Oleum
Agent Name
Oleum
CAS Number
8014-95-7
Formula
H2-O4-S.O3-S
Major Category
Toxic Gases & Vapors
Synonyms
Fuming sulfuric acid; Oleum; Oleum iodisum; Sulfur trioxide, mixt. with sulfuric acid; Sulfuric acid fuming; Sulfuric acid mixture with sulfur trioxide; Sulfuric acid, mixt with sulfur trioxide; [ChemIDplus] UN1831
Category
Acids, Inorganic
Description
Colorless to brown, fuming, viscous, and hygroscopic liquid; [ICSC]
Sources/Uses
Used to make surfactants, dyes, nitrocellulose, explosives, and caprolactam; Also used in petroleum refining and as a drying agent for chlorine & nitric acid; [HSDB] Oleum is a solution of sulfur trioxide in 100% sulfuric acid used in the synthesis of organic chemicals; [Britannica]
Comments
Highly corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] A corrosive substance that can cause pulmonary edema; May cause erosion of teeth enamel; [ICSC] Can cause severe burns of the skin and eyes; [CAMEO] See "Sulfuric acid."
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
TLV (ACGIH)
0.2 mg/m3, thoracic fraction
PEL (OSHA)
1 mg/m3
MAK
0.1 mg/m3, inhalable fraction
IDLH (NIOSH)
15 mg/m3
Lethal Concentration
LC50 (rat) = 347 ppm/1h
Explanatory Notes
Exposure assessment values refer to sulfuric acid. Cancer designations refer to sulfuric acid contained in strong inorganic acid mists.
ERPG-1
2 mg/m3
ERPG-2
10 mg/m3
ERPG-3
120 mg/m3
Adverse Effects
Toxic Pneumonitis
Yes
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns
IARC Carcinogen
Established
NTP Carcinogen
Human carcinogen
ACGIH Carcinogen
Suspected Human
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: