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Chemical Datasheet

PHOSPHORIC ACID

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Chemical Identifiers | Hazards | Response Recommendations | Physical Properties | Regulatory Information | Alternate Chemical Names

Chemical Identifiers

UN/NA Number - The United Nations-North America number (also called UN number or DOT number). 4-digit number identifying an individual chemical or group of chemicals with similar characteristics. Required on shipping papers; often shown on placards or labels. This numbering system was developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and then became the UN standard system for classifying hazardous materials.

CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service registry number. Unique identification number assigned to this chemical by the American Chemical Society.

CHRIS Code - 3-letter code used by the U.S. Coast Guard to identify individual chemicals included in its CHRIS (Chemical Hazards Response Information System) manual.

DOT Hazard Label - U.S. Department of Transportation hazard warning label for the chemical (such as flammable liquid or corrosive). This label must be displayed on shipped packages, railroad tank cars, and tank trucks according to specifications described in 49 CFR 172.

NFPA 704 - Text description of the diamond-shaped placard, which contains codes indicating the level of the chemical's health, flammability, and reactivity hazards, along with special hazards such as water- and air-reactivity. (The NFPA 704 diamond is also shown at the top of the datasheet.) See a guide to the NFPA diamond.

General Description - Brief description of the chemical's general appearance, behavior, and hazardousness.

List of data sources.
UN/NA Number CAS Number CHRIS Code DOT Hazard Label
  • 7664-38-2
  • CORROSIVE
NFPA 704:
  • Red 0 -- Flammability: Will not burn
  • Blue 3 -- Health Hazard: Extremely hazardous - use full protection
  • Yellow 0 -- Reactivity: Normally stable
General Description
A clear colorless liquid or transparent crystalline solid. The pure solid melts at 42.35°C and has a density of 1.834 g / cm3. Liquid is usually an 85% aqueous solution. Shipped as both a solid and liquid. Corrosive to metals and tissue. Used in making fertilizers and detergents and in food processing.

Hazards

Reactivity Alerts - Special alerts if the chemical is especially reactive (see list of reactivity alerts).

Air & Water Reactions - Special alerts if the chemical reacts with air, water, or moisture.

Fire Hazard - Description of the chemical's fire hazards (such as flammability, explosion risk, or byproducts that may evolve if the chemical is burned).

Health Hazard - Description of the chemical's health hazards (such as toxicity, flammability, or corrosivity).

Reactivity Profile - Description of the chemical's potential reactivity with other chemicals, air, and water. Also includes any other intrinsic reactive hazards (such as polymerizable or peroxidizable).

Reactive Groups - List of reactive groups that the chemical is assigned to, based on its known chemistry. Reactive groups are categories of chemicals that react in similar ways because their chemical structures are similar. Reactive groups are used to predict reactivity when you add a chemical to MyChemicals. Read more about reactive groups.

List of data sources.
Reactivity Alerts
none
Air & Water Reactions
Soluble in water with small release of heat.
Fire Hazard
Non-combustible, substance itself does not burn but may decompose upon heating to produce corrosive and/or toxic fumes. Some are oxidizers and may ignite combustibles (wood, paper, oil, clothing, etc.). Contact with metals may evolve flammable hydrogen gas. Containers may explode when heated. (ERG, 2008)
Health Hazard
Burns on mouth and lips, sour acrid taste, severe gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, difficult swallowing, severe abdominal pains, thirst, acidemia, difficult breathing, convulsions, collapse, shock, death. (USCG, 1999)
Reactivity Profile
PHOSPHORIC ACID reacts exothermically with bases. May react with active metals, including such structural metals as aluminum and iron, to release hydrogen, a flammable gas. Can initiate the polymerization of certain classes of organic compounds. Reacts with cyanide compounds to release gaseous hydrogen cyanide. May generate flammable and/or toxic gases in contact with dithiocarbamates, isocyanates, mercaptans, nitrides, nitriles, sulfides, and strong reducing agents. Forms explosive mixture with nitromethane. Reacts violently with sodium tetrahydroborate. In the presence of chlorides can corrode stainless steel to form explosive hydrogen gas. Emits toxic and irritating fumes of oxides of phosphorus when heated to decomposition [Lewis, 3rd ed., 1993, p. 1029].
Belongs to the Following Reactive Group(s)

Response Recommendations

Firefighting - Response recommendations if the chemical is on fire (or near a fire).

Non-Fire Response - Response recommendations if the chemical isn't on fire (or near a fire).

Protective Clothing - Recommendations for protective gear and, in some cases, a table of breakthrough times for protective materials.

First Aid - Recommended first aid treatment for people exposed to the chemical.

List of data sources.
Firefighting
Solid streams of water may be ineffective. Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. (Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty.) Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible. (AAR, 2003)
Non-Fire Response
Keep material out of water sources and sewers. Build dikes to contain flow as necessary. Neutralize spilled material with crushed limestone, soda ash, or lime. Land Spill: Dig a pit, pond, lagoon, holding area to contain liquid or solid material. Dike surface flow using soil, sand bags, foamed polyurethane, or foamed concrete. Absorb bulk liquid with fly ash or cement powder. Neutralize with agricultural lime (CaO), crushed limestone (CaCO3) or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Water Spill: Neutralize with agricultural lime (CaO), crushed limestone (CaCO3), or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Adjust pH to neutral (pH=7). Use mechanical dredges or lifts to remove immobilized masses of pollutants and precipitates. (AAR, 2003)
Protective Clothing
Skin: Wear appropriate personal protective clothing to prevent skin contact.

Eyes: Wear appropriate eye protection to prevent eye contact.

Wash skin: The worker should immediately wash the skin when it becomes contaminated.

Remove: Work clothing that becomes wet or significantly contaminated should be removed and replaced.

Change: Workers whose clothing may have become contaminated should change into uncontaminated clothing before leaving the work premise.

Provide: Eyewash fountains should be provided (when concentration is >1.6%) in areas where there is any possibility that workers could be exposed to the substance; this is irrespective of the recommendation involving the wearing of eye protection. Facilities for quickly drenching the body should be provided (when concentration is >1.6%) within the immediate work area for emergency use where there is a possibility of exposure. [Note: It is intended that these facilities provide a sufficient quantity or flow of water to quickly remove the substance from any body areas likely to be exposed. The actual determination of what constitutes an adequate quick drench facility depends on the specific circumstances. In certain instances, a deluge shower should be readily available, whereas in others, the availability of water from a sink or hose could be considered adequate.] (NIOSH, 2003)
_____Dupont Average Standardized Breakthrough Times_____
(for PHOSPHORIC ACID)

Tychem® BR
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® CPE
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® CPF1
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® CPF2
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® CPF3
     15 min.  (concentration:  75%)
Tychem® F
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® LV
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® Responder®
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® Responder® CSM
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® SL
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® ThermoPro
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)
Tychem® TK
     greater than 480 min.  (concentration:  85%)  (DuPont, 2008)
Copyrighted information of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Tychem® is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
First Aid
Eye: If this chemical contacts the eyes, immediately wash the eyes with large amounts of water, occasionally lifting the lower and upper lids. Get medical attention immediately. Contact lenses should not be worn when working with this chemical.

Skin: If this chemical contacts the skin, immediately flush the contaminated skin with water. If this chemical penetrates the clothing, immediately remove the clothing and flush the skin with water. Get medical attention promptly.

Breathing: If a person breathes large amounts of this chemical, move the exposed person to fresh air at once. If breathing has stopped, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Keep the affected person warm and at rest. Get medical attention as soon as possible.

Swallow: If this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention immediately. (NIOSH, 2003)

Physical Properties

This section contains physical properties, flammability limits, and toxic thresholds for this chemical (see definitions of each property). More property data is available for common chemicals.

Guide to toxic levels of concern (AEGLs, ERPGs, TEELs, and IDLH).

List of data sources.
Molecular Formula:
  • H3PO4
Flash Point: data unavailable
Lower Explosive Limit: data unavailable
Upper Explosive Limit: data unavailable
Autoignition Temperature: Not flammable (USCG, 1999)
Melting Point: 108.0 ° F (NIOSH, 2003)
Vapor Pressure: 0.03 mm Hg (NIOSH, 2003)
Vapor Density: data unavailable
Specific Gravity: 1.892 at 77.0 ° F (USCG, 1999)
Boiling Point: >266 ° F at 760.0 mm Hg (USCG, 1999)
Molecular Weight: 98.0 (USCG, 1999)
Water Solubility: Miscible (NIOSH, 2003)
AEGL: data unavailable
ERPG: data unavailable
TEEL-1 TEEL-2 TEEL-3
3.0 mg/m3 500.0 mg/m3 500.0 mg/m3
(SCAPA, 2008)
IDLH: 1000.0 mg/m3 (NIOSH, 2003)

Regulatory Information

Regulatory Names - Names under which this chemical is regulated under several U.S. federal laws: CAA (Clean Air Act of 1990), CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, also known as Superfund), EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, also known as SARA Title III), and RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976).

CAA RMP - Indicates whether this chemical is regulated under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act, which lists about 100 toxic, flammable, or explosive hazardous substances. (Section 112(r) mandates the Risk Management Plan regulations.) For listed chemicals, the Threshold Quantity (from 40 CFR 68) is also shown. Facilities that use more than the threshold quantity of a listed chemical in a process are subject to the CAA accidental release prevention provisions.

CERCLA - Indicates whether this chemical is listed as a hazardous substance under CERCLA. For listed chemicals, the Reportable Quantity (from 40 CFR 302) is also shown. Facilities that spill more than the reportable quantity of a listed chemical must report it to federal, state, and local governments.

EHS (EPCRA 302) - Indicates whether this chemical is listed as an Extremely Hazardous Substance under Section 302 of EPCRA. For listed chemicals, the Threshold Planning Quantity (from 40 CFR 355) is also shown. Facilities that store more than the threshold quantity of an EHS chemical must meet the reporting, community right-to-know, and emergency planning requirements of EPCRA.

TRI (EPCRA 313) - Indicates whether this chemical is listed as a toxic chemical under Section 313 (Toxics Release Inventory) of EPCRA. Facilities that manufacture, store, or use significant amounts of Section 313 chemicals may be required to submit annual reports about any releases into the environment (see 40 CFR 372).

RCRA Chemical Code - 4-character identification code assigned to this substance under RCRA.
Regulatory Names:
  • PHOSPHORIC ACID
CAA RMP: Not a regulated chemical.
CERCLA: Regulated chemical with a Reportable Quantity of 5000 pounds.
EHS (EPCRA 302): Not a regulated chemical.
TRI (EPCRA 313): Regulated chemical.
RCRA Chemical Code: none

Alternate Chemical Names

This section provides a listing of alternate names for this chemical, including trade names, synonyms, and foreign names.