Properties flammability data

Physical property data on the process chemicals are necessary. This information includes such items as melting point, boiling point, vapor pressure, water solubility, flammability data, and odor threshold, to name a few. 

The assessment of the contribution of a product lo die fire severity and (he resulting hazard to people and property combines appropriate product flammability data, descriptions of the building and occupants, and computer software that includes the dynamics and chemistry of fires. 

DIPPR Project 911 compiles and evaluates data for environmental and health purposes. This includes data on flammability, toxicity, biological oxygen demand, and related properties, and data for air/water and octanol/water partitioning. A discontinued project compiled several volumes of data for transport properties of mixtures [65]. Information about the DIPPR, including other projects relevant to physical and chemical properties, may be found at http //www.aiche.org/dippr/. 

Flammability data of Torlon 4203L PROPERTY UNFTS... 

For the manufacture of vinyl chloride, assemble a preliminary database. This should include thermophysical property data, MSDSs for each chemical giving toxicity and flammability data, and the current prices of the chemicals. 

The content of the five tables includes general data (Table A I-l), physical properties (Table A 1-2), environmental properties/rankings/exposure limits (Table A 1-3), flammability data (Table A 1-4), and solubility/solvency data (Table A 1-5). 

In most cases, the laminator will provide results for these tests routinely. In the case of new materials for which the laminator has not supphed any flammability data, it may be a good idea to check this property. This does not require an elaborate test setup, and you can get a first indication by igniting a sample specimen under an exhaust hood using a hghter. 

Tables 16 and 17 Hst tke analytical test methods for different properties of interest. The Manufacturing Chemists Association, Inc. (MCA) has pubUshed the Chemical Safety Data Sheet SD 63, which describes in detail procedures for safe handling of use of toluene (46). The Interstate Commerce Commission classifies toluene as a flammable Hquid. Accordingly, it must be packaged in authorized containers, and shipping must comply with ICC regulations. Properties related to safe handling are autoignition temperature, 536°C explosive limits, 1.27—7.0 vol % in air and flash point 4.4°C, closed cup.

An overview of some basic mathematical techniques for data correlation is to be found herein together with background on several types of physical property correlating techniques and a road map for the use of selected methods. Methods are presented for the correlation of observed experimental data to physical properties such as critical properties, normal boiling point, molar volume, vapor pressure, heats of vaporization and fusion, heat capacity, surface tension, viscosity, thermal conductivity, acentric factor, flammability limits, enthalpy of formation, Gibbs energy, entropy, activity coefficients, Henry s constant, octanol—water partition coefficients, diffusion coefficients, virial coefficients, chemical reactivity, and toxicological parameters. 

Fundamental, laminar, and turbulent burning velocities describe three modes of flame propagation (see the Glossary for definitions). The fundamental burning velocity, S, is as its name implies, a fundamental property of a flammable mixture, and is a measure of how fast reactants are consumed and transformed into products of combustion. Fundamental burning velocity data for selected gases and vapors are listed in Appendix C of NFPA68 (1998). 

Laminar flame speed is one of the fundamental properties characterizing the global combustion rate of a fuel/ oxidizer mixture. Therefore, it frequently serves as the reference quantity in the study of the phenomena involving premixed flames, such as flammability limits, flame stabilization, blowoff, blowout, extinction, and turbulent combustion. Furthermore, it contains the information on the reaction mechanism in the high-temperature regime, in the presence of diffusive transport. Hence, at the global level, laminar flame-speed data have been widely used to validate a proposed chemical reaction mechanism. 

However, to focus attention on the potential hazards always associated with the use of flammable and especially highly flammable substances, some 560 gases and liquids with flash points below 25°C and/or autoignition temperature below 225°C have been included in the text, their names prefixed with a dagger. The numerical values of the fire hazard-related properties of flashpoint, autoignition temperature and explosive (flammability) limits in air where known are given in the Five Data Table. Those elements or compounds which ignite on exposure to air are included in the text, but not in the Table. 

The toxic properties of chemicals can be found in a reference such as Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference (Sax and Lewis 1987), which lists a number of chemicals alphabetically by name. For instance, n-butane is classified (by the Department of Transportation) as a flammable gas, is moderately toxic via inhalation, causes drowsiness, is an asphyxiant, poses very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat, flame, or oxidizers, and is highly explosive when exposed to flame. Information about safety and environment is also provided and updated by websites maintained by government agencies, such as the U.S. EPA, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Safety Data Sheet. 

To start, one must decide whether the substance itself is benign or whether it poses a hazard in the form of toxicity, accident potential, ecosystem destruction, or other form. Hazard can be evaluated in terms for which there is extensive data on properties ranging from dose response to flammability to ozone-depleting potential. In the absence of empirical data, there is a wide range of structure-activity relationship models which can give reasonable approximations for the properties in question. 

Table 2 lists some of the physical, toxicity, flammability, and reactivity properties of common chemicals (10,13,42,45—51). Also given are some of the quantities specified for reporting spills and for compliance with legislated requirements. The OSHA regulations require that material safety data sheets (MSDS) be developed for all process materials, so that the hazard data can be communicated to employees (52). Characteristics of toxicity, flammability, chemical instability, reactivity and reaction energy, operating conditions, and corrosive properties of construction materials must all be considered in analyzing hazard potentials of chemicals and chemical operations. 

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