Acrylonitrile: Characteristics
Why an inhibitor dose keeps it from running away
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.ACN is a colourless volatile liquid (boiling point 77 C). Buyers specify purity, water, HCN, acetonitrile and inhibitor levels, which control polymerisation in fibre and ABS plants.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | at least 99.5% (indicative) | affects fibre and ABS quality | indicative |
| Inhibitor (MEHQ) | about 35-45 ppm (indicative) | prevents runaway polymerisation | indicative |
| HCN and acetonitrile | low ppm (indicative) | impurities affect polymerisation | indicative |
Commercial grades
- Polymer-grade ACN
- Bio-attributed ACN (mass balance, ISCC PLUS)