Uses
Widely used in medicine, pesticides, organic intermediate and fine chemical.
General Description
A colorless gas. Shipped as a liquid under own vapor pressure. Contact with the unconfined liquid may frostbite unprotected skin. Very toxic by inhalation and may severely irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Under prolonged exposure to fire or heat the containers may rupture violently and rocket.
Air & Water Reactions
Reacts avidly with water and with moisture in the air to give fumes of hydrogen chloride, a water-soluble toxic gas.
Reactivity Profile
TRIFLUOROACETYL CHLORIDE is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, alcohols, amines, alkalis. Reacts vigorously with amines and alkalis. May react vigorously or explosively if mixed with diisopropyl ether or other ethers in the presence of trace amounts of metal salts [J. Haz. Mat., 1981, 4, 291].
Health Hazard
TOXIC; may be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through skin. Vapors are extremely irritating and corrosive. Contact with gas or liquefied gas may cause burns, severe injury and/or frostbite. Fire will produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases. Runoff from fire control may cause pollution.
Fire Hazard
Some may burn but none ignite readily. Vapors from liquefied gas are initially heavier than air and spread along ground. Some of these materials may react violently with water. Cylinders exposed to fire may vent and release toxic and/or corrosive gas through pressure relief devices. Containers may explode when heated. Ruptured cylinders may rocket.
Safety Profile
Corrosive to skin, eyes, and materials. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of Fand Cl-. See also FLUORIDES and CHLORIDES.