# Acrylonitrile: Characteristics

Why an inhibitor dose keeps it from running away

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/characteristics/

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)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/regulation/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/links/index.md)