HazMat - Chemical and Physical Properties

Vapor pressure

-A measure of the ability of a material to change from a liquid state to a vapor or gas - The higher the VP the faster it will evaporate -Solids don't have VP, all Gases have VP -760 < its a Gas, 760 > its a Liquid Examples -Water (Evap at 18-25 mm/Hg) -Acetone ( Evap at 180 mm/Hg) Increase in surface area = increases rate of evaporation

Reactivity

-Ability to undergo a chemical reaction -Reactive materials can explode, combust, or spontaneously ignite when mixed with another substance

Molecular Weight (MW)

-Another way to determine vapor density -Compare gas to air -MW for air is 29 -MW more than 29 = SINK -MW less than 29 = RISE

Oxidizers

-Anything that gives off Oxygen -Oxygen feeds fire = very little smoke -Makes fire hotter & faster

Condensation

-Change from a gas to liquid

Polymerization (P)

-Chemical reaction where small molecules monomers combine to form larger ones called polymers -Can cause an explosion inside a space or vessel -Products likely to polymerize are indicated in a the ERG with a "P" following the guide number

Difference between Evaporation vs Boiling

-Evaporation is a SURFACE phenomenon -As surface area increases, evaporation rate increases -Boiling is a BULK process -Boiling point molecules anywhere in the liquid can be vaporized (Vapor Bubbles)

Cryogenic

-Have very low temperatures (below -130F) -May cause frostbite on contact Stored in Dewars

Solubility (Sol)

-How well a substance plays with water -Very important for Decontamination -Also called Miscible

Pyrophoric

-Means a chemical that will ignite spontaneously in air at a temperature of 130 degrees F (54.4 degrees C) or below

Ignition Temperature

-Minimum temperature to which a substance must be heated before it will spontaneously burn independently of the source of heat

Units used to measure concentration of gases and vapors in the air

-Percent % -Parts per million PPM -Parts per billion PPB

Specific Gravity (Sp.Gr)

-Physical property that tells us whether the substance will float or sink -Sp.Gr of water = 1.0 -SG greater than 1 = SINK in water -SG less than 1 = Float in water -Important when determining water vs foam ops

Inhibitors

-Substances added to monomers to prevent them from polymerizing

Melting point (MLT)

-Temp at which a solid becomes a liquid

Freezing Point (FRZ)

-Temperature at which a substance turns from a liquid to a solid -When a liquid is frozen to solid it stops giving off vapors

Water solubility

-The ability of a substance to form a solution with water -If a liquid is not miscible it will form a separate layer -Measured in %, 10% or more will come off with water Example Gasoline is not water soluble, and is therefore immiscible

Standard Temperature & Pressure

-The conditions under which the volume of a gas is usually measured -68 degrees F & 14.7 PSI

Flash point (Fl.P)

-The lowest temperature at which the vapor of a combustible liquid can be ignited in air

Atmospheric Pressure

-The pressure at any point in the Earth's atmosphere -1 ATM = 760 mmHg = 14.7 PSI @ sea level -With increasing altitude the atmospheric pressure decreases

Fire point

-The temp at which enough vapors are given off to support continuous burning -Usually 10-30 degrees higher than the flash point

Ambient Conditions

-The temperature of the surroundings at which the device is expected to operate -Usual or surrounding conditions of temperature, humidity, etc.

Concentration

-amount of acid or base compared to water -How much of one material there is in relation to another -One part per million= 1/1,000,000

Vapor density

-weight of a vapor compared to air -Property that tells whether a Gas or Vapor will rise or sink -VD of Air = 1.0 -VD Greater than 1.0 SINK -VD less than 1.0 RISE -In NIOSH VD = RGasD

Threshold limit value time weighted average (TLV-TWA)

ACGIH term for the maximum concentration averaged over 8 hours, to which healthy adults can be repeatedly exposed 8hrs/day, 40hrs/ week

BLEVE

Boiling, Liquid, Expanding, Vapor, Explosion -Sealed container of liquid is exposed to fire -Vapor is generated and increases internal pressure -Container fails in vapor area of tank

Corrosivity

CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN IONS IN THE MATERIAL BEING TESTED. ABILITY TO DESTROY MATERIAL

Irritant Detection Devices

Colormetric tubes, Ion-mobility spectrometry

Flammable Range

Difference between upper and lower flammable limits

Vesicant Detection Devices

Enzyme tickets (M256 Kit), colormetric tubes, M18A2 Chemical detection kit, ICAM, detection paper, infrared spectrometry, Ion-mobility spectrometry

Nerve agent Detection Devices

Enzyme tickets (M256 Kit), photo-ionization, colormetric tubes, M18A2 Chemical detection kit, ICAM, detection paper, infrared spectrometry, Ion-mobility spectrometry

Biological Agent Detection Devices

Hand Held Assays, Infrared Spectrometry (only the presence)

When temperature increases what happens to the vapor pressure?

It also increases

If a chemical doesn't have a RGasD value than what can you assume it is?

It's a Liquid

LEL / UEL

Lower Explosive Limit -Lower limit of flammability of a gas or vapor at ambient temperature Upper Explosive Limit -Highest concentration of a substance that will burn when an ignition source is present -Measured in % of gas vapor in air

Permissible exposure limits (PEL)

OSHA term for the maximum concentration averaged over 8 hours, to which 95% of healthy adults can be exposed 8hrs/day, 40hrs/ week

Alpha

Positively charged particle emitted by some radioactive materials and is most dangerous if ingested

Identifying unknown solid and liquid materials

Radioactivity, combustibility, oxygen availability, pH, Hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, organic vapors (VOC)

Half-Life

Rate of decay of radioactive material

RGasD

Relative Gas Density

Catalyst

Speeds or slows a chemical reaction

pH

a solution's hydrogen ionization concentration as related to acidity or alkalinity

Radioactivity

ability of a material to emit radioactive energy

Expansion ratio

amount of gas produced by liquid at a given temp

Lethal Concentration (LC50)

amount of material in the air that causes death to fifty percent of test animals exposed to it by inhalation

Dose

amount of material the body is exposed over a specific time

Irritants

cause respiratory distress

Chemical Interactions

caused when two or more chemicals, or the chemical and the container are incompatible

Lethal Dose (LD50)

causes death to fifty percent of test animals exposed to it by any route other than inhalation

Volatility

determines how easily a liqiud flows, the property of changing readily from a solid or liquid to a vapor

Viscosity

determines how easily a liquid flows

Beta

emitted from radioactive materials and can cause damage to the skin tissue, and internal organs if ingested. Full protective clothing and SCBA can protect against this.

Gamma

emitted from radioactive materials causes skin burns, severely injure internal organs; PPE is inadequate in preventing this radiation from harming the body

Physical state

form of a material at ambient temperature (solid, liquid, gas)

Polar

having a pair of equal or opposite charges

Temperature of product

influences the hazards present and measures taken to control an incident involving that product

Sublimation

material that changes from solid to vapor without passing through liquid phase Examples -Moth balls -Dry Ice

Acid

material with a PH < 7

Caustic (Base)

material with a PH > 7

Air reactivity

materials that can ignite if exposed to air

Instability

materials that spontaneously decompose, polymerize, or self react

Threshold limit value short-term exposure limit (TLV-STEL)

maximum concentration averaged over 15 minute period, to which healthy adults can be safely exposed for up to 15 minutes continuously

Threshold limit value ceiling (TLV-C)

maximum concentration averaged to which healthy adults can be exposed without risk of injury

Immediately dangerous to life and health value (IDLH)

maximum level to which a healthy worker can be exposed for 30 minutes and escape without suffering irreversible health effects or impairment

parts per million/billion (ppm/ppb)

measures the degree of hazard and values used to establish exposure limits

Time, distance, and shielding

methods of protecting onself from radiation exposure

Solution

mixture where all ingredients are dissolved

Slurry

pourable mix of solids and liquids

Dose rate

radiation dose per unit of time

Three types of hydrocarbons

saturated, unsaturated, aromatic

Water reactivity

sensitivity of a material to water

Chemical reactivity

substance releases energy or undergoes change

Nerve agents

substances that interfere with the central nervous system

Vesicants

term for blister agents which are extremely toxic

Absorbed Dose

the amount of energy deposited per unit mass of absorbing material

Strength

the degree of ionization of an acid or base in water

Autoignition

the lowest temp at which a material must be raised before it will ignite

Boiling Point (BP)

the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas -The temperature at which the vapor pressure of that substance is equal to 760 mm/Hg

Chemical Reaction

when elements and compounds make new substances