Ethylbenzene under REACH
C8H10 · 乙苯
Status: Registered. Ethylbenzene is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: Production via Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene batch 22 plus ethylene (Mobil-Badger zeolite-catalyst process or Dow / Lummus AlCl3-liquid-phase process); ~99% of ethylbenzene production is captive feedstock for downstream catalytic dehydrogenation to styrene monomer batch 25 (verify production-route splits and styrene-captive percentage against ICIS or S&P Commodity Insights before quoting) + completes BTX aromatics chain alongside benzene batch 22 plus toluene batch 20 plus xylenes batch 21 plus styrene batch 25 + moderate-to-high hazard profile (Carc. 2 + Asp. Tox. 1 + STOT RE 2 ear damage + Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 inhalation per harmonised CLP entry; verify exact harmonised classification against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying).** Ethylbenzene is **IARC Group 2B since IARC Monograph Volume 77 (2000) (verify against monographs.iarc.who.int Volume 77 before relying)**. NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin ethylbenzene currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing); however, **note that EU has provisional then definitive AD measures on Chinese-origin styrene per Reg (EU) 2024/2003 (verify current definitive against EUR-Lex before invoicing); Chinese ethylbenzene is captive-feedstock to styrene chain so duty exposure flows downstream**.
Ethylbenzene is fully REACH-registered with **moderate-to-high hazard profile** (Carc. 2 + Asp. Tox. 1 + STOT RE 2 ear damage + Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 inhalation; IARC Group 2B since Volume 77 / 2000). NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD on ethylbenzene itself. **EU definitive AD on Chinese styrene per Reg (EU) 2024/2003 flows downstream from captive ethylbenzene chain**. **~99% production is captive-feedstock for styrene** (Mobil-Badger zeolite or Dow / Lummus AlCl3 alkylation). **Completes BTX chain alongside benzene + toluene + xylenes + styrene**.
Listing and threshold
| Substance | Ethylbenzene (CAS 100-41-4), C8H10 |
|---|---|
| Regime | EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals |
| Jurisdiction | European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) |
| Status | Registered |
| Tonnage threshold | Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market |
Classifications under this regime
- Carc. 2 (limited evidence) per harmonised CLP entry: H351 (verify against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying)
- Asp. Tox. 1 (aspiration toxicity, hydrocarbon): H304
- STOT RE 2 (specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure, hearing organ): H373
- Flam. Liq. 2: H225
- Acute Tox. 4 (inhalation): H332
- GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS07 (exclamation), GHS08 (health hazard)
- IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) since Volume 77 (2000) (verify against monographs.iarc.who.int Volume 77)
- NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
- ADR / RID: UN 1175, Class 3 PG II (flammable liquid)
Restrictions and conditions of use
- NOT on REACH Annex XIV (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/authorisation-list)
- NOT classified as SVHC (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table)
- NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
- NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin ethylbenzene currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
- **EU has definitive AD measures on Chinese-origin styrene per Reg (EU) 2024/2003 (verify current definitive against EUR-Lex before invoicing); ethylbenzene is captive-feedstock to styrene so duty exposure flows downstream**
- NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
Importer obligations
A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). Ethylbenzene is rarely traded as merchant cargo because **~99% of production is captive feedstock for downstream styrene production (verify against ICIS or S&P Commodity Insights before quoting)**; merchant ethylbenzene cargoes are uncommon and merchant ethylbenzene imports into the EU are typically tied to standalone styrene producers without integrated ethylbenzene capacity. Major Chinese ethylbenzene producers (typically integrated with downstream styrene; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant): Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical SECCO, Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai Penglai, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemical (CSPC) Huizhou, BlueStar Tianjin.
Required documents
- REACH registration number on EU side
- SDS (Carc. 2 + Flam. Liq. 2 + STOT RE 2 + Asp. Tox. 1 hazard profile)
- Customs entry HS code 290260 (ethylbenzene)
- ADR documentation for UN 1175 Class 3 PG II
- Carc. 2 occupational health surveillance documentation
Common compliance traps
The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.
- **~99% of ethylbenzene production is captive feedstock for downstream styrene** (Mobil-Badger zeolite or Dow / Lummus AlCl3 alkylation route)
- **Completes BTX aromatics chain alongside benzene batch 22 + toluene batch 20 + xylenes batch 21 + styrene batch 25**
- Carc. 2 + Asp. Tox. 1 + STOT RE 2 ear damage + Flam. Liq. 2 + Acute Tox. 4 inhalation harmonised classification
- IARC Group 2B since Volume 77 (2000)
- NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD on ethylbenzene itself
- **EU definitive AD on Chinese styrene per Reg (EU) 2024/2003** flows downstream from captive ethylbenzene chain
- Major Chinese producers (typically integrated with styrene): Sinopec SECCO Shanghai, Sinopec Yangzi, Wanhua Yantai Penglai, CSPC Huizhou, BlueStar Tianjin
Where to read next
For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for ethylbenzene, see the CAS 100-41-4 sourcing reference.
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the ethylbenzene cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.
For the structure and history of REACH, see the REACH glossary entry.
Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.
Read next
Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references
Regulatory
Ethylbenzene under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Ethylbenzene under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Ethylbenzene under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Ethylbenzene under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Glossary
REACH, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
EU chemical regulation requiring importers and manufacturers to register every substance manufactured or imported into the EU above 1 tonne per year. Registration is identity-based and dossier-based, not inventory-lookup-based, which makes it stricter than TSCA in the US.
Referenced in
5 pages across the Sourzi moat
This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages, 1 topic clusters. Sample backlinks per content type below.
Free download
Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.