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Chemical Datasheet

POTASSIUM CHLORATE

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
  • 3811-04-9
  • OXIDIZER
NFPA 704: data unavailable
General Description
A white crystalline solid. Forms a very flammable mixture with combustible materials. Mixture may be explosive if combustible material is very finely divided. Mixture may be ignited by friction. Contact with strong sulfuric acid may cause fires or explosions. May spontaneously decompose and ignite when mixed with ammonium salts. May explode under prolonged exposure to heat or fire. Used to make matches, paper, explosives, and many other uses.

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
Air & Water Reactions
Soluble in water.
Fire Hazard
Special Hazards of Combustion Products: Toxic fumes are formed in fires.

Behavior in Fire: Decomposes when hot to form oxygen, which increases severity of fire. (USCG, 1999)
Health Hazard
Inhalation of dust can irritate nose and throat. Contact with eyes or skin causes irritation. Ingestion causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, cyanosis, collapse. (USCG, 1999)
Reactivity Profile
Metal chlorates are oxidants in the presence of strong acid; liberates explosive chlorine dioxide gas; liberates chlorine dioxide and carbon dioxide by heating a moist metal chlorate and a dibasic organic acid; mixtures of perchlorates with sulfur or phosphorus are explosives [Bretherick 1979 p. 100]; mixtures of the chlorate with ammonium salts, powdered metals, silicon, sulfur, or sulfides are readily ignited and potentially explosive [Bretherick 1979 p. 806]. A combination of finely divided aluminum with finely divided bromates (also chlorates and iodates) of barium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, or zinc can explode by heat, percussion, or friction [Mellor 2:310. 1946-47]. An explosion occurred during heating of a mixture of potassium chlorate and magnesium [Chem. Eng. News 14:451. 1936]. Gaseous ammonia, mixed with air reacts so vigorously with potassium chlorate that the reaction could become dangerous [Mellor 8:217. 1946-47]. A mixture of potassium chlorate and sodium amide explodes [Mellor 8:258. 1946-47]. If a drop of a solution of sulfur dioxide in ether or alcohol is added to powdered potassium chlorate, the mass explodes [Mellor 2:311. 1946-47]. Potassium chlorate and sulfuric acid react to cause fire and possible explosions [Mellor 2:315. 1946-47].
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
Flood with water. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible. (AAR, 2003)
Non-Fire Response
Keep sparks, flames, and other sources of ignition away. Keep material out of water sources and sewers. (AAR, 2003)
Protective Clothing
Dust mask; rubber gloves; goggles; protective clothing to prevent contact with skin. (USCG, 1999)
First Aid
EYES: flush with water for at least 15 min.

SKIN: wash with soap and water.

INGESTION: dilute by drinking soapy or salty water to induce vomiting; call physician. (USCG, 1999)

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:
  • KClO3
Flash Point: data unavailable
Lower Explosive Limit: data unavailable
Upper Explosive Limit: data unavailable
Autoignition Temperature: data unavailable
Melting Point: 680.0 ° F (USCG, 1999)
Vapor Pressure: data unavailable
Vapor Density: data unavailable
Specific Gravity: 2.34 at 68.0 ° F (USCG, 1999)
Boiling Point: data unavailable
Molecular Weight: 122.6 (USCG, 1999)
Water Solubility: data unavailable
AEGL: data unavailable
ERPG: data unavailable
TEEL-1 TEEL-2 TEEL-3
40.0 mg/m3 300.0 mg/m3 350.0 mg/m3
(SCAPA, 2008)
IDLH: data unavailable

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: none
CAA RMP: Not a regulated chemical.
CERCLA: Not a regulated chemical.
EHS (EPCRA 302): Not a regulated chemical.
TRI (EPCRA 313): Not a 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.