© 2026 Sinochem Nanjing Corporation,
All Right Reserved
Name: Tribromoacetaldehyde
Chemical Formula: C2Br3HO
Common Names: Bromal
CAS Number: 115-18-4
Physical Description: Usually shows up as colorless or slightly yellow crystals with a pungent smell that can catch even a seasoned chemist off guard. Those unexpected odors tend to signal volatility—no small matter in a shared lab or around anyone without solid chemical handling habits. Every bottle deserves a bold label marking its identity because confusion in storage leads to headaches and, in the worst cases, emergencies.
Acute Risks: Highly irritating to eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Causes coughing, tearing, and burns if splashed. Short-term exposure brings real pain, not to mention real damage.
Chronic Exposure: Potential liver, kidney and nervous system stress after long-term or repeated exposure.
Routes of Exposure: Mostly through skin contact, inhalation of vapors, or accidental ingestion during lab mishaps. Vapor lingers low, finding its way to exposed skin.
Flammability: Noted for being an oxidizer when dry, which brings fire risk into play, especially around organic materials.
Environmental Hazard: A danger to aquatic life if released, because these heavy halogen atoms don’t just disappear after a spill goes down the drain.
Signs of Overexposure: Burning eyes, shortness of breath, skin irritation, headache, dizziness, and possible confusion.
Main Component: Tribromoacetaldehyde
Impurities: Trace amounts of related haloacetaldehydes may pop up due to less-than-perfect synthesis. These often have similar but unpredictable hazards, meaning it’s smart to expect more heat, more sting, or more volatility than the bottle’s name might suggest.
Purity: Rarely perfect—grade matters a lot if purity impacts handling or waste.
Eye Contact: Rinse eyes gently with clean, tepid water for many minutes using an eyewash station or bottle. People should remove contact lenses if they’re safe to get out and keep rinsing, not pausing for pain or social hesitancy.
Skin Contact: Strip away contaminated clothes. Rinse exposed skin under cool running water with soap, even if the pain seems mild.
Inhalation: Get into fresh air right away. Seek oxygen if breathing feels labored. Anyone with persistent cough or breathing problems needs professional medical help, fast.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth and spit out any chemical left behind. Do not induce vomiting, since caustics make matters worse on the way back up. Seek help immediately.
Medical Attention: Fast action wins; waiting for symptoms to develop prolongs and amplifies harm.
Extinguishing Media: Use dry chemical, carbon dioxide or foam if fire involves the chemical. Avoid water on burning Tribromoacetaldehyde—runoff spreads hazards.
Special Hazards: Toxic, corrosive gases form when burned: expect hydrogen bromide and phosgene, so anyone fighting fire needs top-notch respiratory protection.
Protective Equipment: Firefighters need full gear, including positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus. Chemical fires do not forgive half-hearted preparation.
Thermal Decomposition: Heat cranks out hazardous fumes, so ventilation during any fire response is key, even if the flames are out.
Personal Protection: Respirators with cartridges for organic vapors and acid gases, chemical splash goggles, heavy gloves and lab coats with sleeves closed tight.
Containment: Keep the spill in a small area; dam liquids using inert absorbent like dry sand. Avoid smearing—no one wants brominated gunk spread across a wider space.
Cleanup: Absorb spill, scoop up solid waste into chemical containers for safe disposal. Ventilate if vapors are strong. Decontaminate area with dilute sodium thiosulfate or sodium bisulfite if recommended for halogenated aldehyde cleanup.
Precaution: Ban open flames and shut down unnecessary electrical equipment nearby. Handle broken containers and contaminated gear with care.
Handling: Work in well-ventilated labs with fume hoods. Check gloves and eye gear for damage before handling. No eating, drinking or phone use anywhere near this stuff—wipe down all work surfaces after use. Anyone dealing with open containers needs to know exactly where the nearest eyewash and shower are.
Storage: Keep containers tightly closed and stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot. Avoid heat, direct sunlight and oxidizing agents nearby. Keep away from incompatible substances such as alkalis or reducing agents. Lock up chemicals in cabinets set for toxic and corrosive agents if working in shared spaces.
Segregation: Strong advice to store away from food and feeds, acids, bases or common lab solvents that may react unpredictably. Training and signage reduce mix-ups and near-misses.
Ventilation: Fume hoods or local exhaust a must. Basic room air changes won’t cut it with volatile brominated aldehydes—source control is king.
Respiratory Protection: Cartridge respirators for organic vapors and acid mists if airborne levels approach or exceed safe limits.
Hand Protection: Chemical-resistant gloves chosen for halogenated solvents; double up in high-risk operations.
Eye Protection: Chemical splash goggles minimum, face shield for big-volume transfers.
Body Protection: Full lab coats, sleeves tucked into gloves, chemical-resistant boot covers if big containers in use.
Exposure Limits: No specific OSHA PEL; workplace safety depends on monitoring for organohalide exposures. Always use less rather than more, to minimize escape during work.
Appearance: Crystalline solid, colorless to pale yellow
Odor: Sharp, pungent
Melting Point: Around 50°C
Boiling Point: Decomposes before boiling
Solubility: Sparingly soluble in water, mixes with organic solvents including ether and chloroform
Vapor Pressure: Can volatilize at room temperature, so careful with closed containers in warm rooms
Stability: Unstable in light and air, so chemical integrity drops fast if left out
Chemical Stability: Deteriorates in the presence of moisture, light and air—don't trust an open-air sample for more than a short timer.
Reactive With: Strong alkalis, reducing agents, many metals; some reactions release heat and corrosive byproducts.
Hazardous Decomposition Products: Hydrogen bromide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, phosgene.
Incompatible Materials: Bases, oxidizers, water and alcohols—mixing causes violent reactions or rapid degradation. Always check new reagents for compatibility, because tribromoacetaldehyde plays poorly with most basics and even a few advanced substances.
Acute Toxicity: Strong irritant to skin, eyes, lungs. Animal studies show kidney and liver toxicity. Considered moderately to highly toxic by ingestion based on related compounds.
Skin Sensitization: Repeated exposure risks rashes, blistering.
Inhalation: Short-term exposure brings on headaches, dizziness, coughing, sore throat—long-term exposure risks more serious organ stress.
Carcinogenicity: Not specifically classed as a human carcinogen, but organohalide family link to higher cancer rates means prudence beats assumptions every time.
Chronic Effects: Nervous system and organ damage after weeks or months of low-level contact, based on broader organohalogen experience.
Signs of Exposure: Reddening skin, burning eyes, cough, sore throat, stomach pain, confusion.
Aquatic Toxicity: Brominated compounds deliver a punch to fish and plankton—runoff, direct spills or improper disposal all threaten local waterways. Concentrations that seem small during cleanup add up fast and stick around much longer than you’d expect.
Degradation: Breaks down slowly in soil and water, giving time for bioaccumulation. Not a great candidate for traditional treatment plants.
Mobility: Can move through soil, challenging remediation teams after a spill.
Persistence: Stable bonds hang in the environment for months to years; sunlight helps but won’t fix a bad spill by itself.
Waste Treatment: High-temperature incineration under controlled conditions works where service is available. Never dump down the drain or into landfill—risk to workers and the wider environment is too high.
Container Handling: Rinse and neutralize glassware and tools before washing; all washings and rags carry toxic load and need special tagging and storage.
Regulatory Guidance: Labs and companies do best keeping careful waste logs with local hazardous waste handlers who know how to treat and chart disposal.
Reuse and Recycling: Not advisable, since purity fades fast and contamination risk jumps with each handling.
Hazard Class: Usually classed as a toxic, corrosive substance for road, rail or air shipment.
Transport Advice: Pack in tightly sealed, chemically resistant containers with clear, tamper-evident labeling. Use secondary containment during shipment and avoid shipping with anything that can react with acids, oxidizers or bases. Keep temperature below 15°C if moving bigger volumes.
Emergency Response: Shippers and drivers need written instructions and spill kits on hand—not just for their own safety, but for anyone down the road.
National Regulation: Falls under toxic and hazardous substance lists in many countries. Labs must check local reporting requirements.
Worker Protection: Under occupational safety rules the world over, anyone in regular contact gets extra training, medical surveillance and protective equipment.
Community Right to Know: Mandatory reporting applies if used or stored above given thresholds.
Environmental Regulation: Disposal and emissions tightly controlled by environmental agencies; releases trigger investigations and sometimes fines. Never trust luck—document compliance, not just for audits, but for your team’s peace of mind.
