CAS 98-82-8 · REACH · European Union

Cumene (isopropylbenzene) under REACH

C9H12 · 异丙苯 / 枯烯

Status: Registered. Cumene is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: cumene-Hock process route to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 joint-product chain (~95 percent of cumene demand globally; 1.6 to 1 phenol-to-acetone fixed mass ratio drives integrated plant economics) + benzene batch 22 plus propylene batch 53 Friedel-Crafts alkylation route (~99 percent globally) + Asp. Tox. 1 (aspiration hazard, H304) + STOT RE 2 (kidneys) + Aquatic Chronic 2 + IARC Group 2B carcinogen since 2013 IARC Monograph 101 (NEW combined).** Reg (EC) 1272/2008 harmonised: Flam. Liq. 3 (H226) plus Asp. Tox. 1 (H304) plus Skin Irrit. 2 (H315) plus STOT RE 2 (H373 kidneys) plus Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) plus Aquatic Chronic 2 (H411). NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin cumene currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing).

Cumene is fully REACH-registered with **moderate hazard profile**: Asp. Tox. 1 (aspiration) plus STOT RE 2 (kidneys) plus Aquatic Chronic 2 plus IARC Group 2B (since 2013 Monograph 101). NOT SVHC despite IARC Group 2B (essential industrial use). NO active EU AD case. NOT in CBAM Phase 1. **Cumene-Hock process route to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 joint-product chain dominates** (~95 percent of cumene demand globally; 1.6 to 1 phenol-to-acetone fixed mass ratio). Major Chinese producers: Sinopec multi-site, CNPC, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Jiangsu Lihuayi. Production: benzene plus propylene Friedel-Crafts alkylation (~99 percent globally).

Listing and threshold

Substance Cumene (isopropylbenzene) (CAS 98-82-8), C9H12
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. 3 (H226), Asp. Tox. 1 (H304), Skin Irrit. 2 (H315), STOT RE 2 (H373 kidneys), Aquatic Acute 1 (H400), Aquatic Chronic 2 (H411)
  • Signal word: DANGER
  • GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS07 (exclamation mark), GHS08 (health hazard, target organ plus aspiration), GHS09 (aquatic environment)
  • **IARC: Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) since 2013 IARC Monograph 101** (verify Volume 101 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 1918 (isopropylbenzene), Packing Group III

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; NOTE despite IARC Group 2B, cumene is kept off SVHC because of essential industrial use as phenol-acetone feedstock)
  • NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction at industrial-grade level
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin cumene currently
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
  • EU Aquatic-environment classifications drive wastewater-discharge compliance for downstream phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 plus BPA batch 33 chain

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). Cumene is structurally captive within integrated phenol-acetone plants in most cases (cumene-Hock chain); standalone cumene merchant trade is limited to lane gaps. Major Chinese producers: Sinopec multi-site, CNPC, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Jiangsu Lihuayi (verify each company-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant).

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 H226 / H304 / H315 / H373 / H400 / H411 classification
  • CLP-compliant labelling with GHS02 plus GHS07 plus GHS08 plus GHS09 pictograms and DANGER signal word
  • Customs entry with HS code 290270 (cumene)
  • ADR consignment note for transport (Class 3, UN 1918, PG III)

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Cumene-Hock process route to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 joint-product chain** (~95 percent of cumene demand globally) is structurally dominant
  • Asp. Tox. 1 (aspiration hazard) drives ingestion-risk warning labelling
  • STOT RE 2 (kidneys) drives chronic occupational exposure limit setting
  • **IARC Group 2B since 2013 Monograph 101**
  • NOT SVHC despite IARC Group 2B (essential industrial use)
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese cumene currently
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1
  • Major Chinese producers: Sinopec multi-site, CNPC, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Jiangsu Lihuayi (verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant)
  • Production: benzene batch 22 plus propylene batch 53 Friedel-Crafts alkylation (~99 percent globally; verify against ICIS technology surveys before quoting exact share)
  • Aquatic Chronic 2 drives wastewater-discharge compliance for downstream phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 plus BPA batch 33 plants

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for cumene (isopropylbenzene), see the CAS 98-82-8 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the cumene (isopropylbenzene) 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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Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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