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Chemical Name: 2-Octanone
Synonyms: Methyl heptyl ketone
Chemical Formula: C8H16O
CAS Number: 111-13-7
Physical State: Clear, colorless to slightly yellow liquid, recognizable by a fragrance often described as fruity or nutty, due to its use in flavor and fragrance industries. The faint, pleasant smell might make someone forget this chemical is not household-safe.
Classification: Flammable liquid, eye and skin irritant
Hazard Statements: Vapors can easily ignite when exposed to open flames or heat sources. Prolonged or repeated contact can cause dryness or cracking of the skin. Eyes may sting with direct splashes. Inhalation in confined or unventilated spaces could lead to headaches, dizziness, or respiratory discomfort, which underlines the risk for anyone working in small labs or storerooms.
Main Component: 2-Octanone (greater than 98 percent by weight)
Impurities: Minor traces of other aldehydes or ketones might show up depending on the synthesis route, especially in industrial batches, but these are rarely significant in terms of total mass.
Inhalation: Get to fresh air quickly. Watch for signs like nausea, coughing, or shortness of breath. If those appear, medical attention helps.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing, wash skin thoroughly with water and mild soap. For persistent irritation, seeing a medical provider makes sense, especially for those with sensitive skin.
Eye Contact: Flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. Keeping eyelids open and rolling the eyes can help, considering how easily chemical can pool near the ducts. If burning or blurred vision lasts, medical help is needed.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth without swallowing, avoid inducing vomiting, and get medical advice.
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Use foam, dry chemical powder, or CO2 fire extinguishers.
Specific Hazards: Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air. During fires, smoke might contain carbon monoxide, which is not only poisonous but also undetectable by smell.
Protective Equipment: Firefighters need full protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus to guard against vapors and toxic gases, especially in larger storage areas.
Personal Precautions: Keep sources of ignition away and ventilate the area. Wear safety goggles, gloves, and chemical-resistant clothing.
Environmental Precautions: Prevent liquid from getting into drains, surface water, or soil. Spill containment becomes essential in urban environments where stormwater systems lead to rivers.
Clean-Up Methods: Use non-combustible absorbents like sand or earth. Shovel the collected material into sealed, labeled containers for disposal.
Handling: Use only in well-ventilated areas. Avoid inhaling vapors and skin or eye contact. Ground and bond containers during transfer, as static electricity is a real fire-starting threat.
Storage: Store in tightly closed containers away from sunlight, heat, or potential ignition sources. Well-ventilated, fireproof rooms keep risk low. If possible, segregate from oxidizing agents or acids.
Engineering Controls: Ensure efficient local exhaust or fume hoods in workspaces, not just opening a window.
Personal Protective Equipment: Safety glasses, chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene outperform latex in this setting), lab coats, closed-toe shoes. If vapor levels exceed normal workplace standards, use respirators approved for organic vapors.
Hygiene Measures: Wash hands thoroughly after handling, avoid touching face, and never eat, drink, or smoke in chemical-use areas.
Appearance: Clear, colorless liquid, subtle yellow with age or impurities.
Odor: Characteristic mild, somewhat fruity.
Boiling Point: 173-176°C
Melting Point: -26°C
Flash Point: Roughly 60°C (closed cup)
Vapor Density: Heavier than air, meaning vapors might collect near floors.
Solubility: Slightly soluble in water, mixes well with most organic solvents.
Partition Coefficient (log Kow): Estimated around 2.7, pointing to moderate bioaccumulation if released.
Chemical Stability: Stable under standard storage and handling conditions.
Possible Dangerous Reactions: Strong oxidizers or acids can trigger hazardous reactions, generating heat and possibly causing rupture in closed containers.
Decomposition Products: Burns generate carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, both posing respiratory risks during poorly controlled fires or heat exposure.
Acute Effects: Inhalation exposure might cause headache, dizziness, respiratory irritation.
Eye Contact: Redness, watering, burning sensation.
Skin Contact: Prolonged or repeated exposure dries and cracks skin.
Chronic Toxicity: No evidence of carcinogenicity in animal studies, though limited data means caution makes sense.
Summary: Most professionals handle small volumes infrequently. Still, gloves, goggles, and attention to spills reduce risk.
Environmental Fate: Likely breaks down in the environment, but not before posing a moderate threat to aquatic life, given evidence of limited water solubility and bioaccumulation potential.
Water Hazard: Spilled liquid can float on water, spreading quickly, making storm drains or open waterways a big concern.
Persistence and Degradability: Degrades over days to weeks depending on conditions, but best practice involves preventing release up front, as cleanup is always more complicated than containment.
Waste Handling: Do not dump large amounts in sinks or drains. Some communities accept small chemical waste at household hazardous waste programs, but industrial amounts require licensed disposal contractors.
Container Disposal: Empty and triple-rinse before discarding, follow local and national rules on chemical waste disposal for both liquid and packaging.
UN Number: Unregulated for small quantities, but larger volumes get classified as flammable liquids in transportation systems.
Labeling Requirements: Flammable liquid labels if shipped by road, rail, air, or sea in volumes exceeding exempt thresholds.
Packing Group: Falls into moderate hazard category, meaning carriers should alert emergency response teams during traffic accidents or spills.
Occupational Exposure Limits: National and international agencies may set workplace exposure limits. While few countries have specific maximum exposure values for 2-Octanone, general limiting limits for similar organic solvents apply.
Regulatory Listings: Not classified as a major hazard chemical under frameworks like REACH or OSHA, but sites may need to log and report larger inventories for fire safety purposes.
Other Laws: Disposal, storage, and handling fall under hazardous waste rules in many jurisdictions, especially in developed countries.
