Paraformaldehyde

Not to be confused with Paraldehyde.
Paraformaldehyde
Names
IUPAC name
Polyoxymethylene
Identifiers
ChemSpider
  • none
ECHA InfoCard 100.108.270 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 608-494-5
UNII
UN number 2213
Properties
OH(CH2O)nH (n = 8 - 100)
Appearance White powder with formaldehyde-like odour
Density 1.46 g/cm3
Melting point 120 °C (248 °F; 393 K)
slightly soluble
Vapor pressure 1.579 kPa
Hazards
GHS labelling:[1]
GHS02: FlammableGHS08: Health hazard
Danger
H228, H302, H315, H317, H318, H332, H334, H351
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g. chlorine gasFlammability 2: Must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high ambient temperature before ignition can occur. Flash point between 38 and 93 °C (100 and 200 °F). E.g. diesel fuelInstability 1: Normally stable, but can become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures. E.g. calciumSpecial hazards (white): no code
3
2
1
Flash point 71 °C (160 °F; 344 K)
300 °C (572 °F; 573 K)
Explosive limits 7.0% (low), 73% (high)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
800 mg/kg (rat, oral)
1070 mg/m3 (rat, 4h)
Safety data sheet (SDS) Fisher Scientific
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Paraformaldehyde (PFA) is the smallest polyoxymethylene, the polymerization product of formaldehyde with a typical degree of polymerization of 8–100 units. Paraformaldehyde commonly has a slight odor of formaldehyde due to decomposition. Paraformaldehyde is a poly-acetal.

  1. ^ "C&L Inventory". echa.europa.eu. Retrieved 27 December 2021.