | ||
| SOL IN AQUA REGIA, ETHER, NITRIC ACID; INSOL IN DIL ACID, DIL ALKALI. | HSDB | ||
| Vapor pressure | 315 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 400 mmHg | at 25.8 °C | HSDB | |
| Flash point | -24 °C (-11.2 °F) | below this value, CLOSED CUP | HSDB |
| -20 °C (-4 °F) | below this value | NIOSH | |
| -24 °C (-11.2 °F) | below this value | OSHA | |
| Autoignition temperature | 60 °C (140 °F) | ICSC | |
| 93.33 °C (200 °F) | below this value | HSDB | |
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | 2 % by volume | HSDB | |
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 34 % by volume | ICSC | |
| Flammable and burns with a yellow flame. (EPA, 1998) | CAMEO | ||
| Vapor density | 5.89 (air = 1) | CAMEO | |
| 5.9 (air = 1) | ICSC | ||
| Odor threshold | PECULIAR SOOTY ODOR @ LOW CONCN (GAS) ODOR IS DETECTABLE BETWEEN 1 & 3 PPM. | HSDB | |
| About 30 ppb | HSDB | ||
| Odor Threshold Low: 0.5 [ppm] | Haz-Map | ||
| Critical temperature and pressure | 200 °C (392 °F) | approximate | HSDB |
| Corrosivity | Liquid nickel carbonyl will attack some forms of plastics, rubber, and coatings. | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
04 · Handling and storage
Storing and handling Nickel tetracarbonyl
Storage conditions
Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Keep cylinders restrained.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Incompatible materials
DISASTER HAZARD: DANGEROUS; WHEN HEATED OR ON CONTACT WITH ACID OR ACID FUMES, EMITS HIGHLY TOXIC CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES; CAN REACT WITH OXIDIZING MATERIALS.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Reactivity
NICKEL CARBONYL is easily oxidized. Presents a very serious fire hazard if exposed to heat, flame, sparks, oxidizing agents. Explodes when heated to about 60 °C. Reacts explosively with bromine (liquid), oxygen in the presence of mercury, or hydrocarbons (butane) mixed with oxygen. Undergoes violent reactions with air, oxygen, dinitrogen tetraoxide. Caused an explosion when added to an n-butane-oxygen at 20-40 °C [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 70:2055-6. 1948]. Reacts with tetrachloropropadiene to form an extremely explosive dinickel chloride dimer. Emits highly toxic fumes of carbon monoxide when heated to decomposition or in contact with mineral acids or acid fumes [Bretherick, 5th ed., 1995, p. 1734]. Vapor explodes in air or oxygen at 20 °C and a partial pressure of 15 mm.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Nickel tetracarbonyl in the storage compatibility matrix →
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Nickel tetracarbonyl
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 Nickel tetracarbonyl 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 Nickel tetracarbonyl
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