tert-Butanol

1Identification

Name

tert-Butanol

IUPAC name

2-methylpropan-2-ol

CAS number

75-65-0

EC number

200-889-7

Molecular formula

C4H10O

Molecular weight

74.12 g/mol

InChIKey

DKGAVHZHDRPRBM-UHFFFAOYSA-N

SMILES

CC(C)(C)O

PubChem CID

6386

Synonyms

tert-Butanol, tert-Butyl alcohol, 2-Methylpropan-2-ol, 2-Methyl-2-propanol, t-Butanol, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL, 1,1-Dimethylethanol, Trimethylcarbinol, t-Butyl hydroxide, Trimethyl carbinol, Trimethyl methanol, Tertiary-Butyl Alcohol, Trimethylmethanol, Butanol tertiaire

Recommended uses

• CIR ingredient: t-Butyl Alcohol
  Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
• Used to manufacture flavors and perfumes; also used as a solvent, alcohol denaturant, and gasoline additive; [ACGIH] Used in lacquers and paint removers; [HSDB]
  Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
• Painting (Solvents) [Category: Paint]
  Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
• Monomers Intermediate Fuel Solvent Plasticizer Not Known or Reasonably Ascertainable Viscosity modifiers
  EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR)
• Fuel Fuel agents Intermediate UV stabilizer Not Known or Reasonably Ascertainable
  EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR)

Use categories: Fragrance Ingredients · Cosmetics -> Solvent; Denaturant

Description

• Tert-butyl alcohol is a colorless oily liquid with a sharp alcohol odor. Floats and mixes with water. Produces irritating vapor. Freezing point is 78 °F. (USCG, 1999)
  CAMEO Chemicals
• Tert-butanol is a tertiary alcohol alcohol that is isobutane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 2. It has a role as a human xenobiotic metabolite. It derives from a hydride of an isobutane.
  ChEBI
• tert-butyl alcohol has been reported in Psidium guajava with data available.
  LOTUS - the natural products occurrence database

2Hazard identification

Signal word

Danger

Pictograms

GHS02, GHS07

Classification source

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Precautionary statements

Other reported classifications

7 classification records exist across sources. Differences usually reflect purity, physical form or impurities.

NFPA 704 rating

• 2 - Materials that, under emergency conditions, can cause temporary incapacitation or residual injury.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• 3 - Liquids and solids that can be ignited under almost all ambient temperature conditions. Materials produce hazardous atmospheres with air under almost all ambient temperatures or, though unaffected by ambient temperatures, are readily ignited under almost all conditions.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• 0 - Materials that in themselves are normally stable, even under fire conditions.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Health hazards

• Vapor is narcotic in action and irritating to respiratory passages. Liquid is irritating to skin and eyes. (USCG, 1999)
  CAMEO Chemicals

Fire hazards

• This chemical is flammable. (NTP, 1992)
  CAMEO Chemicals
• Highly flammable. Vapour/air mixtures are explosive. Heating will cause rise in pressure with risk of bursting.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Hazards summary

• Animals in feeding studies develop alcohol intoxication; [ACGIH] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; Inhalation of high concentrations can cause CNS depression; [ICSC]
  Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases

3Composition / information on ingredients

This page describes the pure substance. Commercial products may be solutions or mixtures. Check Section 3 of your supplier's SDS for concentrations and other ingredients.

4First-aid measures

• EYES: First check the victim for contact lenses and remove if present. Flush victim's eyes with water or normal saline solution for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital or poison control center. Do not put any ointments, oils, or medication in the victim's eyes without specific instructions from a physician. IMMEDIATELY transport the victim after flushing eyes to a hospital even if no symptoms (such as redness or irritation) develop. SKIN: IMMEDIATELY flood affected skin with water while removing and isolating all contaminated clothing. Gently wash all affected skin areas thoroughly with soap and water.
  CAMEO Chemicals
• (General first aid procedures) Eye: Irrigate immediately - If this chemical contacts the eyes, immediately wash (irrigate) the eyes with large amounts of water, occasionally lifting the lower and upper lids. Get medical attention immediately. Skin: Water flush promptly - If this chemical contacts the skin, flush the contaminated skin with water promptly. If this chemical penetrates the clothing, immediately remove the clothing and flush the skin with water promptly. If irritation persists after washing, get medical attention. Breathing: Respiratory support Swallow: Medical attention immediately - If this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention immediately.
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Symptoms of exposure

• Dizziness. Drowsiness. Nausea. Headache. Vomiting.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• Redness.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• Redness. Pain.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

5Fire-fighting measures

• Flash back possible over considerable distance.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Wear self contained breathing apparatus for fire fighting if necessary.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Hazardous combustion products

• Hazardous decomposition products formed under fire conditions. - Carbon oxides.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

6Accidental release measures

Isolation and evacuation

• Excerpt from ERG Guide 129 [Flammable Liquids (Water-Miscible / Noxious)]: IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE: Isolate spill or leak area for at least 50 meters (150 feet) in all directions. LARGE SPILL: Consider initial downwind evacuation for at least 300 meters (1000 feet). FIRE: If tank, rail tank car or highway tank is involved in a fire, ISOLATE for 800 meters (1/2 mile) in all directions; also, consider initial evacuation for 800 meters (1/2 mile) in all directions. (ERG, 2024)
  CAMEO Chemicals

Spill cleanup

• Remove all ignition sources. Evacuate danger area! Consult an expert! Personal protection: self-contained breathing apparatus. Ventilation. Collect leaking liquid in sealable containers. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations. Wash away remainder with plenty of water.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• Personal precautions: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Remove all sources of ignition. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Beware of vapors accumulating to form explosive concentrations. Vapors can accumulate in low areas. Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Contain spillage, and then collect with an electrically protected vacuum cleaner or by wet-brushing and place in container for disposal according to local regulations.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

7Handling and storage

• Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants and strong acids.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

8Exposure controls / personal protection

Personal protective equipment

• Excerpt from NIOSH Pocket Guide for tert-Butyl alcohol: Skin: PREVENT SKIN CONTACT - Wear appropriate personal protective clothing to prevent skin contact. Eyes: PREVENT EYE CONTACT - Wear appropriate eye protection to prevent eye contact. Wash skin: WHEN CONTAMINATED - The worker should immediately wash the skin when it becomes contaminated. Remove: WHEN WET (FLAMMABLE) - Work clothing that becomes wet should be immediately removed due to its flammability hazard (i.e., for liquids with a flash point <100 °F). Change: No recommendation is made specifying the need for the worker to change clothing after the workshift. (NIOSH, 2024)
  CAMEO Chemicals
• If the use of respirators is necessary, the only respirators permitted are those that have been approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (formerly Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration) or by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ... Employees should be provided with and required to use impervious clothing, gloves, face shields (eight inch minimum), and other appropriate protective clothing necessary to prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact with liquid tert-butyl alcohol. ... Employees should be provided with and required to use splash proof safety goggles where liquid tert-butyl alcohol may contact the eyes.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Wear appropriate personal protective clothing to prevent skin contact.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Wear appropriate eye protection to prevent eye contact.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Respirator recommendations

• NIOSH/OSHA Up to 1600 ppm: (APF = 25) Any supplied-air respirator operated in a continuous-flow mode (APF = 25) Any powered, air-purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridge(s) (APF = 50) Any chemical cartridge respirator with a full facepiece and organic vapor cartridge(s) (APF = 50) Any air-purifying, full-facepiece respirator (gas mask) with a chin-style, front- or back-mounted organic vapor canister (APF = 50) Any self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece (APF = 50) Any supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece Emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations or IDLH conditions: (APF = 10,000) Any self-contained breathing apparatus that has a full facepiece…
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

9Physical and chemical properties

10Stability and reactivity

Reactivity

• Attacks plastics. [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980. p. 236]. Acetyl bromide reacts violently with alcohols or water [Merck 11th ed. 1989]. Mixtures of alcohols with concentrated sulfuric acid and strong hydrogen peroxide can cause explosions. Example: an explosion will occur if dimethylbenzylcarbinol is added to 90% hydrogen peroxide then acidified with concentrated sulfuric acid. Mixtures of ethyl alcohol with concentrated hydrogen peroxide form powerful explosives. Mixtures of hydrogen peroxide and 1-phenyl-2-methyl propyl alcohol tend to explode if acidified with 70% sulfuric acid [Chem. Eng. News 45(43):73 1967; J, Org. Chem. 28:1893 1963]. Alkyl hypochlorites are violently explosive.
  CAMEO Chemicals
• Highly flammable. Water soluble.
  CAMEO Chemicals

Incompatible materials and hazardous reactions

• Incompatible with oxidizing materials, H2O2.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• The preparation of di tertiary butyl peroxide by addn of tertiary butyl alcohol to mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid (2 to 1 wt ratio of 78% sulfuric acid to 50% hydrogen peroxide) has resulted in severe explosions particularly during early stages of large batches.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Contact of a potassium sodium alloy with tert-butanol caused ignition.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Chemical stability

• Heat /contributes to instability/
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

11Toxicological information

Routes of exposure

• The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Target organs

• Urinary
  EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
• Eyes, skin, respiratory system, central nervous system
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Short-term exposure effects

• The substance is irritating to the eyes. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure far above the OEL could cause lowering of consciousness.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Long-term exposure effects

• Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis.
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Carcinogen classification

• tert-Butyl alcohol
  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
• Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
• Volume 138: (2026) Automotive Gasoline and Some Oxygenated Additives
  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
• 2026 online
  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

12Ecological information

Environmental fate

• t-Butyl alcohol's production and use as a denaturant for ethanol, in the manufacture of flotation agents, flavors and perfumes, as a solvent, as an octane booster in gasoline as well as its use as a dehydrating agent and in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate may result in its direct release to the environment through various waste streams. t-Butyl alcohol is also a likely degradation product of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and has been detected in MTBE contaminated wells. If released to air, a vapor pressure of 40.7 mm Hg at 25 °C indicates t-butyl alcohol will exist solely as a vapor in the atmosphere.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Ecotoxicity

• LD100; Species: Semolitus atromaculatus (creek chub) 6000 mg/L for 24 hr in Detroit river water /Conditions of bioassay not specified/
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• LC50; Species: Poecilia reticulata (guppy) 3550 ppm for 7 days /Conditions of bioassay not specified/
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• LC50; Species: Xenopus laevis (African Clawed Frog) age 3-4 wk; Conditions: freshwater, static, 20 °C; Concentration: 2450000 ug/L for 48 hr /formulated product/
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

13Disposal considerations

• SRP: Wastewater from contaminant suppression, cleaning of protective clothing/equipment, or contaminated sites should be contained and evaluated for subject chemical or decomposition product concentrations. Concentrations shall be lower than applicable environmental discharge or disposal criteria. Alternatively, pretreatment and/or discharge to a permitted wastewater treatment facility is acceptable only after review by the governing authority and assurance that "pass through" violations will not occur. Due consideration shall be given to remediation worker exposure (inhalation, dermal and ingestion) as well as fate during treatment, transfer and disposal.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• 1. Absorbing in vermiculite, dry sand, earth or similar material & disposing in secured sanitary landfill. 2. Atomizing in suitable combustion chamber.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• /t-Butyl alcohol/ is a waste chemical stream constituent which may be subjected to ultimate disposal by controlled incineration. /Butanols, from table/
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

14Transport information

UN number: UN 1120

Shipping name

• UN 1120; Butanols
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• IMO 3.2; Butanols
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

DOT label

• Flammable Liquid
  CAMEO Chemicals

UN classification

• UN Hazard Class: 3; UN Pack Group: II
  ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Emergency Response Guidebook

• 1120 129
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

How DOT hazard classes work →

15Regulatory information

• This action promulgates standards of performance for equipment leaks of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI). The intended effect of these standards is to require all newly constructed, modified, and reconstructed SOCMI process units to use the best demonstrated system of continuous emission reduction for equipment leaks of VOC, considering costs, non air quality health and environmental impact and energy requirements. t-Butyl alcohol is produced, as an intermediate or a final product, by process units covered under this subpart.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• As the federal pesticide law FIFRA directs, EPA is conducting a comprehensive review of older pesticides to consider their health and environmental effects and make decisions about their continued use. Under this pesticide reregistration program, EPA examines newer health and safety data for pesticide active ingredients initially registered before November 1, 1984, and determines whether the use of the pesticide does not pose unreasonable risk in accordance to newer saftey standards, such as those described in the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Section 8(a) of TSCA requires manufacturers of this chemical substance to report preliminary assessment information concerned with production, exposure, and use to EPA as cited in the preamble in 51 FR 41329. Effective date: 1/26/94; Reporting date: 3/28/94.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
• Defoaming agents used in coatings. The defoaming agents described in this section may be safely used as components of articles intended for use in producing, manufacturing, packing, processing, preparing, treating, packaging, transporting, or holding food, subject to the provisions of this section. tert-Butyl alcohol is included on this list.
  Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Overview of SDS regulations (OSHA HazCom, WHMIS, REACH/CLP) →

16Other information

Compiled from PubChem CID 6386 and the sources it aggregates (attributed inline). Data retrieved 2026-10-12. This summary describes the pure substance and is not a supplier SDS.