Search the industrial chemicals inventory

You must search for each industrial chemical ingredient separately if you are introducing a product that has more than 1 industrial chemical. If you find your chemical is listed, you need to check if we've added any specific regulatory obligations or restrictions on the chemical. If you can't find your chemical, follow the next steps we link to on this page.

Search the Inventory using a CAS number

It is best to search the Inventory using a chemical's CAS number. The reason for this is a chemical may be known by many different names but it only has 1 unique CAS number. They are an accurate source of chemical information, a means of verifying a chemical identity and able to be validated quickly.

A CAS number contains up to 10 digits which are divided by hyphens into 3 parts. From the left, the first part of the number has 2 to 7 digits and the second part has 2 digits. The final part consists of a single digit.

You must use the correct CAS format with hyphens and discard any zero (0) that might be at the start of the first block. Eg if you are searching for formaldehyde the correct search is 50-00-0 not 050-00-0.

CAS numbers are assigned and maintained by CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society. It is the authoritative and internationally recognised list of all CAS numbers and their chemical associations.

The CAS Chemist Consultation Service can find a CAS number and name for a fee. You'll need to provide them with information such as a reliable chemical structure, a name (sometimes a trade name can be used). They also have a limited free online resource called Common Chemistry. They can also assign a CAS number and name for a fee.

Other ways to try and find your CAS number include:

• looking at Safety Data Sheets — you'll need to contact the manufacturer or supplier
• through an internet search
• search online catalogues of chemical suppliers

I've found my chemical — find out what your search results mean

I can't find my chemical — learn the reasons why and what to do next

Searching by key word

CAS proper name

If you do not have the CAS number your next best option is to search using the CAS name for the chemical.

Common names

Some common names for chemicals are on the Inventory but are restricted to the most commonly used chemicals. Your results will most likely be a very broad list of candidate chemicals.

Molecular formula

You can search by molecular formula e.g. C12H12N2O3, but you may get a very large number of results. Be as specific as possible in your search to get the most meaningful results.

I've found my chemical — find out what your search results mean

I can't find my chemical — learn the reasons why and what to do next

International chemical databases

These international databases may provide useful chemical information.

• European Chemicals Agency (information about chemicals in Europe)
• United States Environment Protection Agency Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource
  ACToR (Aggregated Computational Toxicology resource) is EPA's online warehouse of all publicly available chemical toxicity data and can be used to find all publicly available data about potential chemical risks to human health and the environment.
• CosIng Database search page
  This European Commission searchable database has information on cosmetic ingredients. It contains CAS RNs and International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) names and numbers.
• National Library of Medicine
  This United States' site lists chemicals and available toxicity information. It is useful for listing chemicals that are not on major inventories.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology Chemistry (NIST) WebBook
  This website of the U.S. Department of Commerce provides access to data compiled and distributed by NIST under the Standard Reference Data Program.