Hexamethylene tetramine
100-97-0 · 1,3,5,7-Tetraazaadamantane · 1,3,5,7-Tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]decane · 1,3,5,7-Tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane · Aceto HMT · Aminoformaldehyde · Ammoform · Ammonioformaldehyde · Antihydral · Cystamin · Cystogen · Duirexol · E 239 · Ekagom H · Esametilentetramina · Formamine · Formin · Formin (heterocycle) · Formine · Herax UTS · Heterin · Hexa (vulcanization accelerator) · Hexa-Flo-Pulver · Hexaform · Hexamethylenamine · HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE · Hexamethyleneamine · Hexamethylenetetraamine · Hexamethylenetetramine · Hexamethylenetetraminum · Hexamethylentetramin · Hexamethylentetraminum · Hexamine · Hexamine (heterocycle) · Hexaminum · Hexilmethylenamine · HMTA · INS NO.239 · INS-239 · J50OIX95QV · Metenamina · Methamin · Methenamin · Methenamine · Methenamine, Silver · methenaminum · Nocceler H · Preparation AF · Resotropin · S 4 (heterocycle) · Sanceler H · Silver, Hexamine · Uramin · Uratrine · Urisol · Uritone · Urodeine · Urotropin · Urotropine · Vulkacit H 30 · Xametrin · E239 · 239 · 1,3,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1]-decaneE number E239INS 239CAS 100-97-0
Used as a preservative.
Hexamethylene tetramine is a preservative with one narrow permitted use in the European Union: provolone cheese. It works by releasing formaldehyde slowly.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category highest permitted level 25 mg/kg | CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 239, food category 01.6.2.1retrieved 2026-09-07 |
What it is made from
Made by reacting formaldehyde with ammonia. Its use is restricted to a single named cheese, which is unusual even among the narrow listings in this standard.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- CAS registry number
- 100-97-0
- InChIKey
- VKYKSIONXSXAKP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- PubChem
- CID 4101
Every name it appears under
64 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E239
INS number
- 239
CAS registry number
- 100-97-0
Other names
- 1,3,5,7-Tetraazaadamantane
- 1,3,5,7-Tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]decane
- 1,3,5,7-Tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane
- Aceto HMT
- Aminoformaldehyde
- Ammoform
- Ammonioformaldehyde
- Antihydral
- Cystamin
- Cystogen
- Duirexol
- E 239
- Ekagom H
- Esametilentetramina
- Formamine
- Formin
- Formin (heterocycle)
- Formine
- Herax UTS
- Heterin
- Hexa (vulcanization accelerator)
- Hexa-Flo-Pulver
- Hexaform
- Hexamethylenamine
- HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE
- Hexamethyleneamine
- Hexamethylenetetraamine
- Hexamethylenetetramine
- Hexamethylenetetraminum
- Hexamethylentetramin
- Hexamethylentetraminum
- Hexamine
- Hexamine (heterocycle)
- Hexaminum
- Hexilmethylenamine
- HMTA
- INS NO.239
- INS-239
- J50OIX95QV
- Metenamina
- Methamin
- Methenamin
- Methenamine
- Methenamine, Silver
- methenaminum
- Nocceler H
- Preparation AF
- Resotropin
- S 4 (heterocycle)
- Sanceler H
- Silver, Hexamine
- Uramin
- Uratrine
- Urisol
- Uritone
- Urodeine
- Urotropin
- Urotropine
- Vulkacit H 30
- Xametrin
Systematic names
- 1,3,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1]-decane
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Sources for this page
- gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/hexamethylene-tetramine.json