General Oxidizer Safety Lab Safety Meeting August 27

General Oxidizer Safety Lab Safety Meeting August 27 th, 2010 1

What are oxidizers? • Defined as: – Chemicals capable of evolving oxygen at room temperature or with slight heating. – Chemicals capable of receiving electrons from a substance being oxidized MAIN HAZARD: COMBUSTION PROMOTING AGENTS! GENERALLY CORROSIVE! • 4 classes: – Class 1: Causes slight increase in burning rate, no spontaneous ignition – Class 2: Moderate increase in burning rate or may cause spontaneous ignition of combustible material it comes into contact with – Class 3: Severe increase in burning rate. Undergoes vigorous burning when contaminated or or exposed to heat – Class 4: Undergoes explosive reaction when contaminated, or exposed to heat, physical shock, or friction. Spontaneous ignition of combustibles 2

Typical Oxidizers Class 1 • All Inorganic nitrates (unless otherwise classified) • All Inorganic nitrites (unless otherwise classified) • Ammonium persulfate • Barium peroxide • Calcium peroxide • Hydrogen peroxide solutions (greater than 8% up to 27. 5%) • Lead dioxide Lithium hypochlorite (39% or less available chlorine) • Lithium peroxide • Magnesium peroxide • Manganese dioxide • Nitric acid (40% concentration or less) • Perchloric acid solutions (less than 50% by weight) • Potassium dichromate • Potassium percarbonate • Potassium persulfate • Sodium carbonate peroxide • Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate • Sodium dichromate • Sodium perborate (anhydrous) • Sodium perborate monohydrate • Sodium perborate tetrahydrate • Sodium percarbonate • Sodium persulfate • Strontium perioside • Zinc peroxide Class 2 • Barium bromate • Barium chlorate • Barium hypochlorite • Barium perchlorate • Barium permanganate • 1 -Bromo-3 -chloro-5, 5 -dimethylhydantoin • Calcium chlorate • Calcium chlorite • Calcium hypochlorite (50% or less by weight) • Calcium perchlorate • Calcium permanganate • Chromium trioxide (Chromic acid) • Copper chlorate • Halane (1, 3 -Dichloro-5, 5 -dimethylhydantoin) • Hydrogen peroxide (greater than 27. 5% up to 52% percent) • Lead perchlorate • Lithium hypochlorite (more than 39% available chlorine) • Lithium perchlorate • Magnesium bromate • Magnesium chlorate • Magnesium perchlorate • Mercurous chlorate • Nitric acid (more than 40% but less than 86%) • Perchloric acid solutions (more than 50% but less 60%) • Potassium perchlorate • Potassium permanganate • Silver peroxide • Sodium chlorite (40% or less by weight) • Sodium perchlorate monohydrate • Sodium permanganate • Sodium peroxide • Strontium chlorate • Strontium peroxide • Thallium chlorate • Trichloro-s-triazinetrione (Trichloroisocyanuric acid) • Urea hydrogen peroxide • Zinc bromate • Zinc chlorate • Zinc permanganate Class 3 • Ammonium dichromate • Calcium hypochlorite (over 50% by weight) • Chloric acid (10% maximum concentration) • Hydrogen peroxide solutions (greater than 52% up to 91%) • Mono-(trichloro)-tetra-(monopotassium dichloro)-penta-striazinetrione) • Nitric acid, fuming (more than 86% concentration) • Perchloric acid solutions (60% to 72% by weight) • Potassium bromate • Potassium chlorate • Potassium dichloro-s-triazinetrione (Potassiumdichloroiso-cyanurate ) • Sodium bromate • Sodium chlorite (over 40% by weight) • Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione (sodium dichloroisocyanurate) Class 4 • Ammonium perchlorate (particle size greater than 15 microns) • Ammonium permanganate • Guanidine nitrate • Hydrogen peroxide solutions (greater than 91%) • Tetranitromethane 3

Safety Measures • Recommended PPE: safety goggles/face shield, gloves, lab coats • No open toed shoes! • If reaction is potentially explosive, or if you’re not sure, work in a fume hood • Store in a cool, dry place isolated from organic or combustible materials and strong reducing agents such as zinc, alkaline metals, and formic acid • Strong oxidizing agents such as perchloric acid should be stored in a separate secondary container • Unbreakable secondary containment (i. e. PVC) is critical for transportation • Don’t forget to consult MSDS! 4

Unexpected Direct Exposure! • If an acid is splashed onto bare skin rinse for 15 -20 minutes • If splashed in eyes, irrigate with eye wash station for 15 -20 minutes • If splashed onto clothing, remove immediately (don’t be modest) and rinse off skin areas that might have been exposed • Don’t forget to consider the safety showers • Seek help: – Fires/Accidents dial 911 (from a cell phone: 574 -631 -5555) – Spills dial 1 -5037 (Risk Management and Safety) – After hour spills dial 911 5

Sources • http: //safety. science. tamu. edu/oxidizers. html • http: //safety. dri. edu/Lab. Safety/CHP_generic_ox. pdf • http: //www. greatamericaninsurance. com/docs/lp_data_guides/F 13669. p df • http: //www. flinnsci. com/Sections/Safety/chemical. Safety/L 10401041_HS_LAB_SAFETY_ART. pdf • http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Corrosive_substance 6