CAS 75-56-9 · REACH · European Union

Propylene oxide (1,2-epoxypropane) under REACH

C3H6O · 环氧丙烷

Status: Registered. Propylene oxide is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: lighter sister of EO batch 28 + Carc 1B (lighter than EO Carc 1A) + Muta 1B + IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic) + polyether polyol chain (~70% of demand) → polyurethane (foam, automotive, MDI / TDI integration with aniline batch 26) + HPPO (hydrogen peroxide direct oxidation) emerging as preferred production route (~25-30% of new capacity) + Wanhua Chemical Yantai HPPO leadership (NEW combined).** Reg (EC) 1272/2008 harmonised: Carc 1B + Muta 1B + Acute Tox. 3 oral / dermal / inhalation + STOT SE 3 + Skin Irrit. 2 + Eye Irrit. 2 + Flam. Liq. 1. NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NOT a drug precursor. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin PO currently.

Propylene oxide is fully REACH-registered with **lighter hazard profile than EO batch 28**: Carc 1B (vs EO Carc 1A), Muta 1B (matching EO), IARC Group 2B (vs EO IARC Group 1). PO is more amenable to bulk transport than EO (Class 3 flammable liquid vs Class 2.3 toxic gas). NOT SVHC despite Carc 1B + Muta 1B (kept off because of essential industrial use). NO active EU AD case. NOT in CBAM Phase 1. Major Chinese producers: **Wanhua Chemical Yantai (a leading HPPO producer with HPPO plus chlorohydrin capacity; verify the most recent HPPO nameplate against the Wanhua Chemical investor site before quoting world-leading rank)**, Sinopec Yangzi + Sinopec Shanghai, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC (HPPO), Hengli Petrochemical Dalian (HPPO), Lyondell-Sinopec joint ventures. China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~10-12 Mt/yr). Production routes: chlorohydrin (~30% legacy), HSD/PO (~25%), **HPPO (~25-30% and growing as preferred new route)**, TBA / MTBE co-product (~15%), cumene hydroperoxide (~5%). End-use: polyether polyol → polyurethane chain (~70%), propylene glycol (~20%), other (~10%).

Listing and threshold

Substance Propylene oxide (1,2-epoxypropane) (CAS 75-56-9), C3H6O
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

  • Harmonised CLP classification: Flam. Liq. 1 (H224, "extremely flammable liquid and vapour"), Carc. 1B (H350, "may cause cancer"), Muta. 1B (H340, "may cause genetic defects"), Acute Tox. 3 oral / dermal / inhalation (H301 / H311 / H331), STOT SE 3 (H335), Skin Irrit. 2 (H315), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319)
  • Signal word: DANGER
  • GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS06 (skull and crossbones), GHS08 (health hazard, carcinogen / mutagen)
  • **IARC: Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans)** since 1994 IARC Monograph 60 (verify Volume 60 against https://monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications)
  • NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
  • ADR / RID transport classification: Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN 1280, Packing Group I

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (Authorisation list)
  • NOT classified as SVHC (despite Carc 1B + Muta 1B classification, kept off SVHC because of essential industrial use including polyether polyol / polyurethane chain)
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin PO currently
  • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
  • EU Reg 10/2011 food-contact: PO specific migration limit (SML "ND" non-detectable)
  • EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) requires permitting
  • EU Directive 2004/37/EC Carcinogens and Mutagens at Work: occupational exposure limit applies

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). **Carc 1B + Muta 1B + Acute Tox. 3 + Flam. Liq. 1 hazard profile drives substantial workplace exposure-control overhead** (lighter than EO batch 28 Carc 1A). PO is more amenable to bulk transport than EO (Class 3 liquid vs Class 2.3 toxic gas). Major Chinese producers (Wanhua Chemical Yantai HPPO + chlorohydrin, Sinopec Yangzi + Sinopec Shanghai, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC HPPO, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian HPPO, Lyondell-Sinopec joint ventures) compete with EU domestic producers (LyondellBasell Rotterdam, Dow Stade Germany, BASF Ludwigshafen, INEOS Köln). The dominant economic story for Chinese-origin PO is **HPPO leadership of Wanhua + Zhejiang Petrochemical** integrated with downstream polyether polyol / polyurethane chain.

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on the EU side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) compliant with REACH Annex II in destination Member State language(s) reflecting H224 / H301 / H311 / H315 / H319 / H331 / H335 / H340 / H350 classification
  • CLP-compliant labelling with GHS02 + GHS06 + GHS08 pictograms and DANGER signal word
  • Customs entry with HS code 291020 (propylene oxide)
  • ADR consignment note for transport (Class 3, UN 1280, PG I)

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Lighter sister of EO batch 28**: Carc 1B (vs EO Carc 1A), Muta 1B (matching EO), IARC Group 2B (vs EO IARC Group 1)
  • PO is more amenable to bulk transport than EO (Class 3 flammable liquid vs Class 2.3 toxic gas)
  • NOT SVHC despite Carc 1B + Muta 1B (kept off because of essential industrial use; ~70% of demand is polyether polyol → polyurethane chain)
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese PO currently
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
  • Major Chinese producers: **Wanhua Chemical Yantai (HPPO + chlorohydrin; world's largest HPPO producer)**, Sinopec Yangzi + Sinopec Shanghai, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC (HPPO), Hengli Petrochemical Dalian (HPPO), Lyondell-Sinopec joint ventures. China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~10-12 Mt/yr)
  • Production routes: chlorohydrin process (legacy, ~30% globally), styrene monoxide co-process (HSD/PO, ~25%), **HPPO (hydrogen peroxide direct oxidation, ~25-30% and growing as preferred new route)**, TBA / MTBE co-product (~15%), cumene hydroperoxide co-process (~5%)
  • **HPPO route is preferred for new capacity** (cleaner waste profile than chlorohydrin); Chinese capacity additions 2024-2026 are predominantly HPPO
  • End-use mix: polyether polyol → polyurethane (~70%, foam + automotive + insulation), propylene glycol (~20%), other (~10%)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for propylene oxide (1,2-epoxypropane), see the CAS 75-56-9 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the propylene oxide (1,2-epoxypropane) 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.

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