Material hazards sulfuric acid

Hazard Dangerous fire and explosion risk in contact with organic materials and sulfuric acid. 

Hazard code Larger letter size indicates greater hazard. For example, high hazard materials (R) include phosgene, carbon disulfide, ethylene oxide, etc. Moderate hazard materials (E) include toluene, sulfuric acid, etc. Low hazard materials (J) include soda ash, alum, etc. 

Hazards. K permanganate is a powerful oxidizing agent. It can expld in contact with organic materials, especially ale, ether, glycerin arid combustible gases or with sulfuric acid... 

Safety in transport and storage. Liquid-stabilized S03, 65% oleum, 20% oleum, 98% sulfuric acid, and chlorosulfonic acid are hazardous chemicals in transport, handling, and storage. Sulfur in liquid or solid form is a far less hazardous starting material for the production of S03. 

Corrosive wastes are acidic or alkaline (basic) wastes which can readily corrode or dissolve flesh, metal, or other materials. They are also among the most common hazardous wastestreams. Waste sulfuric acid from automotive batteries is an example of a corrosive waste. U.S. EPA uses two criteria to identify corrosive hazardous wastes. The first is a pH test. Aqueous wastes with a pH greater than or equal to 12.5, or less than or equal to 2 are corrosive under U.S. EPA s rules. A waste may also be corrosive if it has the ability to corrode steel in a specific U.S. EPA-approved test protocol. 

Precautions are necessary to prevent explosions when using the mixed acids to oxidise organic materials for subsequent analysis. The sulfuric acid probably tends to dehydrate the 70% perchloric acid to produce the hazardous anhydrous acid. See Nitric acid, etc., above... 

The powdered oxidant functions as an explosive when mixed with finely divided metals, organic materials or sulfur, which increase the shock-sensitivity up to that of picric acid [1]. The hazardous properties of such mixtures increase as the particle size of the oxidant salt decreases [2],... 

Finely powdered pyrites, especially in presence of moisture, will rapidly heat spontaneously and ignite, particularly in contact with combustible materials [1]. Inert gas blanketing will prevent this [2], Precautions to reduce the self-ignition hazards of powdered pyrites, and the explosion hazards of pyrites-air mixtures in the furnaces of sulfuric acid plants have been detailed and discussed [3], Further studies on minimum moisture content of Portuguese pyrites for safe transportation and storage are reported [4],... 

Organic materials, Sulfuric acid Analytical Methods Committee, Analyst, 1976, 101, 62-66 Advantages and potential hazards in the use of mixtures of 50% hydrogen peroxide solution and cone, sulfuric acid to destroy various types of organic materials prior to analysis are discussed in detail. The method is appreciably safer than those using perchloric and/or nitric acids, but the use of an adequate proportion of sulfuric acid with a minimum of peroxide is necessary to avoid the risk of explosive decomposition. The method is not suitable for use in pressure-digestion vessels (PTFE lined steel bombs), in which an explosion occurred at 80° C. 

Emergency response, to hazardous materials incidents, 25 343 Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs), for sulfuric acid, 23 795 values in, 13 156 Emery, dental abrasive, 8 339 Emetine, 2 74, 100 (—)-Emetine, 2 84, 85 Emission, from OLEDs, 22 215, 218-219. See also Emissions... 

Determining the potential for dangerous interactions is not always easy. Take concentrated sulfuric acid as an example. By itself, it is very stable unless heated to high temperatures. It is nonflammable, and has a fairly low vapor pressure. However, mix it with water, or worse, a caustic solution, and it can rupture a tank in seconds. The key to evaluating the reactive hazard in this example is to first identify that both concentrated sulfuric acid and caustic are present. Then, safeguards can be put in place to ensure the two materials do not come into uncontrolled contact. 

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