Triisobutylaluminium

Guidance on Safe Use

First-aid measures

* Immediate Medical Assistance Required: Yes

* Skin Contact:

- IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower. Immediately call a POISON CENTRE or doctor/physician.

* Eye contact:

- IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiouslywith water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. Immediately call a POISON CENTRE or doctor/physician

* Inhalation:

- IF INHALED: Remove to fresh air and keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing. If not breathing, give artificial respiration, preferablymouth to mouth. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Seek immediate medical attention/advice.

* Ingestion:

- IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention/advice.

* Emergency Equipment: special requirements for metal alkyls are required:

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS:

1. Do not allow metal alkyls and solutions of metal alkyls to come into contact with any part of the body.

2. The following general procedures are recommended for fires involving metal alkyls: No standard methods have been developed for extinguishing large-scale metal alkyl fires. Small fires may be extinguished using dry powder, provided that a large excess of dry powder is used. Water should be used only on small amounts of metalalkyls. Water based foams, chemical foams, and halogenated extinguishers should NOT be used.

3. The following general procedures are recommended for spills or leaks involving portable containers of metal alkyls:

a. Water may be used (only if one is thoroughly familiar with the violent reaction and if personnel are properly protected from possible explosion) to decompose metal alkyls from small leaks and to keep adjacent tanks or equipment cool.

b. If leaking liquid from a container is burning, move flammables away or move the container to a safe place, if possible. Avoid increasing the leak. Keep water, materials wet with water, and liquid fire extinguishers away. Small leak fires can be controlled with drymaterials or with water, if one is thoroughly familiar with the violent reaction and if personnel are properly protected from possible explosion. If possible, use sandbags to contain and isolate the burning liquid. The use of a remote control vaporisation system can be considered, particularly in the case of a limited leak which cannot be stopped. The water spray permits the agent to be burnt as soon as it appears, the heat from the reaction with the water and air to be absorbed, the combustion chamber and the adjacent equipment to be cooled off, the radiating heat to be decreased, and the gases emitted to be absorbed. For further information, please contact Albemarle Europe SPRL.

c. If gases leaking from the vapour space of a container are burning, proceed also as in item b). In this instance, the fire will very likely extinguish itself as the container vapour space pressure declines to atmospheric.

d. If liquid is leaking from a container but is not burning, ventilate the area or move the container out in the open, otherwise, proceed as in item b).

4. The following procedure is recommended for handling metal alkyls when there are fires in the vicinity : If a container is threatened by fire from an external source (not from the chemical itself), extinguish the external fire by conventional means, or move the container, whichever can be done quicker and with less danger. If this cannot be done, keep container cool by spraying water on it. Water reacts violentlywith metal alkyls but has been found to be an effective fire control treatment if one is thoroughly familiar with the violent reaction and personnel are properly protected from explosion.

5. The following first aid measures are recommended :

- Eyes : Begin immediate eye irrigation with cool water for at least 15 minutes with the eyelids held open by gently separating them with the fingers. Get medical attention promptly.

- Skin : Immediately flush with large amounts of water. Remove contaminated clothing, including shoes, and wash with soap and

water. Get medical attention.

Metal alkyls and solutions of metal alkyls react with air and with bodymoisture. Immediate flushing with large volumes of water will kill residual alkyl, carry away the heat of reaction, and cool burned tissue. Such burns will be predominately thermal and should be treated medically as such. Immediate application of cold water has been found to reduce the severity of burns. For treatment of injury or shock, the services of a physician are required.

- Inhalation of vapours from metal alkyl and solutions of metal alkyl fires or decomposition may cause immediate irritation of the respiratory tract. Excessive or prolonged inhalation of vapours may cause "metal fume fever". Symptoms are throat irritation, headache, fever, chills, nausea, constricting sensation of the lungs. If signs or symptoms occur, remove to fresh air. If breathing stops, apply articificial respiration, preferably bymouth-to-mouth. Give oxygen if needed. Get medical attention.

6. Protective equipment should be determined by the degree of possible exposure. Eye protection should include goggles or face shields for even minimal exposure. Exposure to large quantities, as in plant transfers, requires a full body aluminized proximity suit. Gloves used in plant transfers or operations should be aluminized leather, preformed neoprene, aluminized vinyl or other fire-resistant, nonreactive material. Preformed rubber gloves may be used in the laboratory. All gloves used when handling metal alkyls and solutions of metal alkyls should be loose-fitting for instant removal if necessary.

7. Spills of metal alkyl solutions may or may not spontaneously ignite depending upon conditions surrounding the spill. However, the flash point of the solution is considerably below the flash point of the solvent, and the flash point for solutions should be considered as less than -48°C.

Additional precautions normally observed when handling the solvent should be followed when using solutions of metal alkyls. Breathing of solvent vapours may cause headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. If signs or symptoms occur from breathing vapours, remove to fresh air. If breathing stops, apply artificial respiration, preferablymouth-to-mouth. Give oxygen, if needed. Get medical attention. If pure solvent is swallowed, give a minimum of two glasses (500 ml) of water. Do NOT induce vomiting. Get medical attention.

Certain hydrocarbon solvents require particular care because of hazardous chronic effects :

n-Hexane - In its acute effects, n-hexane is three times as toxic as pentane. Exposures of man to 5000 ppm of n-hexane caused dizziness and giddiness, whereas exposure to 2000 ppm for the same length of time produced no effects. However, prolonged or repeated exposures at elevated vapour levels can produce peripheral polyneuropathy, a serious disorder of the nervous system. This disease is progressive and has developed irreversibly in individuals exposed at 1000-1500 ppm of nhexane vapour over a period of several months. Exposures to n-hexane should be controlled to keep the TLVbelow 50 ppm

(ACGIH-1986).

Fire-fighting measures

* Suitable Extinguishing Media:  The following general procedures are recommended for fires involving metal alkyls: No standard methods have been developed for extinguishing large-scale metal alkyl fires. Small fires may be extinguished using dry powder, provided that a large excess of dry

powder is used. Water should be used only on small amounts of metalalkyls. Use water spray or fog to cool exposed equipment and containers. Water fog application will not extinguish the fire; however, water fog will accelerate the oxidation of the aluminum alkyl and is an effective media for controlling the temperature of the immediate surrounding area. The only sure way to extinguish the fire is to shut off the fuel (Alkyl) source.

* Unsuitable Extinguishing Media Do not use direct application of concentrated water streams; application of water fog (mist) is quite acceptable. Water based foams, chemical foams, and halogenated extinguishers should NOT be used.

* Exposure Hazards Oxides of carbon and aluminium containing dust.

* Protective equipment and precautions for firefighters: All fire-fighting personnel must wear aluminized safety suits. For additional details regarding metal alkyls, refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section.

Accidental release measures

* Personal Precautions Ventilate the area. Requires special procedures : refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section.

* Environmental Precautions Use solid absorbent or earth dike to contain spilled substance. Evacuation distance : in case of small spill or leak from receptacle, container or tank, isolate the source of the spill/leak at a radius of 9 meters. Evacuation distance : in case of large or multiple spills/leaks from receptacle, container or tank, first isolate the sources of the spill(s)/leak(s) at a radius of 18 meters, then evacuate downwind 0.16 km width and 0.32 km length. Personal Precautions Ventilate the area. Requires special procedures : refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section..

* Methods for Clean-up Requires special procedures : refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section..

Handling and storage

* Handling Do not allow aluminum alkyls, or solutions containing aluminum alkyls, to come into contact with any part of the body. Local exhaust is needed at source of vapours. All transfer lines must be free of water and oxygen. All vessels must be dry and oxygen-free. Transfer lines should be blanked at both ends when not in use. Vessels must be top-unloading with remote, manual pressure relief. For additional details regarding metal alkyls, refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section.

* Storage Keep in a well-ventilated place. Mechanical ventilation is recommended. For additional details regarding metal alkyls, refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section.

Transport information

Land transport (UN RTDG/ADR/RID)

UN number:

3394

Shipping

Labels:

ADR/RID-Labelling/ Marking: 4.2 + 4.3

Special provisions / remarks

Remarks:

Hazard Identification No: X333

Shipping

Remarks

Marine transport (UN RTDG/IMDG)

UN number:

3394

Shipping information

Proper shipping name and description:

Organometallic substance, liquid, pyrophoric, water-reactive (Triisobutylaluminium)

Chemical name:

Triisobutylaluminium

Labels:

IMO Labelling and Marking: 4.2 + 4.3

Remarks

Air transport (UN RTDG/ICAO/IATA)

UN number:

3394

Shipping information

Proper shipping name and description:

Organometallic substance, liquid, pyrophoric, water-reactive (Triisobutylaluminium)

Chemical name:

Triisobutylaluminium

Labels:

IATA/ICAO Labelling/Marking: 4.2 + 4.3

Remarks

SpecialProvisions

Exposure controls / personal protection

* Personal Protective Equipment:

- Skin Protection: Use full aluminized safety suit when transferring material (large scale) and whenever contact may occur. For additional details regarding metal alkyls, refer to the paragraph entitled "SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL ALKYLS" in the first-aid measures section.

- Eye Protection: Chemical goggles and the aluminized hood of a safety suit. Goggles and face shield for small scale laboratory operation.

- Hand protection: Gloves used in plant transfers or operations should be aluminized leather, preformed neoprene, aluminized vinyl or other fire-resistant, nonreactive material. Use loose-fitting rubber or leather gloves.

- Respiratory Protection Dust, fume, and acid gas respirator when working in irritating fumes from decomposition. Supplied air respirator if working in a confined area .

Stability and reactivity

* Stability: Stable. Reacts violentlywith water. Handle under inert gas, protect from moisture.

* Materials to avoid: Avoid acid, alcohol, oxidizing agents, and halogenated compounds.

* Conditions to Avoid: Exposure to air. Avoid high temperatures and open flames. Protect from water.

* Hazardous decomposition products: Flammable vapours and aluminium containing dust on exposure to water and moist air.

Disposal considerations

Absorb and incinerate. Dispose in a safe manner in accordance with local/national regulations.