Pyrophoric Chemicals Fact Sheet

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Pyrophoric chemicals are liquids and solids that have the potential to spontaneously ignite in air at temperatures near 130oF (54oC). They are extremely rea tive to oxygen and moisture! so pre autions must al"ays #e ta$en to prevent their exposure to air. These hemi als are o%ten sold and stored in %lamma#le solvents! su h as ethyl ether! tetrahydro%uran(T&F)! or pentanes! exa er#ating the dangers. 'henever possi#le! pur hase hemi als that are stored in heptane! sin e it is less ha(ardous than the other solvents. There are numerous pyrophori hemi als that are %requently used in s ienti%i resear h la#oratories. )elo" is a list o% some general examples* +rignard reagents! ,-g. -etal al$yls and aryls! su h as ,/i! ,0a! ,31l! ,23n -etal ar#onyls su h as 0i(C4)4! Fe(C4)5! Co2(C4)5 1l$ali metals su h as 0a! 6 -etal po"ders! su h as 1l! Co! Fe! -g! -n! 7d! 7t! Ti! 8n! 3n! 3r -etal hydrides su h as 0a&! /i1l&4 0onmetal hydrides! su h as )2&9 and other #oranes! 7&3! 1s&3 0onmetal al$yls! su h as ,3)! ,37! ,31s 7hosphorus ("hite)

HEALTH HAZARDS / TOXICITY Eyes: Can ause severe #urns to the eyes. Skin: Can ause severe #urns to the s$in. Ingestion: -ay ause severe and permanent damage to the digestive tra t. Can ause severe #urns to the gastrointestinal tra t. -ay ause entral nervous system depression. Inhalation: Causes hemi al #urns to the respiratory tra t. :xposure produ es entral nervous system depression. -ay ause dro"siness! un ons iousness! and entral nervous system depression. ;apors may ause di((iness or su%%o ation. Chronic: ,epeated exposure an ause nervous system a#normalities "ith mus le "ea$ness and damage! motor in oordination! and sensation distur#an es. EXPOSURE LIMITS 8ee hemi al spe i%i -8<8. SAFE HANDLING AND STORAGE Compatibility with other chemicals/materials 7yrophori hemi als must #e used and stored a"ay %rom all other %lamma#le and om#usti#le
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materials su h as paper! #en h liners! and solvents. General Storage information 7yrophori hemi al ontainers usually ome %rom the manu%a turer "ith se ondary ontainment in metal ans. 6eep the manu%a turer=s an %or storage o% the hemi als "hen not in use! and %or disposal o% the ontainers a%ter ompletion o% the experiment. 7yrophori liquids! or ompounds dissolved in a liquid! must #e stored in ontainers that are sealed "ith 7TF:>lined septa to prevent exposures to the air. -inimi(e stored quantities o% pyrophori hemi als! pre%era#ly to the minimum ne essary to ondu t your experiments. 8tore these ompounds at no more than room temperature and a"ay %rom heat sour es. 'henever possi#le! store all %orms o% pyrophori s under inert atmosphere. Safe Use of Pyrophoric Chemicals Engineering Controls /a#oratories that use pyrophori hemi als must #e equipped "ith an emergen y eye"ash station! an emergen y sho"er! and a lass C %ire extinguisher. Solid pyrophoric ompounds must #e handled in an inert atmosphere glove #ox. ?ou an also pur hase inexpensive inert atmosphere glove #ags i% you do not have a ess to a glove #ox (http*@@""".sigmaaldri h. om@la#"are@produ ts@aldri h>atmos#ag.html). Li !id pyrophorics are #est handled in an inert atmosphere glove #ox. A% you do not have a ess to a glove #ox! "or$ "ith pyrophori liquids must #e ondu ted using a annula or syringe trans%er to prevent exposure to air. These pro edures must #e done in a hemi al %ume hood. An addition! the "or$ must #e ondu ted using a spill tray "ith the sash pulled do"n as lo" as possi#le. 0eedles must have lo $ing me hanisms to prevent a idental dis onne tion and release o% pyrophori liquids. -ineral oil #u##lers must #e used at all times in order to release ex ess pressure %rom the rea tion vessels. 1 #last shield an ma$e provide an ex ellent prote tion #arrier! i% availa#le. For additional in%ormation on the sa%e handling o% pyrophoric li !ids! please "at h the sa%ety movie %rom the Bniversity o% Cali%ornia /as 1ngeles (BC/1). 6eep in mind! some spe i%i details su h as "hat volumes are permissi#le "ill depend on "hat department you "or$ %or! and the spe i%i engineering ontrols you have in pla e. 7lease vie" the video as a general sa%ety tool! and #e sure to get more spe i%i in%ormation %rom your supervisor. /in$ to movie* http*@@""".youtu#e. om@"at hCvD,a-."0)1#x "dministrati#e Controls ,esear hers that use pyrophori hemi als must have /a#oratory 8a%ety Training through the <epartment o% :nvironmental &ealth and 8a%ety (<:&8) prior to #eginning "or$. (http*@@""".dehs.umn.edu@trainingEne"la#sa%ety.htm) ,esear hers must revie" standard operating pro edures (847s) and -8<8 prior to #eginning "or$ in the la#oratory. An addition! pro edure>spe i%i training must #e given #y a quali%ied! experien ed supervisor. <:&8 re ommends that ne" resear hers pra ti e te hniques "ith non>ha(ardous hemi als prior to "or$ing "ith the Freal thing.G 0e" resear hers must #e supervised the %irst %e" times they ondu t any "or$ "ith pyrophori hemi als. 7yrophori hemi als are 04T to #e used "ithout at least 2 people present in the
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la#oratory! in ase o% an a ident or emergen y. 7yrophori hemi als must 04T #e used outside o% normal #usiness hours. Personal Protecti#e E !ipment $PPE% 0itrile gloves! sa%ety goggles! and a prote tive la# oat must #e "orn at all times "hen "or$ing "ith pyrophori hemi als. &ighly %lamma#le syntheti lothing is to #e avoided! as "ell as loose lothing. 1l"ays "ear long pants and losed>toe shoes. /ong hair should #e tied #a $ to prevent ignition in the event o% a %lash %ire. Fully en losed sa%ety goggles or a %a e shield are pre%erred! i% availa#le! as they o%%er greater %a ial prote tion than sa%ety goggles. 7res ription eyeglasses are 04T a su%%i ient prote tion #arrier %or pyrophori hemi als. EMERGENCY AND SPILL INFORMATION Emergency Information: Eyes: Flush eyes at the emergen y eye"ash station %or 30 minutes. 8ee$ medi al attention immediately. Skin: ,emove any ontaminated lothing! in ase o% %lash %ire. ,inse s$in "ith opious amounts o% "ater %or at least 15 minutes. A% larger areas o% s$in are a%%e ted! rinse under the emergen y sa%ety sho"er %or at least 15 minutes. A% you experien e any #urning or irritation therea%ter! see$ medi al attention. Ingestion: <o 04T indu e vomiting. 8ee$ medi al attention immediately. Inhalation: ,emove vi tim %rom exposure area to %resh air immediately. A% not #reathing! give arti%i ial respiration. A% #reathing is di%%i ult! give oxygen. <o 04T use mouth>to>mouth resus itation. 8ee$ immediate medi al attention or Call H11 i% not #reathing. Spill Information: Large Spills Bse extreme aution due to potential %or spontaneous ignition. A% anyone is exposed or on %ire! rinse "ith opious amounts o% "ater under the emergen y sho"er. Call H11 and eva uate the spill area. <o 04T attempt to lean up the spill yoursel%. Cordon>o%% the spill area "ith tape and $eep other people %rom entering. A% possi#le! provide emergen y responders "ith te hni al in%ormation on the hemi als involved. Conta t <:&8 immediately at (912) 929> 9002. Small Spills Bse extreme aution due to potential %or spontaneous ignition. A% anyone is exposed! or on %ire! rinse "ith opious amounts o% "ater! or utili(e the emergen y sa%ety sho"er. An the event o% a %lash %ire! dial H11. A% no#ody is inIured and nothing has ignited! %irst a ess a lass C %ire extinguisher and pla e it near#y the spill area prior to pro eeding. Then! are%ully remove any %lamma#le materials that are near the spill area. Completely over the spill "ith po"dered lime ( al ium oxide! Ca4) or dry sand. 0ext! quen h the spill #y slo"ly adding isopropanol to the area. 1%ter quen hing is ompleted! dou#le #ag spill residues and mani%est through the Bniversity=s ha(ardous "aste program. Call <:&8 at (912) 929>9002 %or assistan e.

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CHEMICAL WASTE AND CLEAN-UP PROCEDURES &!enching of Pyrophoric 'esid!e 8mall amounts o% unused pyrophori s must #e destroyed #y quen hing o% the residue. The #asi pro edure %or quen hing is as %ollo"s* Trans%er the residue to a rea tion %las$ %or neutrali(ation. <ilute "ith opious amounts o% a less ha(ardous solvent su h as heptane or toluene. 7la e the %las$ in an i e #ath! and slo"ly add isopropanol to quen h pyrophori residue. 0ext! slo"ly add methanol as a more rea tive quen hing agent to ensure ompletion. Finally! add "ater drop>"ise to ensure that there are no po $ets o% rea tive materials le%t. <ispose o% as ha(ardous "aste through the Bniversity=s &a(ardous 'aste 7rogram (912) 924>1904. <o not leave ontainers "ith residues o% pyrophori materials open to the air! #e ause this is a possi#le %lash %ire ha(ard. (isposal of Pyrophoric Solids thro!gh the )a*ardo!s +aste Program /arger quantities o% pyrophori solid hemi als an #e disposed o% as ha(ardous "aste. Care%ully pa $age and la#el the "astes! a ording the Bniversity=s ha(ardous "aste guidelines (http*@@""".dehs.umn.edu@ha("asteE hem"asteEumnE "mg#$Ese 2.htm). Conta t <:&8 at (912) 924>1904 and spe i%i ally state that you have pyrophori ha(ardous "aste that needs removal. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For general in%ormation regarding the sa%e use o% pyrophori hemi als! please onta t <:&8 at (912) 929>9002. A% you have any on erns regarding the sta#ility or testing o% a hemi al! onta t the &a(ardous 'aste 7rogram at (912) 924>1904.

REFERENCES http*@@""".ehs.u s#.edu@units@la#s%ty@la#rs @%a tsheets@4rganolithiumEF834.pd% http*@@pharma y.osu.edu@sa%ety@pd%@ hemhygieneEsopEpyrophori .pd% http*@@ehs.unl.edu@sop@s>pyrophori E hemi als.pd% http*@@ehs. olum#ia.edu@pyrophori s.pd% http*@@""".youtu#e. om@"at hCvD,a-."0)1#x http*@@""". hemistry.u la.edu@%ile>storage@pu#li vie"@pd%s@7ro edures8a%e8olids.pd%

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