Methyl acrylate
Agent Name
Methyl acrylate
Alternative Name
Acrylic acid, methyl ester
CAS Number
96-33-3
Formula
C4-H6-O2
Major Category
Plastics & Rubber
Synonyms
Methoxycarbonylethylene; Methyl ester of acrylic acid; Methyl propenoate; Acrylic acid, methyl ester; [NIOSH]
Category
(Meth)acrylates
Description
Colorless liquid with an acrid odor; [NIOSH]
Sources/Uses
Acrylates and methacrylates are monomers that are combined with other monomers or polymers to produce plastics used in cosmetics, medicine, dentistry, and manufacturing industries. [Marks, p. 181] Workers in dental and surgical laboratories may be exposed; Used as a comonomer with acrylonitrile to produce acrylic and modacrylic fibers to make clothing and home furnishings; Also used to prepare paperboard, thermoplastic coatings, adhesives, sealants, surfactants, medical and dental prostheses, contact lenses, latex coatings, fabric finishes, and resins for purification of industrial effluents; [ACGIH]
Comments
Lethal concentrations are 237 ppm in rabbits and guinea pigs and 578 ppm in rats with animals showing dyspnea, convulsions, and microscopic evidence of pulmonary congestion. [ACGIH] Liquid causes first degree burns on short exposure. [CHRIS] "Repeated or prolonged contact may cause skin sensitization." [ICSC] A lachrymator; [CHEMINFO] Methyl acrylate, stabilized (UN1919) has warning of explosive polymerization; [ERG 2016]
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Yes
TLV (ACGIH)
2 ppm
PEL (OSHA)
10 ppm
MAK
2 ppm
IDLH (NIOSH)
250 ppm
Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs
Other animal data: Rats exposed 4 hours per day, 5 days per week at 110 ppm for a total of 32 exposures had eye discomfort at the start of the investigation, but no overt signs of respiratory distress or other manifestations of toxicity were recorded [Oberly and Tansey 1985].
Vapor Pressure
65 mm Hg
Odor Threshold Low
0.003 ppm
Odor Threshold High
0.02 ppm
Lethal Concentration
LC50 (rat) = 1,350 ppm/4H
Explosive Polymerization
Yes
Explanatory Notes
Odor threshold from AIHA;
Reference Link #2
NFPA
may ignite at ambient temp
Adverse Effects
Skin Sensitizer
Yes
Lachrymator
Yes
Toxic Pneumonitis
Yes
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns
IARC Carcinogen
Possible (2b)
ACGIH Carcinogen
Not Classifiable
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Diseases
Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:
Processes