Products Description
Acrylonitrile is a colorless and highly flammable liquid whose vapor may form explosive mixtures in the presence of an ignition source. It is a synthetic chemical that does not occur naturally and is manufactured on a large industrial scale, with its demand increasing in recent years.
As an important unsaturated nitrile compound, acrylonitrile serves as a major raw material in the production of plastics, synthetic rubbers, and acrylic fibers. Although it was formerly used as a fumigant in pesticides, such applications have been completely discontinued.
Acrylonitrile also acts as an important intermediate in organic synthesis and is used to manufacture pharmaceuticals, antioxidants, dyes, and other chemical products. Its main applications are concentrated in the production of acrylic and modacrylic fibers, as well as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins, which are widely used in high-impact plastics.
Furthermore, acrylonitrile is an essential component in the manufacture of styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) resins, which are applied in automotive parts, household products, packaging materials, office equipment, luggage, and construction materials. Its derivative, adiponitrile, is an important intermediate for producing nylon and is also used in the synthesis of dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.
Chemical Properties
| Melting point | -83 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 77 °C (lit.) |
| density | 0.806 g/mL at 20 °C |
| vapor density | 1.83 (vs air) |
| vapor pressure | 86 mm Hg ( 20 °C) |
| refractive index | n20/D 1.391(lit.) |
| Fp | 32 °F |
| storage temp. | 2-8°C |
| solubility | 73g/l |
| form | Liquid |
| color | Clear |
| PH | 6.0-7.5 (50g/l, H2O, 20℃) |
| Odor | Mild pyridine-like odor at 2 to 22 ppm |
| Odor Threshold | 8.8ppm |
| explosive limit | 2.8-28%(V) |
| Water Solubility | Soluble. 7.45 g/100 mL |
| Sensitive | Light Sensitive |
| Merck | 14131 |
| BRN | 605310 |
| Henry's Law Constant | 1.30 at 30.00 °C (headspace-GC, Hovorka et al., 2002) |
| Exposure limits | NIOSH REL: TWA 1 ppm, 15-min C 1 ppm, IDLH 85 ppm; OSHA PEL: TWA 2 ppm, 15-min C 10 ppm; ACGIH TLV: TWA 2 ppm. |
| Dielectric constant | 33.01 |
| LogP | 0.017 at 21℃ |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 107-13-1(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| IARC | 2B (Vol. 71) 1999 |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | 2-Propenenitrile(107-13-1) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | Acrylonitrile (107-13-1) |
| Hazard Codes | F,T,N,Xn |
| Risk Statements | 45-11-23/24/25-37/38-41-43-51/53-39/23/24/25-62-63 |
| Safety Statements | 53-9-16-45-61-36/37 |
| RIDADR | UN 1093 3/PG 1 |
| OEB | D |
| OEL | TWA: 1 ppm, Ceiling: 10 ppm [15-minute] [skin] |
| WGK Germany | 3 |
| RTECS | AT5250000 |
| F | 8 |
| Autoignition Temperature | 481 °C |
| TSCA | Yes |
| HazardClass | 3 |
| PackingGroup | I |
| HS Code | 29261000 |
| Hazardous Substances Data | 107-13-1(Hazardous Substances Data) |
| Toxicity | LD50 orally in rats: 0.093 g/kg (Smyth, Carpenter) |
| IDLA | 60 ppm |
Product Usage
Acrylonitrile is mainly used to produce acrylic and modacrylic fibers. It is also an important raw material for ABS and SAN plastics, adiponitrile, acrylamide, nitrile rubber, and barrier resins. Although it was previously used in pesticides, these applications have been discontinued.
Since the 1940s, acrylonitrile has become an important industrial chemical due to the rapid growth of the petrochemical industry.
ABS and SAN resins are among the major applications of acrylonitrile. ABS is produced by grafting acrylonitrile and styrene onto polybutadiene or styrene-butadiene copolymers, with an acrylonitrile content of about 25 wt%. It is widely used in automotive components, pipe fittings, and household appliances.
SAN is a copolymer containing approximately 25–30 wt% acrylonitrile. Its excellent transparency makes it suitable for automotive instrument panels, lenses, and household products.
