CHM 298 Assignment #8 (Due Friday, March 3 by 5:00)

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

This week we will examine another source of chemical information - material safety data sheets. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) list a variety of information about chemicals - everything from specific hazards to toxicity to storage information. There are a lot of internet sites offering such information; you might to do a google search for "MSDS" to see just how many sites there are. A particularly useful site can be found at Oxford University, http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/. This site also has useful information on the interpretation of MSDS sheets.

1. Go to the website listed above, and scroll down until you locate the link on "Interpreting MSDS Sheets". This article describes 15 sections that can be present in materiall safety data sheets. Briefly describe these 15 sections and the type of information that can be found in each section.

2. Many material safety sheets contain codes for various risk factors such as flammability, toxicity, and so forth. Scroll down the main page of this site until you find the link entitled "Risk and Safety Phrases." Briefly describe the meaning of each of the following codes:

S8
S30
S33
S62

3. Locate the chemical assigned to you (see the assignment table below) and obtain the material safety data sheet for this chemical. Record the following information about the ehemical.

a. What is the chemical formula?

b. What is the CAS registry number for this compound?

c. Does the chemical go by any other common names?

d. List all physical data (such as melting and boiling points) for this compound.

e. Are they any special hazards associated with this chemical? Is it toxic? Is it moisture-sensitive? Is it flammable?

d. Are there any chemicals incompatible with your assigned chemical? If so, list them.

f. Record any "risk and safety phrases" associated with your chemical and briefly describe what each means.

Let me know if you have any questions. Have fun!