Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets
Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.
The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.
Diss Factsheets
Use of this information is subject to copyright laws and may require the permission of the owner of the information, as described in the ECHA Legal Notice.
EC number: 231-159-6 | CAS number: 7440-50-8
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Additional information
For the physical and chemical properties, a distinction needs to be made between (1) copper in massive form (specific surface area below 0.67 mm2/mg, which is equivalent to spherical particles with diameter above 1 mm), (2) copper in powder/particulate form (specific surface area above 0.67 mm2/mg) and (3) fine coated copper flakes. The composition of these materials is provided in section 1.2.
The physical and chemical properties of copper in massive and powder forms are expected to be the same, except for water solubility. Indeed, chemically, copper massives, have a somewhat higher purity then copper powders (99.9% versus 99.7%). The balancing element is Cu2O. This impurity has little influence on most of the physico-chemical properties. Copper in its metallic form (Cu°) is insoluble because copper needs to be transformed into soluble Cu ions to become soluble. The presence of Cu2O may influence solubility. More importantly, the rate and extent of Cu° transformation (into soluble copper ions) and dissolution into aqueous media depends on the surface area of the material as well as the physico-chemistry of the test media (especially pH). The difference in specific surface area (surface area per unit mass) between copper in massive and in powder form, therefore influence the solubility. Solubility tests in environmental and biological media have therefore been performed on both Cu in massive and powder forms. Transformation-dissolution tests have been performed on various copper forms. These are extensively discussed in chapter 4 of the CSR (Environmental fate properties).
Copper coated flakes on the other hand have a very high reactive surface area. Further, also the coating and the impurities may influence the physical and chemical, ecotoxicological and toxicological properties. Separate physico-chemical tests have therefore been performed with coated copper flakes.
The relevant physico-chemical properties of the materials are summarised below:
Table8:Overview of the physico-chemical properties
|
Cu metal (massive and powder forms) |
Coated copper flakes |
Physical state |
Solid,copper colour, odourless |
Solid,copper colour, odourless |
Melting point |
1059-1069°C |
1057-1058°C |
Boiling point |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Density |
Relative density: 8.78 g. cm-3at 20 °C |
Tap density: 0.47 g/ml at 20°C |
Vapour pressure |
Not applicable |
7.5e-9 Pa (20°C), 1.8e-8 Pa (25°C) and 8.4e-7 Pa (50°C). |
Surface tension |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Water solubility (H2O) |
Insoluble * Stirring and oxidation for 14 days of the copper powder (pH 6.3-7.6) resulted in <1mg dissolved Cu/L |
Insoluble * At pH 7-9: <1mg dissolved /L pH 4: 192 mg dissolved Cu /L |
Partition coefficient n-octanol/water (log value) |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Solubility in organic solvents |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Auto-ignition |
No auto-ignition |
No auto-ignition |
Flash point |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Flammability |
Non flammable |
Non flammable |
Explosive |
Not explosive |
Not explosive |
Oxidising properties |
Not oxidising |
Not oxidising |
Particle size and specific surface area |
From massive forms to particulates and fine powders Copper powder is defined as powders and particulates with specific surface area above 0.67 mm2/mg (equivalent to copper spheres with diameter below 1 mm). . Copper massive consists of particles with specific surface area below 0.67 mm2/mg (equivalent to copper spheres with diameter above 1 mm). Representative powder samples, characterised with d50 of <50 and 135 µm and specific surface area of 24 - 107 mm2/mg, were used as testing material. |
Coated copper flakes have been surface treated and are characterised by a high specific surface area. The granulometric d50 values range between 5 and 100 µm.
A representative sample with a d50of 8-11µm and specific surface area of 2.9 m2/g was used as testing material |
Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Dissociation constant |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Viscosity |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
* Based on information from special solubility tests used for the classification read-across for the environment and for human health. For the environment endpoints, transformation/dissolution tests are carried out- see Chapter 7 of the CSR
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.