Safety data for xylenes
Click here for data on xylenes in
student-friendly format,
from the
HSci project
Click here for data on xylenes in
student-friendly format,
from the
HSci project
The information on this web page is provided to help you to work safely, but it is intended to be an overview of hazards, not a replacement for a full Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). MSDS forms can be downloaded from the web sites of many chemical suppliers.
Toxicity data
Risk phrases
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This information was last updated on February 2, 2009.
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for it. General
Synonyms: xylene, dimethylbenzene, xylol
Molecular formula: C6H4(CH3)2
This is a
mixture of the three xylenes,
m-xylene (CAS 108-38-3),
o-xylene (CAS 95-47-6) and
p-xylene (CAS 106-42-3),
and often also contains
ethylbenzene (CAS 100-41-4).
CAS No: 1330-20-7
EINECS No:
Physical data
Appearance: colourless liquid
Melting point: -48 C
Boiling point: 137 C
Vapour density: 3.7 (air = 1)
Vapour pressure: 5.1 mm Hg at 20 C
Density (g cm-3): 0.87
Flash point: 27 C (closed cup)
Explosion limits: 1.1 - 7%
Autoignition temperature:
Water solubility:
Stability
Stable. Flammable; incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
Toxicology
Harmful if swallowed or inhaled. Eye, skin and
respiratory irritant. May act as a narcotic. Typical TLV/TWA 100 ppm.
(The meaning of any abbreviations which appear in this section
is given
here.)
ORL-RAT LD50 4300 mg kg-1
SCU-RAT LD50 1700 mg kg-1
(The meaning of any risk phrases which appear in this section is given
here.)
R10 R20 R22 R36 R37 R38.
Transport information
Personal protection
Safety glasses, good ventilation. Remove sources of ignition
from the working area.