Methyl formate

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    107-31-3

    Molecular formula
    C2H4O2

    SMILES
    COC=O

    Safety labels

    Flammable
    Flammable

    Irritant
    Irritant

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Ethereal 89.41%
    Fruity 88.14%
    Rummy 66.56%
    Winey 58.03%
    Fresh 51.72%
    Pungent 48.9%
    Sharp 46.82%
    Green 45.96%
    Alcoholic 45.14%
    Cognac 42.98%

     

    Flavor
    Bitter 64.49%
    Fruity 63.79%
    Ethereal 63.19%
    Green 59.45%
    Pungent 59.4%
    Alcohol 39.9%
    Ether 38.87%
    Sweet 38.82%
    Rum 37.78%
    Floral 37.42%

     

    Odor impact est.
    High

    Odor threshold

    • Odor Threshold Low: 67.0 [mmHg]. Odor Threshold High: 2809.0 [mmHg]. Detection odor threshold from AIHA (mean = 2000 ppm)
    • 500 mg/cu m (Odor low); 6875 mg/cu m (Odor high)

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    0.0

    pKa est.
    4.93 (weak acid)

    Molecular weight
    60.05 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Ultra fast

    Melting point expt.

    • -147.6 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • -99.8 °C
    • -100 °C
    • -148 °F

    Boiling point

    • 88.7 °F at 760 mmHg (NTP, 1992)
    • 31.5 °C
    • 32 °C
    • 89 °F

    Flash point

    • -16.26 ˚C est.
    • -26 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • -2 °F
    • -2 °F (-19 °C) (Closed Cup)
    • -19 °C
    • -26 °F

    Solubility expt.

    • greater than or equal to 100 mg/mL at 72 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • 28.35 kJ/mol at 25 °C
    • Soluble in ether, chloroform; miscible with ethanol
    • In water, 230,000 mg/L at 25 °C
    • Solubility in water, g/100ml at 20 °C: 30 (good)
    • 30%

  • Synonyms

    • METHYL FORMATE
    • 107-31-3
    • Formic acid, methyl ester
    • Methyl methanoate
    • Formic acid methyl ester
    • Methylformiat
    • Formiate de methyle
    • Methylformiaat
    • Mravencan methylnaty
    • Caswell No. 570
    • HCOOCH3
    • methanoic acid methyl ester
    • Methylester kyseliny mravenci
    • METHYLFORMATE
    • Metil (formiato di)
    • Methyle (formiate de)
    • CCRIS 6062
    • HSDB 232
    • UNII-1MPH591FTG
    • EINECS 203-481-7
    • 1MPH591FTG
    • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 053701
    • DTXSID5025609
    • CHEBI:77699
    • AI3-00408
    • HCO2CH3
    • DTXCID305609
    • R-611
    • EC 203-481-7
    • Methylformiaat [Dutch]
    • Methylformiat [German]
    • Mravencan methylnaty [Czech]
    • Formiate de methyle [French]
    • Metil (formiato di) [Italian]
    • Methyle (formiate de) [French]
    • MFCD00003291
    • UN1243
    • Methylester kyseliny mravenci [Czech]
    • Methyl ester of formic acid
    • Formic acid, methyl ester; Methanoic acid methyl ester; Methyl formate; Methyl methanoate; R 611
    • HCOOMe
    • MeOCHO
    • HCO2Me
    • Methyl formate, >=95%
    • carboxylic acid methyl ester
    • METHYL FORMATE [MI]
    • METHYL FORMATE [HSDB]
    • CHEMBL295026
    • CHEBI:25248
    • Methyl formate, anhydrous, 99%
    • Methyl formate, analytical standard
    • Tox21_300962
    • Methyl formate, reagent grade, 97%
    • STL453646
    • AKOS015892698
    • UN 1243
    • NCGC00248231-01
    • NCGC00254864-01
    • CAS-107-31-3
    • DB-000421
    • F0057
    • F0086
    • NS00010253
    • R 611
    • S0299
    • InChI=1/C2H4O2/c1-4-2-3/h2H,1H
    • Methyl formate, spectrophotometric grade, 99%
    • Methyl formate [UN1243] [Flammable liquid]
    • Q422779
    • Methyl formate, 97%, may cont. up to ca 3% methanol
    • 203-481-7
    • USEPA/OPP Pesticide Code: 053701(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of Pesticide Program's Chemical Ingredients Database on Methyl Formate (107-31-3). Available from, as of June 1, 2005: http://npirspublic.ceris.purdue.edu/ppis/)

  • Applications

    Methyl formate (CAS 107-31-3) is a low-boiling ester widely used as a fast-evaporating solvent in industrial coatings, inks, adhesives, and cleaning formulations. It also functions as a reactive intermediate in organic synthesis, enabling formylation and esterification steps, and serves as a feedstock for preparing other formate esters. In the polymers and plastics sector it is employed as a solvent for resins and as a processing aid in coating formulations, and in electronics manufacturing it is used for precision cleaning and surface preparation due to its volatility and solvency. Additionally, it is encountered as a laboratory reagent in formylation and other synthetic routes, with its use governed by local regulations and formulation limits.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 457.89
    methanol 769.4
    isopropanol 248.76
    water 801.01
    ethyl acetate 76.48
    n-propanol 245.0
    acetone 160.87
    n-butanol 182.27
    acetonitrile 192.7
    DMF 584.04
    toluene 12.81
    isobutanol 150.32
    1,4-dioxane 145.11
    methyl acetate 135.0
    THF 122.32
    2-butanone 99.94
    n-pentanol 69.14
    sec-butanol 165.13
    n-hexane 3.21
    ethylene glycol 367.8
    NMP 355.31
    cyclohexane 6.95
    DMSO 351.91
    n-butyl acetate 24.11
    n-octanol 26.35
    chloroform 124.93
    n-propyl acetate 30.73
    acetic acid 1151.61
    dichloromethane 156.71
    cyclohexanone 89.3
    propylene glycol 230.01
    isopropyl acetate 31.34
    DMAc 424.3
    2-ethoxyethanol 204.02
    isopentanol 103.54
    n-heptane 4.41
    ethyl formate 117.39
    1,2-dichloroethane 70.27
    n-hexanol 42.2
    2-methoxyethanol 535.49
    isobutyl acetate 15.06
    tetrachloromethane 35.49
    n-pentyl acetate 19.71
    transcutol 203.47
    n-heptanol 29.08
    ethylbenzene 6.58
    MIBK 27.32
    2-propoxyethanol 113.63
    tert-butanol 222.57
    MTBE 57.58
    2-butoxyethanol 74.32
    propionic acid 336.34
    o-xylene 16.35
    formic acid 1551.79
    diethyl ether 52.21
    m-xylene 10.57
    p-xylene 10.91
    chlorobenzene 22.62
    dimethyl carbonate 50.95
    n-octane 1.89
    formamide 1272.19
    cyclopentanone 123.16
    2-pentanone 60.63
    anisole 31.2
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 52.8
    gamma-butyrolactone 184.11
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 251.63
    pyridine 131.48
    3-pentanone 46.8
    furfural 231.26
    n-dodecane 1.48
    diethylene glycol 160.41
    diisopropyl ether 11.03
    tert-amyl alcohol 166.81
    acetylacetone 61.21
    n-hexadecane 1.52
    acetophenone 38.06
    methyl propionate 92.86
    isopentyl acetate 21.04
    trichloroethylene 169.15
    n-nonanol 20.9
    cyclohexanol 101.09
    benzyl alcohol 52.53
    2-ethylhexanol 22.62
    isooctanol 21.51
    dipropyl ether 20.58
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 24.66
    ethyl lactate 38.51
    propylene carbonate 83.7
    n-methylformamide 520.82
    2-pentanol 87.09
    n-pentane 6.25
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 65.57
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 32.93
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 56.78
    mesitylene 7.57
    ε-caprolactone 86.84
    p-cymene 8.5
    epichlorohydrin 153.96
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 54.38
    2-aminoethanol 449.35
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 306.44
    sulfolane 171.78
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 4.48
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 98.41
    n-hexyl acetate 26.46
    isooctane 2.31
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 68.97
    sec-butyl acetate 16.95
    tert-butyl acetate 31.48
    decalin 2.74
    glycerin 366.76
    diglyme 147.27
    acrylic acid 419.33
    isopropyl myristate 9.25
    n-butyric acid 255.17
    acetyl acetate 49.7
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 16.86
    ethyl propionate 29.37
    nitromethane 822.28
    1,2-diethoxyethane 32.64
    benzonitrile 42.88
    trioctyl phosphate 11.3
    1-bromopropane 30.48
    gamma-valerolactone 196.11
    n-decanol 14.15
    triethyl phosphate 17.12
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 31.79
    propionitrile 100.14
    vinylene carbonate 96.04
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 276.98
    DMS 26.53
    cumene 6.66
    2-octanol 16.64
    2-hexanone 26.48
    octyl acetate 14.76
    limonene 13.78
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 155.25
    ethyl orthosilicate 16.32
    tributyl phosphate 12.61
    diacetone alcohol 85.63
    N,N-dimethylaniline 29.29
    acrylonitrile 176.81
    aniline 68.17
    1,3-propanediol 422.6
    bromobenzene 14.4
    dibromomethane 73.85
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 105.58
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 21.46
    tetrabutyl urea 19.74
    diisobutyl methanol 14.06
    2-phenylethanol 34.03
    styrene 9.31
    dioctyl adipate 18.79
    dimethyl sulfate 92.75
    ethyl butyrate 25.28
    methyl lactate 92.72
    butyl lactate 27.96
    diethyl carbonate 19.18
    propanediol butyl ether 72.7
    triethyl orthoformate 20.13
    p-tert-butyltoluene 8.64
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 39.53
    morpholine 239.84
    tert-butylamine 110.01
    n-dodecanol 10.4
    dimethoxymethane 159.66
    ethylene carbonate 64.55
    cyrene 66.13
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 32.48
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 15.4
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 36.8
    4-methylpyridine 85.58
    dibutyl ether 13.5
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 14.06
    DEF 149.97
    dimethyl isosorbide 63.03
    tetrachloroethylene 114.39
    eugenol 46.73
    triacetin 36.92
    span 80 45.55
    1,4-butanediol 123.56
    1,1-dichloroethane 63.17
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 49.54
    methyl formate 308.6
    2-methyl-1-butanol 118.65
    n-decane 2.34
    butyronitrile 84.23
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 21.48
    1-chlorooctane 8.64
    1-chlorotetradecane 3.51
    n-nonane 2.34
    undecane 1.75
    tert-butylcyclohexane 3.05
    cyclooctane 2.4
    cyclopentanol 136.34
    tetrahydropyran 77.75
    tert-amyl methyl ether 48.26
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 89.97
    1-hexene 10.01
    2-isopropoxyethanol 94.64
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 575.66
    methyl butyrate 48.6

    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
Genet absolute 2 8023-80-1 Spartium junceum L., fam. Leguminosae (Papilionaceae) 0.01%