Product Overview
Xylene (CAS 1330-20-7), also sold as xylol or dimethylbenzene, is an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent offered here in a Reagent grade. It ships as UN1307, Class 3, Packing Group III (per 49 CFR 172.101), and we pack it under the same hazmat program we run every day from our Taylor, Texas warehouse. Coatings formulators buy it for flow and leveling. Analytical labs buy it as an HPLC and extraction solvent. Maintenance crews buy it to cut grease off metal parts. Pack sizes run from 1 quart at the bench up to 55 gal drums for production — all offered to order, with SDS, TDS, and lot-specific COA documentation behind every lot.
Why This Concentration
The Reagent designation matters most to buyers whose purchasing documents call out a lab-facing grade rather than a general industrial solvent. If your workflow is analytical — HPLC mobile-phase work, extractions, method development — a reagent designation is typically what the purchase order specifies. If your workflow is paint thinning or parts degreasing, the same material still does the job; you are simply buying more documentation than the process strictly needs. Buyers who write ACS or reagent language into their specs should pull the lot-specific COA and the TDS before committing, and confirm the lot's reported values against their own acceptance criteria. A grade label on its own is a procurement signal, not a certification — the COA is where you verify.
Chemical Profile
Xylene, CAS 1330-20-7, is an aromatic hydrocarbon that exists as three isomers — ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene — and commercial xylenes are handled as a mixture of them. The trade names xylol and dimethylbenzene refer to the same material and still show up on older drawings, MRO specs, and legacy purchase orders. For transport it is classified as a Class 3 flammable liquid (per 49 CFR 172.101), and its GHS profile carries the signal word Danger (per the product's GHS classification). For lot-level physical and compositional data, request the technical data sheet and the lot-specific certificate of analysis.
Industrial Applications
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Paints and coatings. Xylene dissolves resins and slows film formation enough to improve flow and leveling, which is why it remains a standard thinning and formulation solvent in industrial coatings shops.
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Chemical intermediate. Manufacturers consume xylene as a feedstock in the production of plastics and synthetic fibers, where individual isomers are the starting point for downstream monomers.
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Extraction solvent. Pharmaceutical and botanical processors use xylene to pull target compounds out of plant material during extraction work.
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HPLC solvent. Analytical labs run xylene in high-performance liquid chromatography separations, which is where the reagent designation earns its keep.
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Cleaning and degreasing. Maintenance teams use xylene to strip grease, oils, and residues from metal parts and machinery before inspection or recoating.
Handling & Storage
Treat this as a Danger-signal-word material (per the product's GHS classification). Its hazard statements include H226 (flammable liquid and vapor), H304 (may be fatal if swallowed and enters airways), H312 and H332 (harmful in contact with skin or if inhaled), H315 and H319 (skin and eye irritation), H335 (may cause respiratory irritation), and H373 (may cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure) — all per the product's GHS classification. In practice: work with ventilation adequate to keep vapor down, wear chemical-resistant gloves and goggles, and keep the material away from open flames, sparks, and other ignition sources. Store containers closed in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, and keep it segregated from strong oxidizing agents and acids. Never siphon by mouth and never induce vomiting after ingestion — the aspiration hazard (H304) is the reason. Read the SDS before first use; it travels with every order.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product ships as a fully regulated hazardous material. The proper shipping name is Xylenes (per 49 CFR 172.101), under UN1307 (per 49 CFR 172.101), Hazard Class 3 (per 49 CFR 172.101), Packing Group III (per 49 CFR 172.101). Our team packs Class 3 flammable liquids daily — correct inner packaging, UN-spec outers where required, marks, labels, and shipping papers prepared as part of normal operations, not as an exception. If your receiving dock has hazmat acceptance requirements, tell us at order time and we will document the shipment accordingly.
Documentation
A safety data sheet ships with every order, and we can supply the SDS in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A technical data sheet is available for spec review before you buy, and every lot ships with a lot-specific certificate of analysis — the document to check when your quality system requires incoming verification against your own acceptance criteria.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
We offer this xylene from 1 quart to 55 gal drums under one governed UN1307, Class 3, PG III shipping program (per 49 CFR 172.101), with SDS coverage in four languages and a lot-specific COA on every lot — one supplier from bench trial through drum-scale production. Alliance Chemical has distributed industrial chemicals since 1998 and has served more than 50,000 customers from our Taylor, Texas warehouse. The shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
