Terephthalic acid

Synonyms

1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid; Acide terephtalique [French]; Kyselina tereftalova [Czech]; TA 12; TA-33MP; Tephthol; WR 16262; p-Benzenedicarboxylic acid; p-Carboxybenzoic acid; p-Dicarboxybenzene; p-Phthalic acid; para-Phthalic acid; [ChemIDplus]

Category

Organic Acids

Description

White solid; [Hawley] Odorless or a slight acetic acid odor; [CHEMINFO] Off-white powder; [MSDSonline]

Sources/Uses

Used in wool processing and making plastic films and sheets; Also added to poultry feeds and to certain antibiotics to increase their effectiveness; [HSDB]

Comments

Practically nontoxic in acute, high-dose animal studies; In high-dose feeding studies in rats, it causes bladder stones and subsequent bladder cancers; The bladder cancers are thought to be secondary to the presence of bladder stones. [ACGIH] A skin and eye irritant; [ICSC] An irritant; Effects in high-dose animal studies include abnormal liver function tests; [MSDSonline]

Biomedical References

Insufficient data

10 mg/m3

5 mg/m3, inhalable fraction

9.2E-06 mm Hg

Explanatory Notes

Flash point = 260 deg C; [ICSC]

must be preheated

Hepatoxic (a) from occupational exposure (secondary effect) or (b) in animal studies or in humans after ingestion

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Farming (Feed Additives)
• Textiles (Fiber & Fabric Manufacturing)