Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Who this is for: lab staff and EHS officers who have an acetone safety data sheet (SDS) open and need to know which entries drive day-to-day handling. This page is general safety information, not individual medical advice or a substitute for the SDS that ships with your own container.
Acetone SDS at a glance
An acetone SDS (CAS 67-64-1, also called 2-propanone) describes a highly flammable liquid that irritates the eyes and can cause drowsiness or dizziness. Across 5,005 company reports to the ECHA Classification and Labelling Inventory aggregated by PubChem, the notified classification is signal word Danger with H225 (highly flammable liquid and vapour) and H319 (causes serious eye irritation) in more than 99.9% of reports, and H336 (may cause drowsiness or dizziness) in 98.7%. Two of the 5,005 reports said the chemical does not meet GHS hazard criteria (PubChem, read 2026-11-07).
Different suppliers still print slightly different numbers, because purity, test method and rounding differ. Use the table below to sanity-check the sheet in front of you, and treat your supplier’s SDS as the controlling document for that container.
What you need
- The supplier SDS for the exact product and grade you hold (pharmaceutical, reagent, HPLC and technical grades are separate SDS documents).
- Your chemical hygiene plan and hazard communication program; see hazard communication in laboratories if you are building one.
- A note of the quantity stored and used, since storage and waste rules depend on volume.
Reading an acetone SDS section by section
Section 2: hazards and acetone hazards in the lab
Expect Flammable Liquid Category 2, Eye Irritation Category 2A and Specific Target Organ Toxicity (single exposure) Category 3 with narcotic effects, shown with the flame and exclamation-mark pictograms (PubChem GHS classification, read 2026-11-07). The precautionary statement set listed by PubChem includes P210 (keep away from heat, sparks, open flames), P233 (keep container tightly closed), P240 (ground and bond container and receiving equipment), P280 (wear protective gloves and eye protection) and P403+P235 (store in a well-ventilated place, keep cool). For how these codes are assigned, see GHS classification of chemicals.
Section 9: acetone flash point and flammability data
The flash point is the number that matters most for storage. PubChem lists acetone closed-cup values of about -20 °C (-4 °F), with other sources quoting -18 °C and -17 °C, so the acetone flash point is far below room temperature and vapour is always available to ignite. Other Section 9 entries to compare against your sheet:
| Property | Value reported | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Flash point (closed cup) | about -20 °C (-4 °F) | Sources range from -20 °C to -17 °C |
| Autoignition temperature | 465 °C (869 °F) | Same value in several sources |
| Explosive limits in air | 2.6% to 12.8% (one source); 2.2% to 13% (another) | Sheets differ; use your supplier’s figures |
| Boiling point | 56 °C (133 °F) at 760 mmHg | Evaporates quickly at room temperature |
| Vapour density (air = 1) | 2.0 | Heavier than air; vapour sinks and collects low |
The Emergency Response Guidebook entry cited by PubChem (Guide 127, water-miscible flammable liquids) warns that vapours may form explosive mixtures with air, may travel to an ignition source and flash back, and collect in low or confined areas. It lists dry chemical, CO2, water spray or alcohol-resistant foam for a small fire.
Section 8: exposure limits and PPE
- OSHA PEL: 1000 ppm (2400 mg/m³), 8-hour time-weighted average, Table Z-1.
- NIOSH REL: 250 ppm (590 mg/m³), 10-hour time-weighted average. The REL is a quarter of the OSHA figure; see permissible exposure limits, TLVs and RELs for why agency limits differ.
- NIOSH IDLH: 2500 ppm, based on 10% of the lower explosive limit (NIOSH 2024, as listed by PubChem).
- Odour is a poor guide: reported detection thresholds span 3.6 to 653 ppm, with an AIHA mean of 62 ppm, so a person’s sense of smell does not tell you whether a limit is being approached.
Section 8 of your supplier sheet is where glove material and eye protection are named for that product. Read it for the specific glove material and breakthrough information instead of assuming the nitrile gloves already in the box are adequate; the general selection logic is in PPE selection for chemical handling.
NFPA 704 diamond for acetone
PubChem lists the NFPA 704 ratings as Health 1, Flammability 3 and Instability 0. Flammability 3 is defined as liquids that can be ignited under almost all ambient temperature conditions. The NFPA diamond is a separate system from GHS labels; the HMIS vs NFPA 704 vs GHS comparison explains how they differ.
Section 7: acetone storage
Supplier text quoted by PubChem: keep the container tightly closed in a dry, well-ventilated place, reseal opened containers carefully and keep them upright, with a storage class of flammable liquids (TRGS 510). Keep acetone away from heat, sparks and flames, and ground equipment used to handle it (ERG Guide 127). Cabinet and quantity rules are covered in flammable liquid storage cabinet requirements.
Section 10: incompatibilities
Sources cited by PubChem list bases, oxidizing agents and reducing agents as incompatible, and note that acetone reacts violently with phosphorus oxychloride. Documented incidents include an explosion of an acetone and chloroform mixture in a residue bottle where a base was thought to be present, and acetone combined with sodium percarbonate, which can form explosive acetone peroxide compounds. Acetone may form explosive mixtures with, among others, chromic anhydride, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric acid with sulfuric acid. The practical rule that follows from this section: never add acetone to a mixed residue or waste bottle without knowing what is in it.
Section 13: acetone disposal
Under US federal hazardous waste rules, unused commercial acetone is listed as U002 with the ignitability designation (I) (40 CFR 261.33, read 2026-11-07). Spent acetone solvent used as a solvent falls under F003, the spent non-halogenated solvents list (40 CFR 261.31). A waste can also carry the D001 ignitability characteristic where it is a liquid with a flash point below 60 °C (140 °F) (40 CFR 261.21). Which code applies depends on how the acetone was used, so check with your hazardous waste coordinator; the general frameworks are in RCRA hazardous waste codes and laboratory chemical waste disposal.
Section 14: transport
The UN number for acetone is 1090 (listed consistently in the PubChem transport entries).
Handling checklist
- Confirm the SDS matches the product and grade on the label, and that its date and supplier are current.
- Compare Section 2 against the consensus classification above; a sheet that omits H225 or H319 deserves a second look.
- Keep acetone away from ignition sources and ground and bond equipment when transferring.
- Keep the container closed when not in use and stored upright in a flammable liquids location.
- Segregate from oxidizers, strong bases and reducing agents.
- Use the glove and eye protection that Section 8 of your own SDS names.
- Collect waste in a labelled container that is compatible with your waste stream, and follow your site hazardous waste procedure.
What can go wrong
- Treating it as a harmless cleaning solvent. Vapour is heavier than air and ignites at room temperature; hot plates, static discharge and pilot lights are all ignition sources.
- Mixing waste. The reported incidents above all involved unplanned combinations of acetone with other chemicals.
- Relying on smell. Odour detection varies by more than two orders of magnitude between sources.
- Using the wrong SDS. Numbers differ by grade and supplier; the sheet for another product is not your sheet.
When to get professional help
For a spill you cannot manage safely, a fire, or anyone showing symptoms after exposure, follow your site emergency procedure and call emergency services. Section 4 (first aid) and Section 6 (accidental release) of your supplier SDS and the poison control service in your country are the starting points for exposure questions; this page gives no individual medical advice. Contact your EHS office for storage quantities, ventilation and waste-code questions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the flash point of acetone?
About -20 °C (-4 °F) closed cup in PubChem’s compiled sources, with some sources giving -18 °C or -17 °C. It is well below ambient temperature, so acetone is a Category 2 flammable liquid.
What are the main acetone hazards?
Fire and explosion from vapour, serious eye irritation, and drowsiness or dizziness from inhalation. These correspond to H225, H319 and H336.
How do I store acetone in a lab?
Closed, upright, in a dry and well-ventilated place, away from heat, sparks and oxidizers, as a flammable liquid. Follow your site’s cabinet and quantity rules.
How is acetone waste classified?
Unused commercial acetone is U002; spent acetone solvent can be F003; and ignitable waste can carry D001. See the Section 13 notes above.
What is the NFPA diamond for acetone?
Health 1, Flammability 3, Instability 0, as listed by PubChem.
Is an acetone MSDS the same as an SDS?
MSDS is the older name for the document; the current format is the 16-section SDS. See how to read a safety data sheet. If you also work with methanol, its profile is in the methanol SDS guide.
Sources
- PubChem, Acetone (CID 180), GHS classification, flash point, autoignition, explosive limits, vapour density, odour threshold, NFPA, exposure limits, reactivity and storage entries, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Acetone, read 2026-11-07.
- US EPA hazardous waste regulations via Cornell LII: 40 CFR 261.33, 261.31 and 261.21, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/261.33, read 2026-11-07.
- NIOSH Pocket Guide and OSHA Table Z-1 values as reproduced in the PubChem record above.
