ACROLEIN

PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION
CAS NO. 107-02-8

ACROLEIN
EINECS NO. 203-453-4
FORMULA CH2=CHCHO
MOL WT. 56.06

H.S. CODE

  
TOXICITY Oral rat LD50: 302 mg/kg.
SYNONYMS 2-Propen-1-one; 2-propenal; Acrylic aldehyde;
Acquinite; Acraldehyde; Acrolein; Acrylaldehyde; Allyl aldehyde; Aqualine; Ethylene aldehyde; Pprop-2-en-1-al; Prop-2-enal; Propenal; Propenaldehyde; Propylene aldehyde; trans-acrolein; Acrylaldehyd (German); Acrilaldehído (Spanish); Acrylaldéhyde (French);
DERIVATION  

CLASSIFICATION

 

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL STATE clear liquid. Lachrymator
MELTING POINT -88 C
BOILING POINT 52 - 53 C
SPECIFIC GRAVITY 0.83 - 0.84
SOLUBILITY IN WATER Soluble (21.3 g/100ml)
pH  
VAPOR DENSITY 1.94

AUTOIGNITION

 235 C

NFPA RATINGS

 Health: 4; Flammability: 3; Reactivity: 3

REFRACTIVE INDEX

 1.402
FLASH POINT -26 C
STABILITY Unstable.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION & APPLICATIONS
Acrolein, low mole weight aldehyde containing a C=C double bond, is a clear to yellow, flammable, poisonous liquid with a disagreeable odor; boiling at 52.7 C; soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; causing tears. This compound is unstable in the absence of an inhibitor. It may form unstable peroxides. Acrolein polymerizes exothermically on contact with acid, sulfur dioxide, alkali, amine, metal salt, thiourea, oxidant and on exposure to light and heat. Dimerization occurs at the higher temperature than 150 C when inhibited. Commercial acrolein is produced by gas-phase oxidation of propene in the presence of bismuth or molybdenum oxide. It is also produced as a by-product during the production of acrylic acid or acrylonitrile. Both acrylic acid and acrylonitrile are produced from C 3 refinery. Acrolein can be also obtained by dehydration of glycerol.

Acrolein is used in formulating herbicide and aquatic biocide, slimicide (especially in paper manufacturing), and military tear gas mixtures. It is utilized in manufacturing in organic compounds (e.g. glycerine, plastics, polyurethane, polyester resins, methionine, allyl compounds, acrylic acid, acrylates, perfumes and other esters. It is used in forming colloidal suspensions of metals. Acrolein is capable of distorting enzyme synthesis and occasionally used as a biocide for water treatment. Acrolein is used to produce DL-methionine via intermediate product methional (methylmercaptopropionaldehyde). DL-Methionine is used as an animal feed additive. acrolein is used to produce glutaraldehyde containing two aldehyde groups via intermediate product methoxydihydropyran, Glutaraldehyde is used as a disinfectant and as a leather tanning agent.

Structurally methyl acrolein is crotonaldehyde, C-4 aldehyde containing a double bond. It is a very reactive liquid. The mixtures with air is highly flammable. This substance is a strong reducing agent and reacts violently with oxidants and many other substances. It can polymerize and can cause fire and explosion hazard. The vapour is severely irritating to the skin, the respiratory tract and corrosive to eyes. Inhalation of high concentrations may cause lung oedema and death eventually. Crotonaldehyde is used as a denaturing agent with the addition to alcohol to render it unfit for drinking, or the change in the physical properties of a substance. It is used to detect gas leaks in pipes. The main use of crotonaldehyde is to prepare sorbic acid and crotonic acid by oxidation. It is used in the synthesis of n-butyl alcohol, butyraldehyde and its analogues, and quinaldine. It is used in manufacturing oil soluble dyes, food colorants, pharmaceuticals and pH indicators.
SALES SPECIFICATION

APPEARANCE

clear liquid
ASSAY 98.0% min
WATER 2.0% min
TRANSPORTATION
PACKING  
HAZARD CLASS 6.1 (Packing Group: I)
UN NO. 1092
OTHER INFORMATION
Hazard Symbols: T+ F C N, Risk Phrases: 11-26-34-24/25-50, Safety Phrases: 23-26-28A-36/37/39-45-61