m-Xylene

Overview IFRA Botanical Request a quote

  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    108-38-3

    Molecular formula
    C8H10

    SMILES
    CC1=CC(=CC=C1)C

    Safety labels

    Flammable
    Flammable

    Irritant
    Irritant

    Retention indicies (RI)

    • DB5: 867.0
    • Carbowax: 1139.14

  • Odor profile

    Woody 52.31%
    Sweet 50.5%
    Green 45.32%
    Floral 43.49%
    Phenolic 36.1%
    Earthy 32.62%
    Oily 32.01%
    Animal 31.26%
    Tobacco 30.19%
    Camphoreous 29.84%

    Scent© AI

    Odor threshold>

    • Odor Threshold Low: 0.05 [mmHg]. Odor threshold from CHRIS

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    3.2

    Molecular weight
    106.16 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Ultra fast

    Melting point expt.

    • -54.2 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • -47.85 °C
    • -48 °C
    • -54 °F

    Boiling point

    • 282.4 °F at 760 mmHg (NTP, 1992)
    • 139.1 °C
    • p-Xylene and m-xylene cannot be separated by distillation because their boiling points are too close.
    • 139 °C
    • 282 °F

    Flash point est.
    25.04 ˚C

    Flash point expt.

    • 85 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • 25.0 °C (77.0 °F) - closed cup
    • 77 °F (25 °C) (closed cup)
    • 25 °C c.c.
    • 82 °F

    Solubility expt.

    • Insoluble (NTP, 1992)
    • In water, 1.61X10+2 mg/L at 25 °C.
    • In water, 160 mg/L at 25 °C (average of 13 literature values ranging from 134-206 mg/L at 25 °C)
    • Miscible with acetone, alcohol, ether, benzene; soluble in chloroform
    • Solubility in water, g/l at 25 °C: 0.174 (very slightly soluble)
    • Slight

  • Synonyms

    • M-XYLENE
    • 108-38-3
    • 1,3-Dimethylbenzene
    • 1,3-Xylene
    • meta-Xylene
    • m-Xylol
    • m-Dimethylbenzene
    • m-Methyltoluene
    • Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl-
    • 3-Xylene
    • 1,3-Dimethylbenzol
    • Santosol 150
    • m-Xylenes
    • 2,4-Xylene
    • CCRIS 907
    • NSC 61769
    • HSDB 135
    • UNII-O9XS864HTE
    • EINECS 203-576-3
    • O9XS864HTE
    • DTXSID6026298
    • CHEBI:28488
    • AI3-08916
    • MFCD00008536
    • NSC-61769
    • CHEMBL286727
    • DTXCID501446
    • EC 203-576-3
    • M-XYLENE-ALPHA,ALPHA'-13C2
    • Xylene, m-
    • Benzene, m-dimethyl-
    • CAS-108-38-3
    • EINECS 272-684-0
    • metaxylene
    • M xylene
    • 1,3-dimethyl-benzene
    • m-Xylene [UN1307] [Flammable liquid]
    • DSSTox_CID_1446
    • M-XYLENE [MI]
    • 3-XYLENE [HSDB]
    • bmse000554
    • DSSTox_RID_76162
    • DSSTox_GSID_21446
    • m-Xylene, analytical standard
    • BENZENE,1,3-DIMETHYL
    • WLN: 1R C1
    • m-Xylene, anhydrous, >=99%
    • m-Xylene, for synthesis, 99%
    • m-Xylene, ReagentPlus(R), 99%
    • NSC61769
    • m-Xylene 10 microg/mL in Methanol
    • Tox21_200292
    • Tox21_202056
    • Tox21_303203
    • BDBM50008556
    • STL268867
    • m-Xylene 100 microg/mL in Methanol
    • AKOS000121123
    • NCGC00091711-01
    • NCGC00091711-02
    • NCGC00091711-03
    • NCGC00257052-01
    • NCGC00257846-01
    • NCGC00259605-01
    • m-Xylene, SAJ first grade, >=98.5%
    • CAS-1330-20-7
    • NS00010709
    • NS00125194
    • S0648
    • X0013
    • EN300-24548
    • m-Xylene, puriss. p.a., >=99.0% (GC)
    • C07208
    • Q3234708
    • F1908-0174
    • InChI=1/C8H10/c1-7-4-3-5-8(2)6-7/h3-6H,1-2H
    • m-Xylene, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
    • 203-576-3

  • Applications

    m-Xylene (CAS 108-38-3) is used primarily as an intermediate oxidized to isophthalic acid (IPA) and its esters/chloride to make PET resins with improved clarity and processability, unsaturated polyester and alkyd resins for coatings, varnishes and gelcoats, and isophthaloyl chloride for heat-resistant meta-aramid fibers (e.g., Nomex) and other high-performance polyamides/polyesters; it also serves as an industrial solvent in paints, coatings, printing inks, adhesives and cleaning/degreasing, as a constituent of mixed xylenes for extraction and chemical dilution, as a reference/calibration standard in analytical and environmental testing, and as a feedstock for additional meta-substituted derivatives such as m-toluic acid/m-tolualdehyde and isophthalonitrile that underpin syntheses in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and specialty additives, benefiting from good solvency toward aromatics, suitable volatility for processing, and useful reactivity for aromatic ring functionalization in industrial chemistry.

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 1033.05
    methanol 806.15
    isopropanol 598.92
    water 0.54
    ethyl acetate 1546.14
    n-propanol 803.56
    acetone 1181.66
    n-butanol 974.16
    acetonitrile 916.79
    DMF 541.42
    toluene 899.58
    isobutanol 555.32
    1,4-dioxane 2290.92
    methyl acetate 1025.54
    THF 3054.17
    2-butanone 1053.41
    n-pentanol 682.48
    sec-butanol 651.52
    n-hexane 1443.74
    ethylene glycol 81.61
    NMP 834.63
    cyclohexane 1074.95
    DMSO 581.31
    n-butyl acetate 2095.0
    n-octanol 487.16
    chloroform 1750.63
    n-propyl acetate 776.85
    acetic acid 505.12
    dichloromethane 1708.95
    cyclohexanone 1457.0
    propylene glycol 119.86
    isopropyl acetate 874.03
    DMAc 494.98
    2-ethoxyethanol 562.91
    isopentanol 729.15
    n-heptane 1183.28
    ethyl formate 567.6
    1,2-dichloroethane 1197.9
    n-hexanol 1718.05
    2-methoxyethanol 781.14
    isobutyl acetate 510.11
    tetrachloromethane 503.92
    n-pentyl acetate 598.85
    transcutol 1618.33
    n-heptanol 510.24
    ethylbenzene 385.29
    MIBK 670.21
    2-propoxyethanol 1537.3
    tert-butanol 777.0
    MTBE 1333.95
    2-butoxyethanol 563.32
    propionic acid 440.66
    o-xylene 406.55
    formic acid 109.65
    diethyl ether 2594.7
    m-xylene 517.86
    p-xylene 413.49
    chlorobenzene 654.57
    dimethyl carbonate 285.36
    n-octane 273.95
    formamide 153.4
    cyclopentanone 1352.83
    2-pentanone 1183.84
    anisole 590.16
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 1913.37
    gamma-butyrolactone 1265.9
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 649.98
    pyridine 1048.4
    3-pentanone 966.52
    furfural 676.15
    n-dodecane 142.54
    diethylene glycol 493.26
    diisopropyl ether 846.63
    tert-amyl alcohol 660.54
    acetylacetone 847.89
    n-hexadecane 162.04
    acetophenone 366.52
    methyl propionate 871.17
    isopentyl acetate 1359.38
    trichloroethylene 1334.09
    n-nonanol 438.25
    cyclohexanol 841.12
    benzyl alcohol 298.67
    2-ethylhexanol 1198.27
    isooctanol 392.86
    dipropyl ether 2399.46
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 476.51
    ethyl lactate 184.03
    propylene carbonate 638.53
    n-methylformamide 343.57
    2-pentanol 732.48
    n-pentane 893.2
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 1235.72
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 1013.45
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 427.39
    mesitylene 316.11
    ε-caprolactone 1152.94
    p-cymene 335.28
    epichlorohydrin 1443.6
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 1173.1
    2-aminoethanol 214.91
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 973.77
    sulfolane 973.85
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 244.95
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 2470.19
    n-hexyl acetate 797.37
    isooctane 221.14
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 618.18
    sec-butyl acetate 525.48
    tert-butyl acetate 824.68
    decalin 345.67
    glycerin 139.43
    diglyme 1059.56
    acrylic acid 277.23
    isopropyl myristate 362.14
    n-butyric acid 820.78
    acetyl acetate 654.6
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 211.3
    ethyl propionate 695.47
    nitromethane 729.87
    1,2-diethoxyethane 1539.77
    benzonitrile 440.52
    trioctyl phosphate 189.19
    1-bromopropane 1333.68
    gamma-valerolactone 1249.11
    n-decanol 345.6
    triethyl phosphate 277.91
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 391.45
    propionitrile 811.53
    vinylene carbonate 519.81
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 501.98
    DMS 429.48
    cumene 251.01
    2-octanol 335.29
    2-hexanone 887.78
    octyl acetate 437.36
    limonene 716.03
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 1167.7
    ethyl orthosilicate 321.56
    tributyl phosphate 247.31
    diacetone alcohol 577.71
    N,N-dimethylaniline 359.59
    acrylonitrile 604.39
    aniline 586.69
    1,3-propanediol 352.23
    bromobenzene 714.26
    dibromomethane 1453.59
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 1050.27
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 597.33
    tetrabutyl urea 291.76
    diisobutyl methanol 510.18
    2-phenylethanol 557.81
    styrene 450.93
    dioctyl adipate 341.71
    dimethyl sulfate 270.83
    ethyl butyrate 1092.42
    methyl lactate 198.82
    butyl lactate 273.55
    diethyl carbonate 518.01
    propanediol butyl ether 304.67
    triethyl orthoformate 650.49
    p-tert-butyltoluene 334.25
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 345.73
    morpholine 2053.34
    tert-butylamine 698.0
    n-dodecanol 282.6
    dimethoxymethane 916.52
    ethylene carbonate 533.19
    cyrene 299.95
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 642.12
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 1197.21
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 501.16
    4-methylpyridine 1043.0
    dibutyl ether 1136.71
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 510.18
    DEF 989.6
    dimethyl isosorbide 722.76
    tetrachloroethylene 746.41
    eugenol 294.13
    triacetin 394.11
    span 80 421.01
    1,4-butanediol 141.81
    1,1-dichloroethane 1204.02
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 599.46
    methyl formate 295.78
    2-methyl-1-butanol 709.75
    n-decane 255.59
    butyronitrile 1072.96
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 519.96
    1-chlorooctane 558.02
    1-chlorotetradecane 234.21
    n-nonane 299.24
    undecane 179.82
    tert-butylcyclohexane 357.22
    cyclooctane 480.33
    cyclopentanol 705.65
    tetrahydropyran 2737.58
    tert-amyl methyl ether 1072.84
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 681.15
    1-hexene 1835.83
    2-isopropoxyethanol 474.84
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 131.76
    methyl butyrate 760.98

    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

Botanical

Name CAS Botanical Proportion
Guava fruit (Nigeria) 91770-12-6 Psidium guajava L., fam. Myrtaceae 0.87%
Thyme 5 8007-46-3 Thymus vulgaris L., fam. Lamiaceae (Labiatae) 0.01%
Litsea zeylanica Litsea zeylanica Nees, fam. Lauraceae 0.01%
Guava leaf 2 91770-12-6 Psidium guajava L., fam. Myrtaceae 0.4%
Hedyotis diffusa (Malaysia) Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (syn. Oldenlandia diffusa Roxb.), fam. Rubiaceae 1.3%
Carob bean extract 1 9000-40-2 Ceratonia siliqua L., fam. Leguminoseae 0.05%
Patchouli (China) 3a root 8014-09-3 Pogostemon cablin Benth., fam. Lamiaceae (Labiatae) 0.04%
Patchouli (China) 3b rhizome 8014-09-3 Pogostemon cablin Benth., fam. Lamiaceae (Labiatae) 0.14%