UN/NA Number Reference
DOT Class 1.1D Explosive placard

UN 208: Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine (Tetryl)

49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table·ERG 2024

DOT Classification and Shipping

UN 208 is assigned the proper shipping name Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine (Tetryl) in the U.S. DOT Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR 172.101). It is classified as a Class 1.1D Explosive material. Required label(s): 1.1.

Packing group indicates the degree of danger within a hazard class: PG I is high danger, PG II medium, PG III low. The proper shipping name, hazard class, UN number, and packing group together form the basic shipping description that must appear on shipping papers and, where required, on the package and placard.

Emergency Response (ERG Guide 112)

Hazards: May explode or be projected if heated. Fragments may travel great distances. Fire may produce irritating or toxic gases.

Fire: DO NOT fight fire when it reaches cargo. Evacuate area and let burn. Fight fire from maximum distance.

Spill: Do not touch or walk through spilled material. Isolate spill area immediately.

Chemical and Physical Properties

Tetryl appears as a yellow crystalline solid high explosive. Toxic by ingestion and skin absorption. A skin irritant. Will explode if heated above 370 °F. Used as a detonating explosive. The primary hazard is the blast of an instantaneous explosion and not flying projectiles and fragments.

CAS Number: 479-45-8
Molecular Formula: C7H5N5O8
Molecular Weight: 287.14 g/mol
Color / Form: Colorless to yellow, crystalline solid
Odor: Odorless.
Boiling Point: 374 F
Melting Point: 268 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
Flash Point: Explodes (NIOSH, 2024)
Specific Gravity: 1.57
Vapor Pressure: 1 mmHg
Water Solubility: 0.02 % (NIOSH, 2024)
Log P: log Kow = 1.64 /Estimated/

Regulatory Data

OSHA PEL
TWA 1.5 mg/m 3 [skin]
NIOSH REL
TWA 1.5 mg/m 3 [skin]
IDLH
750 mg/m 3

Need the full interactive record? Open UN 208 in the SpillNerd lookup tool for the live database entry with placard graphics, GHS pictograms, full segregation tables, and synonym search. For another material, use the UN number and chemical lookup.

Reference data compiled from the DOT Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR 172.101), the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, and public chemical databases (PubChem, NIOSH, EPA). Always verify the correct shipping description against the current regulation and the manufacturer's SDS Section 14 before shipping.