CAS 75-05-8 · REACH · European Union

Acetonitrile under REACH

CH3CN · 乙腈

Status: Registered. Acetonitrile is fully registered under REACH. **Distinguishing pattern: produced primarily as byproduct of acrylonitrile manufacture (SOHIO ammoxidation of propylene); major downstream uses are HPLC + UPLC mobile phase reagent (~30 to 40% of global consumption, primarily research + pharmaceutical analytical labs) + lithium-ion battery electrolyte solvent (emerging large-use category, particularly for next-generation chemistries) + pharmaceutical intermediate (vitamin B1 + thiamine + acrylonitrile-derived drug intermediates) + extraction solvent (butadiene + olefin extractive distillation in petrochemical refining) + organic synthesis solvent. Acetonitrile is metabolised in the body to cyanide, which is the basis for its acute-toxicity classification.** Major non-EU producers: INEOS (Texas Lima OH + Houston TX), Asahi Kasei (Japan Mizushima), Wanhua Chemical (China + Hungary post-Borsodchem acquisition), Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan), Showa Denko (Japan). Major Chinese acetonitrile producers: Wanhua Chemical (Yantai Shandong + Yancheng Jiangsu) + Sinopec Anqing (Anhui) + Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical + Shandong Lianhuan + Tianhua Group. NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin acetonitrile currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing). **NOT on EU Drug Precursors Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 + Regulation (EU) 2015/1011 scheduled list at acetonitrile level** (verify against EUR-Lex before relying; some EU member states may have local nitrile-precursor controls).

Acetonitrile is fully REACH-registered. Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation (cyanide-metabolite mechanism). IARC Volume 71 (1999) Group 3. NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD. **NOT on EU Drug Precursors scheduled list at acetonitrile level**. ADR UN 1648 Class 3 PG II. **HPLC + UPLC mobile phase ~30 to 40% + lithium-ion battery electrolyte solvent + pharmaceutical intermediate + extraction solvent (butadiene) + organic synthesis solvent downstream**. **Acetonitrile is byproduct of acrylonitrile manufacture (SOHIO ammoxidation of propylene); 2009 global shortage when acrylonitrile capacity reduced is the structural risk.**

Listing and threshold

Substance Acetonitrile (CAS 75-05-8), CH3CN
Regime EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
Jurisdiction European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
Status Registered
Tonnage threshold Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market

Classifications under this regime

  • Flam. Liq. 2: H225 (highly flammable, flash point ~2°C) + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation: H302 + H312 + H332 + Eye Irrit. 2: H319 per harmonised CLP (verify exact harmonised classification + any Carc. 2 + Repr. 2 designation against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying)
  • Acetonitrile is metabolised to cyanide; acute-toxicity classification reflects cyanide-metabolite mechanism
  • IARC: evaluated in Monograph Volume 71 (1999), Group 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans) (verify against https://monographs.iarc.who.int/ before relying)
  • **NOT on EU Drug Precursors Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 + Regulation (EU) 2015/1011 scheduled list at acetonitrile level** (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before relying; some EU member states may have local nitrile-precursor controls)
  • ADR / RID: UN 1648 ACETONITRILE Class 3 (flammable liquid) PG II (verify against current ADR at https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/adr-2025-files before consigning)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV authorisation list (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/authorisation-list)
  • NOT classified as SVHC (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table)
  • NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin acetonitrile currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope

Importer obligations

A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). Major Chinese acetonitrile producers (China is a major acetonitrile producer + exporter, particularly post-Wanhua acquisition of Borsodchem and post-2009 acetonitrile-shortage event when global acrylonitrile capacity reductions tightened acetonitrile by-product supply): Wanhua Chemical (Yantai Shandong + Yancheng Jiangsu) + Sinopec Anqing (Anhui) + Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical + Shandong Lianhuan + Tianhua Group; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying.

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on EU side
  • SDS (Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation + Eye Irrit. 2 + cyanide-metabolite mechanism)
  • Customs entry HS code 292690 (other nitrile-function compounds; verify exact HS subheading for acetonitrile against current EU TARIC)
  • ADR transport documentation UN 1648 Class 3 PG II flammable liquid

Common compliance traps

The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.

  • Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation (cyanide-metabolite mechanism)
  • IARC Volume 71 (1999) Group 3 (not classifiable)
  • NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD
  • **NOT on EU Drug Precursors scheduled list at acetonitrile level**
  • **HPLC + UPLC mobile phase reagent ~30 to 40% + lithium-ion battery electrolyte solvent (emerging large-use) + pharmaceutical intermediate (vitamin B1 + thiamine) + extraction solvent (butadiene + olefin extractive distillation) + organic synthesis solvent downstream chains**
  • Major Chinese producers: Wanhua Chemical Yantai Shandong + Yancheng Jiangsu + Sinopec Anqing Anhui + Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical + Shandong Lianhuan + Tianhua Group

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for acetonitrile, see the CAS 75-05-8 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the acetonitrile cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of REACH, see the REACH glossary entry.

Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.

Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

Referenced in

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