Acetonitrile

Description

Acetonitrile is used as a solvent in the production of vitamin B, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, pesticides, plastics and as a non-aqueous solvent for inorganic salts. It is also used in the photographic industry, in the extraction and refining of copper, in the textile industry, in lithium batteries, for the extraction of fatty acids from animal and vegetable oils, and in analytical chemistry laboratories.

Substance details
Substance name: Acetonitrile
CASR number: 75-05-8
Molecular formula: CH3CN

Physical properties
Acetonitrile is a flammable colourless liquid with a sweet ether-like odour which is detectable at ppm levels.

Melting Point: -48°C
Boiling Point: 82°c
Specific Gravity: 0.786
Vapour Density: 1.41

Chemical Properties
Acetonitrile is very soluble in water. It mixes with most organic solvents, e.g. alcohols, esters, acetone, ether, benzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and many unsaturated hydrocarbons. Acetonitrile does not mix with petroleum ether and many saturated hydrocarbons. Acetonitrile is incompatible with water, acids, bases, oleum, perchlorates, nitrating agents, reducing agents and alkali metals. Acetonitrile decomposes on contact with acids, water and steam, producing toxic fumes and flammable vapour. Acetonitrile reacts with strong oxidants such as nitric acid, chromic acid and sodium peroxide, causing fire and explosion hazards. Acetonitrile forms toxic fumes of hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides on combustion. It attacks some forms of plastics, rubber and coatings.

Further information
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) holds data for all sources of acetonitrile emissions in Australia.

Australia’s acetonitrile emission report
Description
Acetonitrile is toxic to humans. Ingestion is highly unlikely under normal conditions. Inhalation of acetonitrile may cause irritation of mucous membranes and inhalation of higher concentrations can produce flushing of the face, chest tightness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, shortness of breath and death. Cyanosis (blue-grey discolouration of the skin and lips) may be a delayed symptom. Chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure to acetonitrile results in cyanide poisoning from metabolic release of cyanide after absorption. The major effects consist of those on the central nervous system (CNS), such as headaches, numbness and tremors. Other manifestations of repeated exposure may be enlargement of the thyroid gland or damage to liver and kidneys. Skin contact may also produce cyanide poisoning and dermatitis. Acetonitrile vapour can cause redness of the eyes.

Entering the body
Exposure may occur by inhalation of vapour and by skin contact. Absorption through intact skin occurs rapidly. Ingestion is unlikely.

Exposure
Only occupational exposure in industries using acetonitrile is relevant.

Workplace exposure standards
Safe Work Australia sets the workplace exposure standard for acetonitrile through the workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants:

Maximum eight hour time weighted average (TWA): 40 parts per million (67 mg/m3)
Maximum short term exposure limit (STEL): 60 parts per million (101 mg/m3)
These standards are only appropriate for use in workplaces and are not limited to any specific industry or operation. Make sure you understand how to interpret the standards before you use them.

Drinking water guidelines
There is no guideline for acetonitrile in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Description
Acetonitrile is a medium polarity solvent has low UV absorbance and is stable towards many types of organic reactions. It’s commonly used as an eluent for LC analysis and as a solvent/ diluent for biochemical reagents and reactions. Acetonitrile is slightly persistent in water, with a half-life of between 2 to 20 days. Acetonitrile has slight acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic life. No data are available on the short-term and long-term effects of acetonitrile on plants or land animals.

Entering the environment
Acetonitrile can be transported in air as vapour, and in water.

Where it ends up
Acetonitrile vapour will be diluted in air to low levels which are harmless to the environment. Acetonitrile completely dissolves in water, decomposing over time to produce fumes and vapour which are diluted in air.

Environmental guidelines
No national guidelines.

Industry sources
Acetonitrile may enter the environment through manufacturing effluent, municipal waste treatment plant discharges or spills.

Diffuse sources, and industry sources included in diffuse emissions data
Sub-threshold facilities.

Natural sources
There are no natural sources for acetonitrile.

Transport sources
There are no mobile sources for acetonitrile.

Consumer products
There are no consumer products that contain acetonitrile.

DESCRIPTION
General description
Acetonitrile, an aliphatic nitrile, is widely used as an organic solvent and intermediate in organic syntheses. It is transparent to UV-visible light, which makes it highly applicable in spectrophotometric and fluorimetric techniques. MeCN is utilized as a mobile phase component in many chromatographic techniques, due to its low viscosity, high elution strength and miscibility in water. It also plays a major role as an extractant medium in liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction or microextraction.
Application
Acetonitrile may be used as a solvent to prepare:
1,2-Azidoalcohols and 1,2-azidoamines via cerium(III) chloride assisted ring opening of epoxides and aziridines by sodium azide.
Cyano-bearing indolinones by oxidative arylalkylation of olefins in the presence of palladium catalyst.

It may also be used as a reactant to synthesize:
Bis (diphenylphosphino) acetonitrile by reacting with n-butyllithium and then with chlorodiphenylphosphine.
β-Acetamido ketones via coupling reaction with ketones or ketoesters and aldehydes in the presence of cobalt(II) chloride.

MELTING POINT: -48 °C

BOILING POINT: 80 – 82 °C

DENSITY: 0.781 kg/l

REFRACTIVE INDEX: 20/D 1.344

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: liquid

PRODUCT NAME: Acetonitrile dry (max. 0.005% water) , ACS

QUALITY NAME: ACS

SPECIFICATIONS:

Minimum assay (G.C.): 99.7%
Identity: IR passes test
Density 20/4: 0.779-0.783Maximum limit of impurities
APHA colour: 10
Acidity: 0.0002 meq/g
Alkalinity: 0.0001 meq/g
Insoluble matter in H2O: passes test
Non-volatile matter: 0.001 %
Reducing substance to KMnO4: passes test
Acrylonitrile (G.C.): 0.05%
Allyl Alcohol (G.C.): 0.05%
Benzene (G.C.): 0.05%
Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN): 0.005%
Propionitrile (G.C.): 0.1%
Water (H2O): 0.005 %Metals by ICP [in mg/Kg (ppm)]
Ag: 0.05
Al: 0.5
As: 0.05
Au: 0.05
B: 0.02
Ba: 0.1
Be: 0.02
Bi: 0.05
Ca: 0.05
Cd: 0.05
Co: 0.02
Cr: 0.02
Cu: 0.02
Fe: 0.1
Ga: 0.02
Ge: 0.05
Hg: 0.05
In: 0.05
K: 0.1
Li: 0.05
Mg: 0.1
Mn: 0.02
Mo: 0.02
Na: 0.5
Ni: 0.02
P: 0.2
Pb: 0.1
Pt: 0.02
S: 0.2
Sb: 0.02
Si: 0.2
Sn: 0.1
Sr: 0.2
Ti: 0.02
Tl: 0.02
V: 0.02
Zn: 0.1
Zr: 0.02

HAZARD PICTOGRAMS

UN:1648
CLASS/PG:3/II
ADR:3/II
IMDG:3/II
IATA:3/II
WGK:2
STORAGE:Room Temperature.
SIGNAL WORD:Danger
GHS SYMBOLS:GHS02
GHS07
H PHRASES:H225
H332
H312
H302
H319
P PHRASES:P210
P233
P240
P241
P242
P243
P261
P270
P271
P280
P301+P330+P331
P303+P361+P353
P304+P340
P305+P351+P338
P312
P322
P363
P370+P378
P501
P337+P313
MASTER NAME:Acetonitrile
SYNONYMS LONG TEXT:Cyanomethane, Ethanenitrile, Methyl Cyanide
EINECS:200-835-2
CS:2926 90 70
INDEX NR.:608-001-00-3