Acrylamide
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| Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name Prop-2-enamide | |||
| Other names Acrylamide Acrylic amide | |||
| Identifiers | |||
| 3D model (JSmol) | |||
| ChEBI | |||
| ChEMBL | |||
| ChemSpider | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.067 | ||
| KEGG | |||
| PubChem CID | |||
| UNII | |||
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |||
| 
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| 
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| Properties | |||
| C3H5NO | |||
| Molar mass | 71.079 g·mol−1 | ||
| Appearance | white crystalline solid, no odor | ||
| Density | 1.322 g/cm3 | ||
| Melting point | 84.5 °C (184.1 °F; 357.6 K) | ||
| Boiling point | None (polymerization); decomposes at 175-300°C | ||
| 390 g/L (25 °C) | |||
| Hazards | |||
| Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |||
| Main hazards | potential occupational carcinogen | ||
| GHS labelling: | |||
| H301, H312, H315, H317, H319, H332, H340, H350, H361, H372 | |||
| P201, P280, P301+P310, P305+P351+P338, P308+P313 | |||
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
| Flash point | 138 °C (280 °F; 411 K) | ||
| 424 °C (795 °F; 697 K) | |||
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |||
| LD50 (median dose) | 100-200 mg/kg (mammal, oral) 107 mg/kg (mouse, oral) 150 mg/kg (rabbit, oral) 150 mg/kg (guinea pig, oral) 124 mg/kg (rat, oral) | ||
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |||
| PEL (Permissible) | TWA 0.3 mg/m3 [skin] | ||
| REL (Recommended) | Ca TWA 0.03 mg/m3 [skin] | ||
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | 60 mg/m3 | ||
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | ICSC 0091 | ||
| Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references | |||
Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH2=CHC(O)NH2. It is a white odorless solid, soluble in water and several organic solvents. From the chemistry perspective, acrylamide is a vinyl-substituted primary amide (CONH2). It is produced industrially mainly as a precursor to polyacrylamides, which find many uses as water-soluble thickeners and flocculation agents.
Acrylamide forms in burnt areas of food, particularly starchy foods like potatoes, when cooked with high heat, above 120 °C (248 °F). Despite health scares following this discovery in 2002, and its classification as a probable carcinogen, acrylamide from diet is thought unlikely to cause cancer in humans; Cancer Research UK categorized the idea that eating burnt food causes cancer as a "myth".