CAS 7723-14-0 · REACH · European Union

Phosphorus (yellow / white / red) under REACH

P4 (white) / Pn (red) · 黄磷 / 白磷 / 红磷

Status: Registered. Phosphorus is fully registered under REACH. **Distinguishing pattern: Two industrially-relevant allotropes share the same CAS 7723-14-0; yellow / white phosphorus (P4 tetrahedral, pyrophoric, highly toxic) and red phosphorus (Pn polymeric, more stable, lower hazard) + production via electric-arc furnace from phosphate rock (Ca3(PO4)2) + silica + coke at ~1500 C yielding white phosphorus condensate, then optional thermal conversion to red phosphorus + closes phosphorus chain upstream of phosphoric acid batch 64 plus DAP batch 30 (white phosphorus + air → P2O5 → H3PO4 thermal-process) + match / pyrotechnic / smoke-flare / semiconductor-doping (electronic-grade red phosphorus) plus phosphorus-trichloride PCl3 + phosphorus-pentachloride PCl5 captive feedstock plus flame-retardant downstream chains + high hazard profile for white phosphorus (Pyr. Sol. 1 + Acute Tox. 1 oral / dermal / inhalation + Skin Corr. 1B + STOT RE 2 + Aquatic Acute 1 per harmonised CLP entry) and lower for red phosphorus (Flam. Sol. 1 + Aquatic Acute 1; verify exact harmonised classification per allotrope against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying).** NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin phosphorus currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing); however, **note that EU previously had AD measures on Chinese-origin yellow phosphorus (Reg (EC) No 2010/2003 historic, expired) and historically on Russian-origin yellow phosphorus; verify current status against EUR-Lex before relying**.

Phosphorus is fully REACH-registered with **two-allotrope hazard profile**: white phosphorus is highly toxic (Pyr. Sol. 1 + Acute Tox. 1 + Skin Corr. 1B + STOT RE 2 + Aquatic Acute 1) while red phosphorus is lower hazard (Flam. Sol. 1 + Aquatic Acute 1). NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD currently (Reg (EC) 2010/2003 historic on Chinese yellow P expired). **Closes phosphorus chain upstream of H3PO4 + DAP**. **China dominates global production (Yunnan + Guizhou + Sichuan)**; Chinese exports subject to seasonal export-quota + export-licensing.

Listing and threshold

Substance Phosphorus (yellow / white / red) (CAS 7723-14-0), P4 (white) / Pn (red)
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

  • White phosphorus harmonised CLP: Pyr. Sol. 1 (H250) + Acute Tox. 1 oral (H300) + Acute Tox. 1 dermal (H310) + Acute Tox. 1 inhalation (H330) + Skin Corr. 1B (H314) + STOT RE 2 (H373) + Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) (verify against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying)
  • Red phosphorus harmonised CLP: Flam. Sol. 1 (H228) + Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) (verify against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying)
  • GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS05 (corrosion), GHS06 (skull and crossbones), GHS08 (health hazard), GHS09 (environment) for white; GHS02 + GHS09 for red
  • IARC: Not classified
  • NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
  • ADR / RID: white phosphorus UN 1381 Class 4.2 PG I (pyrophoric solid) or UN 2447 Class 4.2 PG I (molten); red phosphorus UN 1338 Class 4.1 PG III (flammable solid)
  • **EU Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 biocidal products (BPR)** for red phosphorus in fire-retardant additive applications (verify against ECHA BPR database before relying)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/authorisation-list)
  • NOT classified as SVHC (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table)
  • **REACH Annex XVII Restriction entry on white phosphorus in matches and lighters (matches and lighters containing yellow / white phosphorus above the relevant threshold are restricted under Annex XVII; verify the current entry text and threshold against https://echa.europa.eu/substances-restricted-under-reach before relying)**
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin phosphorus currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
  • **EU previously had AD measures on Chinese-origin yellow phosphorus (Reg (EC) No 2010/2003 historic, expired)**; verify current status against EUR-Lex before relying
  • 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). **China dominates global yellow / red phosphorus production (verify percent-of-global share against ICIS or USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries before quoting), with production concentrated in Yunnan + Guizhou + Sichuan provinces**. Major Chinese phosphorus producers: Yunnan Yuntianhua, Guizhou Kailin Phosphate, Sichuan Mianyang phosphorus operations, Hubei Yihua, Wengfu Group; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant. **Chinese phosphorus exports subject to seasonal export-quota constraints and periodic export-licensing controls** (verify current scope against MOFCOM export-licensing catalogue before invoicing).

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on EU side
  • SDS (white phosphorus Pyr. Sol. 1 + Acute Tox. 1 + Skin Corr. 1B; red phosphorus Flam. Sol. 1 + Aquatic Acute 1)
  • Customs entry HS code 280470 (phosphorus)
  • ADR documentation for UN 1381 / UN 2447 Class 4.2 PG I (white) or UN 1338 Class 4.1 PG III (red)
  • BPR documentation where placed as fire-retardant biocidal active

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Two allotropes share CAS 7723-14-0: white phosphorus P4 (pyrophoric, highly toxic) vs red phosphorus Pn (more stable, lower hazard); classifications and transport differ substantially**
  • **Closes phosphorus chain upstream of H3PO4 batch 64 + DAP batch 30** (white P + air → P2O5 → H3PO4 thermal-process)
  • Production: electric-arc furnace from phosphate rock + silica + coke at ~1500 C (yellow / white P), optional thermal conversion to red
  • NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD currently (Reg (EC) 2010/2003 historic on Chinese yellow P expired)
  • **Match / pyrotechnic / smoke-flare / semiconductor-doping electronic-grade red P + PCl3 + PCl5 captive + flame-retardant downstream chains**
  • **China dominates global yellow / red phosphorus production (Yunnan + Guizhou + Sichuan)**; producers Yunnan Yuntianhua, Guizhou Kailin, Sichuan Mianyang, Hubei Yihua, Wengfu (verify each producer-site pair)
  • Chinese phosphorus exports subject to seasonal export-quota + periodic export-licensing (verify against MOFCOM before invoicing)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for phosphorus (yellow / white / red), see the CAS 7723-14-0 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the phosphorus (yellow / white / red) 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

5 pages across the Sourzi moat

This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages, 1 CAS profiles. Sample backlinks per content type below.

Regulatory (4)

Plus 1 more regulatory pages.

CAS (1)

Free download

Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.