Material Safety Data Sheet Potassium nitrite ACC# 19480 Section 1 - Chemical Product and Company Identification MSDS Name: Potassium nitrite Catalog Numbers: AC222700000, AC222700010, AC222702500, AC423060000, AC423060050, AC423065000, P267-250, P267-500 Synonyms: Nitrous acid, potassium salt. Company Identification: Fisher Scientific 1 Reagent Lane Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 For information, call: 201-796-7100 Emergency Number: 201-796-7100 For CHEMTREC assistance, call: 800-424-9300 For International CHEMTREC assistance, call: 703-527-3887 Section 2 - Composition, Information on Ingredients CAS# Chemical Name Percent EINECS/ELINCS 7758-09-0 Potassium nitrite 96+ 231-832-4 Section 3 - Hazards Identification EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance: white to pale yellow crystals. Danger! Toxic if swallowed. Strong oxidizer. Contact with other material may cause a fire. Very toxic to aquatic organisms. Target Organs: Blood, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, eyes, ears. Potential Health Effects Eye: Causes eye irritation. Causes redness and pain. Skin: Causes skin irritation. Causes redness and pain. May be harmful if absorbed through the skin. Ingestion: Poison by ingestion. May cause headache. May cause nausea and vomiting. Overexposure may cause methemoglobinemia. Ingestion may cause a decrease in bloodpressure, rapid pulse and visual disturbances. Inhalation: Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause effects similar to those described for ingestion. Chronic: Absorption into the body leads to the formation of methemoglobin which in sufficient concentrations causes cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood). Section 4 - First Aid Measures Eyes: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting the upper and lower eyelids. Get medical aid imme diately. Skin: Get medical aid immediately. Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. Get medical aid immediately. Call a poison control center. Inhalation: Get medical aid immediately. Remove from exposure and move to fresh air immediately. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Do NOT use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If breathing has ceased apply artificial respiration using oxygen and a suitable mechanical device such as a bag and a mask. Notes to Physician: Treat symptomatically and supportively. Section 5 - Fire Fighting Measures General Information: As in any fire, wear a self-contained breathing apparatus in pressure-demand, MSHA/NIOSH (approved or equivalent), and full protective gear. Strong oxidizer. Contact with other material may cause fire. Containers may explode in the heat of a fire. This material in sufficient quantity and reduced particle size is capable of creating a dust explosion. Extinguishing Media: Use water spray, dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or chemical foam. Use flooding quantities of water as spray. Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out. Flash Point: Not applicable. Autoignition Temperature: 510 deg C ( 950.00 deg F) Explosion Limits, Lower:Not available. Upper: Not available. NFPA Rating: (estimated) Health: 2; Flammability: 1; Instability: 3; Special Hazard: OX Section 6 - Accidental Release Measures General Information: Use proper personal protective equipment as indicated in Section 8. Spills/Leaks: Vacuum or sweep up material and place into a suitable disposal container.Clean up spills immediately, observing precautions in the Protective Equipment section. Avoid generating dusty conditions. Flush spill area with water. Do not use combustible materials such as paper towels to clean up spill. Section 7 - Handling and Storage Handling: Use with adequate ventilation. Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Do not get on skin or in eyes. Use only in a chemical fume hood. Keep from contact with clothing and other combustible materials. Do not breathe dust. Storage: Do not store near combustible materials. Store in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from incompatible substances. Store protected from moisture. Section 8 - Exposure Controls, Personal Protection Engineering Controls: Facilities storing or utilizing this material should be equipped with an eyewash facility and a safety shower. Use only under a chemical fume hood. Exposure Limits Chemical Name ACGIH NIOSH OSHA - Final PELs Potassium nitrite none listed none listed none listed OSHA Vacated PELs: Potassium nitrite: No OSHA Vacated PELs are listed for this chemical. Personal Protective Equipment Eyes: Wear appropriate protective eyeglasses or chemical safety goggles as described by OSHA's eye and face protection regulations in 29 CFR 1910.133 or European Standard EN166. Skin: Wear appropriate gloves to prevent skin exposure. Clothing: Wear appropriate protective clothing to minimize contact with skin. Respirators: Follow the OSHA respirator regulations found in 29 CFR 1910.134 or European Standard EN 149. Use a NIOSH/MSHA or European Standard EN 149 approved respirator if exposure limits are exceeded or if irritation or other symptoms are experienced. Section 9 - Physical and Chemical Properties Physical State: Crystals Appearance: white to pale yellow Odor: odorless pH: 7-10 (5% aq.sol.)Vapor Pressure: Not applicable. Vapor Density: Not available. Evaporation Rate:Not applicable. Viscosity: Not applicable. Boiling Point: Not applicable. Freezing/Melting Point:387 deg C Decomposition Temperature:> 350 deg C Solubility: 3000 g/l water (20°C) Specific Gravity/Density:1.9150 Molecular Formula:KNO2 Molecular Weight:85.10 Section 10 - Stability and Reactivity Chemical Stability: Hygroscopic: absorbs moisture or water from the air. Conditions to Avoid: Incompatible materials, excess heat, combustible materials, organic materials, exposure to moist air or water, temperatures above 300°C. Incompatibilities with Other Materials: Acids, aluminum, amines, chlorates, finely powdered metals, hydrazine, permanganates, boron, amides, hypophosphites, sulfites, carbon, ammonium salts, iodides, mercury salts, cyanides. Hazardous Decomposition Products: Nitrogen oxides. Hazardous Polymerization: Has not been reported. Section 11 - Toxicological Information RTECS#: CAS#