Pyridine

Description

A yellow liquid with a noxious odor. Pyridine was first prepared from coal-tar in 1846 by Anderson. Pyridine is used as a Solvent and it is one of the few solvents that can dissolve dried Linseed oil in paints and varnishes. It is used as a denaturant for ethanol to make it unfit for drinking. Pyridine has also been used as a chemical raw material for manufacturing many compounds and as a water repellent, bactericide, and herbicide.

Chemical structure

Synonyms and Related Terms

azabenzene; azine

Risks

• Flammable. Flash point = 68F.
• Dangerous fire risk. Combustion produces highly toxic cyanide gases.
• Toxic by ingestion and inhalation.
• May be absorbed through the skin causing irritation.
• ThermoFisher: SDS
• EPA lists pyridine as hazardous waste due to its toxicity and ignitability; concentrations over 10% must be disposed of appropriately

Physical and Chemical Properties

Soluble in water, ethanol, ether, benzene, ligroin and fatty oils.

Composition	N(CH)4CH
CAS	110-86-1
Melting Point	-42.0 C
Density	0.987 g/ml
Molecular Weight	mol. wt.=79.11
Refractive Index	1.5092
Boiling Point	115.5 C

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p.817

• Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986

• George Savage, Art and Antique Restorer's Handbook, Rockliff Publishing Corp, London, 1954

• The Merck Index, Susan Budavari (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Whitehouse Station, NJ, 12th Edition, 1996 Comment: entry 7869; ref. index=1.5092

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index=1.507