What precautions must be taken when using ammonium hydroxide?

What precautions must be taken when using ammonium hydroxide?

Precautionary statements: Avoid breathing mist/vapors/spray. Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection, face protection.

What is the proper personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to ammonium hydroxide?

Eye/Face Protection: Wear chemical safety goggles. A face shield (with safety goggles) may also be necessary. Skin Protection: Wear chemical protective clothing e.g. gloves, aprons, boots. In some operations: wear a chemical protective, full-body encapsulating suit and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

What are some of the safety concerns for ammonium hydroxide?

contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes leading to eye damage. ► Exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. ► Inhaling Ammonium Hydroxide can irritate the lungs. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency.

What precautions should you take when working with ammonia?

Working Safely with Ammonia

1. Wear personal protective equipment.
2. Take hot work permitting precautions whenever hot work will be performed in areas where ammonia is present.
3. Use proper ventilation.
4. Store ammonia separately from incompatible chemicals, away from heat and ignition sources.

How does ammonium hydroxide work?

Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) is a solution of ammonia in water. Commonly called ammonia or ammonia water, the chemical is used as a cleanser and in manufacturing plastics, rubber, fertilizer and textiles. Stable under normal temperatures and pressures, heating it produces ammonia gas.

What does ammonia hydroxide react with?

The two hydroxides are ammonium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, which are both bases because they release the hydroxide ion, OH-1, in solution. Ammonium hydroxide reacts with copper salts producing a precipitate, which is a solid. Sodium hydroxide reacts with ammonium salts to produce a gas and water.

What types of chemicals should you avoid while working with ammonium hydroxide?

REACTIVITY: Avoid ammonium hydroxide contact with chemicals such as mercury, chlorine, iodine, bromine, silver oxide or hypochlorites; they can form explosive compounds. Ammonia reacts with strong oxidizers, acids, halogens (including chlorine bleach), and salts of silver, zinc, copper, and other heavy metals.

What are the hazards of working with ammonia?

Ammonia gas is a CORROSIVE GAS and may be fatal if inhaled. Ammonia gas may cause lung injury, and the liquefied gas can cause frostbite and corrosive injury to eyes and skin. Ammonia gas is a severe respiratory tract irritant. Most people can detect it by smell at 0.6 to 53 ppm.

What does ammonium hydroxide contain?

The water solution is generally represented by the formula NH4OH, though no appreciable amount of the molecular species NH4OH is present: the solution consists primarily of large quantities of water (H2O) and ammonia (NH3) and smaller quantities of ammonium ion, NH+4 , and hydroxide ion, OH−.

What does ammonium hydroxide react with?

What is ammonia hydroxide used for?

Ammonium hydroxide is used as a cleaning agent and sanitizer in many household and industrial cleaners. Ammonium hydroxide is also used in the manufacture of products such as fertilizer, plastic, rayon and rubber. Aqueous ammonia is corrosive to aluminum alloys, copper, copper alloys, and galvanized surfaces.

How is ammonium hydroxide used in the workplace?

Although in weakened solutions it can be used as a food additive and in household cleaners, employees must treat ammonium hydroxide like any other hazardous chemical. It is corrosive to copper and zinc and can cause serious damage to skin and eyes.

Why is ammonium hydroxide considered a hazardous substance?

Ammonium hydroxide is considered a hazardous substance according to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 and 1978. As noted by the EWG, it is very toxic to aquatic life.

Is it OK to use ammonium hydroxide on meat?

Ammonia found in the household usually contains about 5-10% of an ammonium hydroxide solution. Scrap meats are treated with ammonium hydroxide which creates a pink goo used to kill bacteria and extend meat products, such as beef or chicken. Ammonium hydroxide is highly corrosive, meaning that it can burn skin or damage mucous membranes.

Can you use ammonium hydroxide as a disinfectant?

Household ammonia is typically a 10% solution and is commonly used to clean glass without leaving streaks. It is not effective as a disinfectant. Industrial ammonium hydroxide can be found in solutions of up to 30%.