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Anopol HF paste safe disposal?

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LAN_403

Conundrum

Mon Feb 09 2009, 07:24PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

Hi there guys.

I found something interesting, a mostly-full container with "Anopol Paste, Nitric Acid/Hydrofluoric" and some pretty dire safety warnings... (!)

Any ideas what the best way to safely dispose of it is? looks several years old judging by the fading of the labels.

Thanks, -A

Backyard Skunkworks

Tue Feb 10 2009, 12:50AM

Registered Member #1262 Joined: Fri Jan 25 2008, 05:22AM
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 451

I think you'd be best off turning it over to the local fire department or any agency that deals with hazardous chemicals. I really wouldn't mess with trying to neutralize anything with HF, especially when there should be someone you can call to take it off your hands.

Conundrum

Fri Aug 27 2010, 10:02PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

Grr.. damnable thing leaked on my hand when I went to remove the knocked-over container from someone's shed without realising what it was, as the label was facing off to the side and it resembled a container used for other less-toxic chemicals such as Swarfega.

One A&E trip later, seems that a few drops spilled on the skin of (presumably the nitric acid on the top of the paste) isn't *that* dangerous if you wash it off very quickly.. still I have a puddle of unidentified liquid in the shed to deal with.
The recommended procedure is to neutralise with magnesium sulphate followed with soda ash (?!)... ?
EDIT:- best to ask for advice from Env. Dept..

-A

Adam Munich

Fri Aug 27 2010, 11:55PM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

Wow. You're lucky. HF is *very* nasty stuff. It's worse than sodium cyanide IMO.

DON"T POUR ANY NUETRALISER (sp?) ON IT! The heat of the reaction will boil and sputter the HF. Your best bet is to dilute it with LOTS of water, then sprinkle soda ash all around.

rp181

Sat Aug 28 2010, 12:36AM

Registered Member #1062 Joined: Tue Oct 16 2007, 02:01AM
Location:
Posts: 1529

Something like 25in^2 of HF skin contact is lethal. Worked with it when cleaning wafers.

Call someone!

Proud Mary

Sat Aug 28 2010, 08:09AM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

The Environment Department is responsible for all matters related to the disposal of hazardous waste in your manor, squire....

Environment Department
Sir Charles Frossard House
PO Box 43
La Charroterie
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 1FH

Telephone +44 (0) 1481 717200
Facsimile +44 (0) 1481 717099
Email **link**

Conundrum

Sat Aug 28 2010, 09:10AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

thanks guys, it appears that it has been dealt with (i.e. removed to a secure location).. despite my dire warnings they opened up the container (!!! WTF !!!) and informed me that it was a powder even though when I originally checked it several months ago it was a paste.
this leads me to believe that something did indeed leak out of the container.

I did find a reference to HF/HNO3 pastes separating during storage, so its possible that this explains why it leaked.

-A

MinorityCarrier

Mon Aug 30 2010, 09:46PM

Registered Member #2123 Joined: Sat May 16 2009, 03:10AM
Location: Bend, Oregon
Posts: 312

HF burns take an hour or so to show up and are painful. If no pain, and the area of skin isn't discolored (or necrotic for that matter), you're ok. Nitric acid discolors the skin to a yellowish cast. The skin may slough off in a few days, like a peeling blister (speaking from personal experience).

HF is a gas, dissolved in water it becomes a weak acid with a nasty bite. Since you describe it being a paste, I wonder if you had ammonium fluoride in there.

This stuff sounds like aluminum brightener. People lost digits to it in the states, something about not wearing gloves per instructions.

Bored Chemist

Wed Sept 01 2010, 07:36PM

Registered Member #193 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022

One of the bastardly tricks that HF goes in for is producing nasty burns that don't hurt at the time; that develops later.
"

Solutions of 12% may take up to an hour to produce symptoms.
Solutions of less than 7% may take several hours before onset of symptoms, resulting in delayed presentation, deeper penetration of the undissociated HF acid, and a more severe burn."

From

Now I guess that stuff hasn't got much HF in it, but I'd not want to find out the hard way.

MinorityCarrier

Wed Sept 01 2010, 09:27PM

Registered Member #2123 Joined: Sat May 16 2009, 03:10AM
Location: Bend, Oregon
Posts: 312

For what it's worth, if you think you got HF on your skin rinse thoroughly with VERY COLD water and apply Calcium Gluconate paste to the area of contact.

The treatment for HF burns is subcutaneous Calcium Gluconate injections, which I've been told by someone who experienced them are almost as painful as the burn. If you get HF around a fingernail, the doctors remove the fingernail.

Not stuff to dink around with.

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