1.3.4 Searching in SPIN – using names and chemical numbers

1.3.4      Searching in SPIN – using names and chemical numbers

As earlier described in “1.3.1 Searching in SPIN”, a search based on full or partial chemical names can be quite an efficient way to find specific and/or related groups of substances. If however, you already know the CAS-No. of the specific substance of your interest, the most efficient way of finding the substance record is to use the CAS-No. as the search criteria.

If instead, you know the EC-No. or the Index No., you could use one of these instead. The CAS- and EC-No.’s are accessible for searching within the “Main info” and the “Reference” tabs, while the Index-No. is only accessible within the tab called “Technical”. Please note, that SPIN makes no distinction between chemical numbers written with or without a hyphen, “-“.

In the internet version of SPIN the CAS- and EC-No.’s can be searched numerically. This makes it possible to use the information within the EC-No. when you are searching. If for instance you would like to see all the EINECS-substances registered in SPIN, you simply search for “less than 400*”, where the “*” is used as a wildcard allowing the numbers written after “400” to vary freely. For more information about EINECS please refer to “1.6.1 On-line help – Main Info”.