| Product Identification | Back to Contents | 【Product Name】
2-Hydroxymethylnitrile | 【Synonyms】
Cyanomethanol
Formaldehyde cyanohydrin
Glyconitrile
Hydroxyacetonitrile | 【CAS】
107-16-4 | 【Formula】
C2H3NO | 【Molecular Weight】
57.06 | 【EINECS】
203-469-1 | 【RTECS】
AM0350000 | 【RTECS Class】
Primary Irritant | 【Beilstein/Gmelin】
605328 | 【Beilstein Reference】
4-03-00-00598 |
| Physical and Chemical Properties | Back to Contents | 【Appearance】
Odorless colorless oil with a sweetish taste. | 【Solubility in water】
Very soluble | 【Melting Point】
<-72 | 【Boiling Point】
183 | 【Vapor Pressure】
0.06 (25 C) | 【Density】
1.1 g/cm3 (12 C) | 【pKa/pKb】
11.31 (pKa) | 【Partition Coefficient】
-1.24 | 【Heat Of Vaporization】
51.4 kJ/mol | 【Heat Of Combustion】
-1076 kJ/mol | 【Usage】
Manufacture of intermediates in pharmaceutical production & as component of synthetic resins. | 【Vapor Density】
1.96 | 【Refractive Index】
1.41168 (19 C) |
| First Aid Measures | Back to Contents | 【Ingestion】
Do not induce emesis. Activated charcoal: administer charcoal as a slurry (240 ml water/30 g charcoal). Usual dose: 25 to 100 g in adults/adolescents. | 【Inhalation】
Move patient to fresh air. Monitor for respiratory distress. If cough or difficulty breathing develops, evaluate for respiratory tract irritation, bronchitis, or pneumonitis. Administer oxygen and assist ventilation as required. Treat bronchospasm with beta2 agonist and corticosteroid aerosols. | 【Skin】
Remove contaminated clothing and wash exposed area thoroughly with soap and water. A physician should examine the area if irritation or pain persists. While cyanide can be absorbed through intact skin, most reported cases have involved whole-body immersion in cyanide solutions or large-area burns with molten cyanide solutions. | 【Eyes】
Irrigate exposed eyes with copious amounts of tepid water for at least 15 minutes. If irritation, pain, swelling, lacrimation, or photophobia persist, the patient should be seen in a health care facility. Experimental animals have developed serious systemic cyanide poisoning following ocular exposure. Human poisoning cases have not been reported due to eye exposure only. If systemic cyanide poisoning is suspected following eye exposure, refer to treatment recommendations in the inhalation exposure section above. |
| Handling and Storage | Back to Contents | 【Storage】
Keep in a cool, dry, dark location in a tightly sealed container or cylinder. Keep away from incompatible materials, ignition sources and untrained individuals. Secure and label area. Protect containers/cylinders from physical damage. | 【Handling】
All chemicals should be considered hazardous. Avoid direct physical contact. Use appropriate, approved safety equipment. Untrained individuals should not handle this chemical or its container. Handling should occur in a chemical fume hood. |
| Hazards Identification | Back to Contents | 【Inhalation】
Extremely toxic, exposure by any route should be avoided; may have fatal consequences; death from asphyxiation may occur similar to that resulting from hydrogen cyanide. | 【Skin】
Gives no immediate sensation on the skin, but can be fatal by this route. | 【Eyes】
Formaldehyde cyanohydrin is irritating to the eyes. | 【Ingestion】
Nausea, vomiting, and anorexia were seen with dermal exposure. | 【Hazards】
Moderate explosion hazard when exposed to heat or by spontaneous chemical reaction in the presence of alkalies if uninhibited. When heated to decomposition, it emits highly toxic fumes of cyanide and nitrogen oxides. Unstable, may explode on standing. Hazardous polymerization may occur. avoid the presence of alkalis, and exposure to heat. |
| Exposure Controls/Personal Protection | Back to Contents | 【Personal Protection】
Wear appropriate clothing to prevent any reasonable probability of skin contact. Wear eye protection to prevent any possibility of eye contact. | 【Respirators】
Any self contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece and operated in a pressure demand or other positive pressure mode or any supplied air respirator with a full facepiece and operated in a pressure demand or other positive pressure mode in combination with an auxiliary self contained breathing apparatus operated in pressure demand or other positive pressure mode. | 【Exposure Effects】
Rapid and irregular pulse has been seen. Rapid respirations may be followed by slow, labored breathing. Typical signs of CNS depression, such as headache, dizziness, ataxia, weakness, confusion, and nausea were noted in a dermal exposure incident. Seizures and coma may occur. It is closely related to acetonitrile, for which more toxicologic information is available. No reproductive studies were found for formaldehyde cyanohydrin. Acetonitrile, which is structurally similar, is fetotoxic and teratogenic in animals. | 【Exposure limit(s)】
NIOSH REL: C 2 ppm (5 mg/m3) [15-minute] | 【Poison Class】
2 |
| Fire Fighting Measures | Back to Contents | 【Flash Point】
78 | 【Fire Fighting】
(Non-Specific -- Acetonitrile) Cool containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far away as possible. Avoid breathing vapors. Keep upwind. Wear self-contained breathing apparatus. Avoid bodily contact with the material. Wear boots, protective gloves, and goggles.(Non-Specific -- Acetonitrile) Do not extinguish fire if material is leaking and flow cannot be stopped. Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Use alcohol foam, carbon dioxide, or dry chemical. |
| Accidental Release Measures | Back to Contents | 【Small spills/leaks】
(Non-Specific -- Acetonitrile) Build dikes to contain flow as necessary. Use water spray to disperse vapors and dilute standing pools of liquid. Avoid breathing vapors. Keep upwind. Avoid bodily contact with the material. |
| Stability and Reactivity | Back to Contents | 【Stability】
No data. | 【Incompatibilities】
Traces of alkalis promote violent polymerization. | 【Decomposition】
When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of nitrogen oxide and cyanides. | 【Combustion Products】
When heated to decomposition, it emits highly toxic fumes of cyanide and nitrogen oxides. |
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