Diethyl phthalate is the diethyl ester of benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid.
Definition
Diethyl phthalate is the diethyl ester of benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid. It has a role as a teratogenic agent, a neurotoxin and a plasticiser. It is an ethyl ester, a phthalate ester and a diester.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII UF064M00AF · registered name Diethyl phthalate · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
SCCS opinion: Opinion on Diethyl phthalate; Opinion on Phthalates in Cosmetics Products
Source: EU CosIng ingredient list
Reviewed by CIR: 40th Anniversary Overview and Rereview Summaries From 2011 to 2015
Reviewed by CIR: Annual Review of Cosmetic Ingredient Safety Assessments - 2002/2003
Reviewed by CIR: Re-evaluation: Dibutyl, Dimethyl and Diethyl Phthalate and Butyl Benzyl Phthalate
Reviewed by CIR: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dibutyl Phthalate, Dimethyl Phthalate, and Diethyl Phthalate
CIR reviewed this ingredient and flagged its status as: Insufficient Data Announcement: Amended Safety Assessment of Dibutyl Phthalate,Diethyl Phthalate, and Dimethyl Phthalate as Used in Cosmetics (insufficient data or use not supported — CIR's own classification, not a full safety-as-used conclusion).
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Official labels & definitions
JCIA labelling name フタル酸ジエチル: 本品は、フタル酸とエタノール（＊）のジエステルであり、次の化学式で表される。
Source: JCIA labelling names (Japan)
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 84-66-2
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 201-550-6
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID7021780
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID901780
- IUPAC
- Diethyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate
- Molecular formula
- C12H14O4
- Molecular weight
- 222.24 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- liquid
- Melting/freezing point
- -60 ℃
- Initial boiling point and range
- 293 ℃(101.3 kPa)
- Flash point
- 170 ℃(101.3 kPa)
- Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
- 0.7 %
- Vapour pressure
- 0.0021 ㎜Hg (25℃)
- Water solubility
- 932 ㎎/ℓ (20℃)
- Vapour density
- 7.7
- Relative density
- 1.1
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 2.47
- Auto-ignition temperature
- 440 ℃ (98.4 kPa)
- Viscosity
- 11.53 (20℃)
- Molecular weight
- 222.3
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 119 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Fragrance93
- Plasticizer11
- Solvent4
- Deodorizer3
- Processing aids not otherwise specified2
- Surfactant (surface active agent)2
- Film former1
- Softener and conditioner1
2 other uses
- Lubricating agent1
- Viscosity modifier1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
5 skin studies and 2 eye studies are on record.
The studies disagree (the most common conclusion covers 25%), so they do not establish that this ingredient is irritating. These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 7 studies
- Category 2
Skin Irritation · Screening - Studies Indicate No Significant Irritation
skin irritation: in vivo · Screening · other guideline: FHSA according to - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (LLNA) · Screening · according to OECD Guideline 429 (Skin Sensitisation: Local Lymph Node Assay) - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA) · Screening · equivalent or similar to OECD Guideline 406 (Skin Sensitisation) - Category 1
Skin Sensitization · Screening - Severe Irritation
eye irritation: in vivo · Screening · other guideline: FHSA according to OECD Guideline 405 (Acute Eye Irritation / Corrosion) equivalent or similar to - Category 2B
Eye Irritation · Screening
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Toxic Evaluation of Graded Concentrations of Diethyl Phthalate on Serum Biochemistry of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) · 2026
- Diethyl Phthalate · 2019
- Ethyl linalool and diethyl phthalate from Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw.) Warb. · 2017
- Development Toxicity and Degradation of Diethyl Phthalate · 2013
- Chemical Analysis and Risk Assessment of Diethyl Phthalate in Alcoholic Beverages with Special Regard to Unrecorded Alcohol · 2009
Linked databases 23
- AICIS inventory notices (Australia)
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- China inventory of existing ingredients (IECIC)
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- EU SCCS safety opinions 2
- JCIA labelling names (Japan)
- Korea Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic ingredient register 2
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) 2 3 4 5 6
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · English · Japanese · Chinese