Nitrogen (N2) under REACH
N2 · 氮气
Status: Registered. Nitrogen is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: Production via cryogenic air-separation unit (ASU) accounting for the dominant share of global N2 production (verify ASU vs PSA / membrane production-route shares against industry sources before quoting), with smaller volumes from pressure-swing-adsorption (PSA) and membrane separation for lower-purity / smaller-scale demand + completes industrial-gas chain alongside H2 batch 47 plus CO2 batch 77 plus future O2 entry (cryogenic ASU co-produces N2 + O2 + Ar in fixed atmospheric ratio ~78:21:1) + ammonia synthesis feedstock (Haber-Bosch N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3, dominant captive use globally) plus food-MAP packaging plus electronics-blanket (semiconductor + LCD + battery manufacturing inerting) plus tire inflation plus laboratory inert atmosphere plus tank-blanketing plus enhanced-oil-recovery downstream chains + low hazard profile (NOT classified as hazardous under CLP at industrial-grade purity beyond simple-asphyxiant compressed-gas / refrigerated-liquid handling).** No harmonised CLP entry for nitrogen; ECHA C&L Inventory aggregates notifier classifications: Press. Gas (compressed) or Press. Gas (refrigerated liquefied) per CLP Annex I §2.5 (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals before relying). NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NOT subject to AD/CVD measures (N2 is not a tradable customs commodity at scale; regional captive ASU production dominates).
Nitrogen is fully REACH-registered with **low hazard profile** (Press. Gas + simple-asphyxiant only). NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO AD/CVD. NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope. **Production: cryogenic ASU dominant** (co-produces N2 + O2 + Ar in atmospheric ratio). **Completes industrial-gas chain alongside H2 + CO2 + future O2**. Ammonia synthesis feedstock (Haber-Bosch) + food-MAP + electronics-blanket + tire inflation + tank-blanketing downstream chains.
Listing and threshold
| Substance | Nitrogen (N2) (CAS 7727-37-9), N2 |
|---|---|
| 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
- Press. Gas (compressed) UN 1066 OR Press. Gas (refrigerated liquefied) UN 1977 per CLP Annex I §2.5: H280 / H281 (verify against ECHA C&L Inventory before relying)
- IARC: Not classified
- NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
- ADR / RID: UN 1066 (compressed) Class 2.2 OR UN 1977 (refrigerated liquefied) Class 2.2
- **Food-grade E941** (verify against EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 food additive Annex II at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ for current scope)
- **EU Pharmacopoeia monograph** for pharma-grade medical N2 (verify monograph reference against EDQM / Ph. Eur. before relying)
- Simple-asphyxiant workplace exposure considerations (oxygen displacement); no specific OEL typically established (verify against national OEL lists 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)
- NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
- NOT subject to EU AD/CVD
- 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). Industrial N2 is rarely traded as merchant cross-border cargo at scale because of low value-density and regional captive ASU structure; merchant N2 cargoes are dominated by EU-domestic industrial-gas majors (Linde, Air Liquide, Messer, Nippon Gases / Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Europe, SOL Group). Major Chinese N2 producers tied to ASU on-site supply at Sinopec + CNPC + Baowu Steel + HBIS Group + Hangzhou Hangyang industrial-gas company + Yingde Gases; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant.
Required documents
- REACH registration number on EU side
- SDS (Press. Gas + simple-asphyxiant handling notes)
- Customs entry HS code 280430 (nitrogen)
- ADR documentation for UN 1066 Class 2.2 (compressed) or UN 1977 Class 2.2 (refrigerated liquefied)
- Food / pharma grade certifications where applicable (E941 / Ph. Eur.)
Common compliance traps
The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.
- **Production: cryogenic ASU dominant + PSA + membrane for smaller-scale; co-produces N2 + O2 + Ar in atmospheric ratio**
- **Completes industrial-gas chain alongside H2 batch 47 + CO2 batch 77 + future O2 entry**
- NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO AD/CVD
- **Ammonia synthesis feedstock (Haber-Bosch) + food-MAP packaging + electronics-blanket (semiconductor + LCD + battery inerting) + tire inflation + tank-blanketing + EOR downstream chains**
- Major Chinese sources (captive ASU): Sinopec + CNPC + Baowu Steel + HBIS Group + Hangzhou Hangyang + Yingde Gases (verify each producer-site pair)
Where to read next
For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for nitrogen (n2), see the CAS 7727-37-9 sourcing reference.
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the nitrogen (n2) 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
Regulatory
Nitrogen (N2) under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Nitrogen (N2) under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Nitrogen (N2) under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Nitrogen (N2) under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
CAS
CAS 7727-37-9 sourcing reference
Identifiers, hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and supplier geography for Nitrogen (N2).
Glossary
REACH, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
EU chemical regulation requiring importers and manufacturers to register every substance manufactured or imported into the EU above 1 tonne per year. Registration is identity-based and dossier-based, not inventory-lookup-based, which makes it stricter than TSCA in the US.
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.
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.