Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:14:41 -0700
Reply-To: "Wood, Glenn" <Glenn_Wood**At_Symbol_Here**GOLDER.COM>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Wood, Glenn" <Glenn_Wood**At_Symbol_Here**GOLDER.COM>
Subject: Re: Sodium Azide

Sodium azide with react with many metals such as lead and copper and others to for m shock sensitive (easily detonated) materials.  Lead azide is in fact u sed in detonating systems.  In the manufacture of sodium azide only stainl ess steel is allowed (not even chrome plated) to prevent potential formation of such compounds.  There have been unpublished or anecdotal reports of chrome plated dome fasteners on coveralls wearing away the chrome plating, exposing “azide-reactable” metal which reacted with azide over relatively short periods of time and then “popped” or “sn apped” when workers closed the dome fastener.  Zippers may have responded in a similar fashion.

In a lab setting one would need to ensure that there are adequate processes fo r decomposing the azide so none is flushed down the sink even inadvertently.& nbsp; Equipment used to handle the azide should ideally be dedicated to that purp ose and thoroughly decontaminated after use so that later maintenance activity does not expose residual azide to shock or friction.


Glenn Wood (PhD, CIH, ROH) | Associate: Sr. Health and Safety Consultant | Golder Associates Ltd.    & nbsp;
2390 Argentia Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5N 5Z7        
T: +1 (905) 567 4444 | D: +1 (905) 567 6100 Ext: 1169 | F: +1 (905) 567 6561 | C: +1 (416) 625 3257 | E: Glenn_Wood**At_Symbol_Here**golder.com | www.golder.com    

This email transmission is confidential and may contain proprietary information for the exclusive use of the intended recipient. An y use, distribution or copying of this transmission, other than by the intend ed recipient, is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies. Electronic media is suscept ible to unauthorized modification, deterioration, and incompatibility. According ly, the electronic media version of any work product may not be relied upon.  

Please consider the environment before printing this email.< /span>    

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.