Metanil yellow

Description

A orangish-yellow synthetic monoazo dye discovered independently by C.Rumpff in 1879 and Hepp in 1882. Metanil yellow is used to dye leather, wool, silk, nylon, and paper.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Acid Yellow 36; CI 13065; CAS 587-98-4

Risks

• Toxic causing nerve and enzyme damage
• Illegal for food use although often found as an adulterant for turmeric

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Soluble in water
• Indicator = Red (below 1.2) and yellow (above 3.2)
• Composition = C18H14N3NaO3S
• Molecular weight = 375.4 g/mol
• Melting Pt = >250 C

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia: Metanil Yellow Accessed May 2026
• PubChem: Metanil Yellow
• Colour Index International online at www.colour-index.org