Cyanamide

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    420-04-2

    Molecular formula
    CH2N2

    SMILES
    C(#N)N

    Safety labels

    Corrosive
    Corrosive

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

    Health Hazard
    Health

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 43.28%
    Fishy 33.57%
    Pungent 21.29%
    Cheesy 17.19%
    Animal 16.74%
    Sulfurous 16.29%
    Floral 15.37%
    Meaty 13.92%
    Burnt 13.45%
    Ripe 12.99%

     

    Flavor
    Bitter 53.45%
    Odorless 32.1%
    Rotten 19.61%
    Formyl 19.24%
    Nitrile 18.94%
    Mousy 18.36%
    Sulfur 17.77%
    Decomposing cabbage 17.66%
    Shrimp 16.96%
    Bread crust 16.83%

     

    Odor impact est.
    Low

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    -0.3

    pKa est.
    8.94 (weak base)

    Molecular weight
    42.04 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Very fast

    Melting point expt.

    • 113 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 44 °C
    • 45-46 °C
    • 113 °F

    Boiling point

    • 500 °F at 760 mmHg (Decomposes) (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 83 °C at 5.00E-01 mm Hg
    • 140 °C at 19 mm Hg
    • Boiling point at 19 mm Hg is 140 °C
    • at 0.067kPa: 83 °C
    • 500 °F (decomposes)
    • 500 °F (Decomposes)

    Flash point

    • 80.74 ˚C est.
    • 286 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 286 °F; 141 °C (closed cup)
    • 141 °C
    • 286 °F

    Solubility expt.

    • 78 % at 59 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 500000 mg/L (at 25 °C)
    • In butanol 28.8; ethyl acetate 42.4, methyl ethyl ketone 50.5 (all g/100 g at 20 °C); sol in phenols, amines, ethers, ketones; very sparingly soluble in benzene, halogenated hydrocarbons; practically insoluble in cyclohexane.
    • Slightly soluble in carbon disulfide
    • Cyanamide is completely soluble in water at 43 °C and has a minimum solubility at -15 °C; highly soluble in polar organic solvents, such as alcohols, ethers, esters, nitriles and amides, but less soluble in nonpolar solvents like saturated, halogenated, or aromatic hydrocarbons. Ketones are not recommended as solvents for cyanamide, because they tend to react under certain circumstances.
    • In chloroform 2.4 g/kg, 20 °C
    • For more Solubility (Complete) data for Cyanamide (7 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
    • Solubility in water, g/100ml at 25 °C: 85
    • (59 °F): 78%

  • Synonyms

    • CYANAMIDE
    • 420-04-2
    • Hydrogen cyanamide
    • Amidocyanogen
    • Carbamonitrile
    • Cyanoamine
    • aminoformonitrile
    • Cyanogenamide
    • Alzogur
    • Cyanogen nitride
    • N-Cyanoamine
    • TsAKS
    • NH2CN
    • USAF EK-1995
    • NSC 24133
    • Carbodiamide
    • NSC-24133
    • DTXSID9034490
    • 21CP7826LC
    • DTXCID7014490
    • CHEBI:16698
    • Aminonitrile
    • RefChem:580104
    • Calcium Cyanamide, Citrated
    • Cyanamide, Citrated Calcium
    • 206-992-3
    • Deurbraak
    • H2NCN
    • Cyanamide [JAN]
    • Cyanamide aq
    • CH2N2
    • H2N-C#N
    • MFCD00007572
    • aminoformonitrile, 50% aqueous solution
    • NCGC00164378-01
    • 2669-76-3
    • Caswell No. 485A
    • CAS-420-04-2
    • HSDB 1550
    • EINECS 206-992-3
    • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 014002
    • BRN 1732569
    • cyanamine
    • UNII-21CP7826LC
    • Cyanamide, 99%
    • Cyanamide (JP18)
    • CYANAMIDE [MI]
    • CYANAMIDE [HSDB]
    • WLN: ZCN
    • bmse000656
    • EC 206-992-3
    • CYANAMIDE [WHO-DD]
    • SCHEMBL1972
    • SCHEMBL62011
    • 4-03-00-00145 (Beilstein Handbook Reference)
    • CHEMBL56279
    • SCHEMBL1336076
    • MSK24026
    • NSC24133
    • WAA42037
    • Tox21_112109
    • Tox21_300678
    • BBL027645
    • NSC267195
    • STL281853
    • AKOS009031491
    • DB02679
    • EBC-386050
    • FC02553
    • NSC-267195
    • NCGC00164378-02
    • NCGC00164378-03
    • NCGC00254586-01
    • NS00004630
    • EN300-19848
    • C01566
    • D00123
    • Q414555
    • F8881-3984
    • 25300-84-9
    • 420-04-2

  • Applications

    Cyanamide is primarily used as an industrial intermediate. It is converted to dicyandiamide (DCDA), a key feedstock for melamine production and related nitrogen-rich resins and coatings, including melamine-formaldehyde systems and adhesives. It also serves as a precursor to guanidine and cyanoguanidine derivatives, enabling synthesis of agrochemical and pharmaceutical intermediates. In agriculture, hydrogen cyanamide (cyanamide) is applied as a plant growth regulator/dormancy-breaking agent to promote budbreak in certain fruit crops, subject to local regulations. Additionally, cyanamide functions as a versatile nitrogen-containing building block in organic synthesis and in the manufacture of specialty polymers and coatings, where it participates in resin and crosslinking chemistries.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 57.05
    methanol 162.94
    isopropanol 31.61
    water 221.03
    ethyl acetate 21.51
    n-propanol 30.49
    acetone 64.68
    n-butanol 18.09
    acetonitrile 31.46
    DMF 727.34
    toluene 4.13
    isobutanol 20.05
    1,4-dioxane 59.31
    methyl acetate 43.82
    THF 57.16
    2-butanone 27.97
    n-pentanol 13.46
    sec-butanol 18.11
    n-hexane 1.34
    ethylene glycol 114.45
    NMP 224.4
    cyclohexane 1.1
    DMSO 264.05
    n-butyl acetate 11.47
    n-octanol 8.24
    chloroform 9.87
    n-propyl acetate 13.64
    acetic acid 112.15
    dichloromethane 10.48
    cyclohexanone 26.74
    propylene glycol 82.38
    isopropyl acetate 11.82
    DMAc 370.33
    2-ethoxyethanol 51.58
    isopentanol 12.01
    n-heptane 1.02
    ethyl formate 41.7
    1,2-dichloroethane 7.77
    n-hexanol 9.64
    2-methoxyethanol 134.26
    isobutyl acetate 8.53
    tetrachloromethane 3.17
    n-pentyl acetate 11.14
    transcutol 50.02
    n-heptanol 8.13
    ethylbenzene 1.71
    MIBK 9.48
    2-propoxyethanol 44.25
    tert-butanol 25.01
    MTBE 15.13
    2-butoxyethanol 29.32
    propionic acid 60.55
    o-xylene 3.7
    formic acid 191.1
    diethyl ether 12.33
    m-xylene 3.05
    p-xylene 3.01
    chlorobenzene 4.76
    dimethyl carbonate 63.73
    n-octane 0.59
    formamide 174.07
    cyclopentanone 52.62
    2-pentanone 16.84
    anisole 10.06
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 17.55
    gamma-butyrolactone 77.73
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 74.8
    pyridine 28.4
    3-pentanone 14.45
    furfural 96.63
    n-dodecane 0.62
    diethylene glycol 70.24
    diisopropyl ether 3.37
    tert-amyl alcohol 18.55
    acetylacetone 30.53
    n-hexadecane 0.64
    acetophenone 11.75
    methyl propionate 35.69
    isopentyl acetate 8.39
    trichloroethylene 13.35
    n-nonanol 7.26
    cyclohexanol 11.7
    benzyl alcohol 12.49
    2-ethylhexanol 4.83
    isooctanol 5.87
    dipropyl ether 7.76
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 4.49
    ethyl lactate 21.78
    propylene carbonate 40.19
    n-methylformamide 206.6
    2-pentanol 8.96
    n-pentane 1.26
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 26.47
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 20.6
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 24.04
    mesitylene 2.08
    ε-caprolactone 28.47
    p-cymene 2.04
    epichlorohydrin 39.5
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 5.45
    2-aminoethanol 89.18
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 207.65
    sulfolane 104.18
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 0.8
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 23.09
    n-hexyl acetate 12.35
    isooctane 0.51
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 28.15
    sec-butyl acetate 7.02
    tert-butyl acetate 10.63
    decalin 0.65
    glycerin 151.12
    diglyme 59.38
    acrylic acid 88.83
    isopropyl myristate 4.88
    n-butyric acid 36.17
    acetyl acetate 19.12
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 9.81
    ethyl propionate 13.98
    nitromethane 210.89
    1,2-diethoxyethane 13.47
    benzonitrile 12.66
    trioctyl phosphate 6.92
    1-bromopropane 3.9
    gamma-valerolactone 103.77
    n-decanol 5.49
    triethyl phosphate 7.55
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 5.38
    propionitrile 17.91
    vinylene carbonate 47.67
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 80.36
    DMS 23.83
    cumene 1.6
    2-octanol 5.37
    2-hexanone 11.19
    octyl acetate 7.79
    limonene 2.97
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 76.03
    ethyl orthosilicate 6.55
    tributyl phosphate 7.63
    diacetone alcohol 20.92
    N,N-dimethylaniline 10.11
    acrylonitrile 34.85
    aniline 13.96
    1,3-propanediol 63.44
    bromobenzene 2.82
    dibromomethane 5.27
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 13.34
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 6.94
    tetrabutyl urea 12.34
    diisobutyl methanol 3.0
    2-phenylethanol 9.15
    styrene 2.55
    dioctyl adipate 9.16
    dimethyl sulfate 118.49
    ethyl butyrate 9.19
    methyl lactate 63.97
    butyl lactate 16.9
    diethyl carbonate 8.75
    propanediol butyl ether 33.08
    triethyl orthoformate 9.3
    p-tert-butyltoluene 2.1
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 17.08
    morpholine 67.44
    tert-butylamine 11.18
    n-dodecanol 4.28
    dimethoxymethane 127.34
    ethylene carbonate 35.61
    cyrene 28.33
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 19.82
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 6.76
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 6.58
    4-methylpyridine 25.64
    dibutyl ether 5.35
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 3.0
    DEF 54.87
    dimethyl isosorbide 27.12
    tetrachloroethylene 10.68
    eugenol 21.73
    triacetin 21.62
    span 80 22.16
    1,4-butanediol 33.43
    1,1-dichloroethane 6.63
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 8.44
    methyl formate 164.49
    2-methyl-1-butanol 13.2
    n-decane 0.86
    butyronitrile 13.53
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 5.49
    1-chlorooctane 2.37
    1-chlorotetradecane 1.28
    n-nonane 0.8
    undecane 0.7
    tert-butylcyclohexane 0.72
    cyclooctane 0.49
    cyclopentanol 23.33
    tetrahydropyran 19.52
    tert-amyl methyl ether 11.63
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 41.27
    1-hexene 3.17
    2-isopropoxyethanol 26.25
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 81.22
    methyl butyrate 20.31

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction