1 - Product Identification

Synonyms: Silver(I)Nitrate, Lunar Caustic

CAS: 7761-88-8

Formula Weight: 169.87 (63.5% Silver metal by weight)

Chemical Formula: AgNO3

Reportable Quantity: 454 grams

2 - Composition

Silver Nitrate: 99.9%

3 - Hazards     NFPA 704

Health Rating: 2 - Intense or continued but not chronic exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury.

Flammability Rating: 0 - None

Reactivity Rating: 0 - Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water.

Contact Rating: 3 - Severe (Corrosive)

Lab Protective Equip: Safety goggles and/or face shield. Latex gloves. Good ventilation.

Storage Color Code: Yellow (Reactive)

4 - First Aid Measures

Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Crystals will sting the nasal passages. Get medical attention as soon as possible.

Ingestion: If swallowed, Do not induce vomiting. Give a quantity of salt water. The salt water and/or stomach acid will immediately form Silver Chloride, which is much less harmful. Get medical attention immediately if the quantity ingested is more than a gram.

Skin Contact: Rub skin with table salt and a little water. Skin will probably turn dark when exposed to sunlight. Stain will vanish in a few weeks.

Eye Contact: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of distilled water. The salt in tears will form white Silver Chloride immediately. This Silver Chloride may attach to the eye. Get medical attention immediately.

5 - Fire Fighting Measures

Fire: Use an extinguishing agent suitable for surrounding fires.

Explosion: Reacts with ammonia to form an explosive Fulminating Silver when dry.

6 - Accidental Release Measures

Wear protective equipment. Clean up in a way that doesn't disperse the crystals into the air. If it is released into water, add table salt to immediately form the less harmful Silver Chloride.

Special Note: Disposal of even small quantities of silver nitrate in waste systems connected to a septic tank is guaranteed to destroy the septic bacteria and require pumping out, flushing and seeding with fresh bacteria.

7 - Handling and Storage

Store in a closed container. Silver Nitrate is not very light sensitive, it does absorb air moisture.

8 - Exposure Limits; Airborne

OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): 0.01 mg/m3 (TWA) as silver metal dust

ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 0.01 mg /m3 (TWA) as soluble silver compounds

9 - Physical and Chemical Properties

Appearance: Transparent white colored crystals.

Odor: Odorless.

Solubility: 2190g/1000ml water @ 20°C (68°F).

Specific Gravity: 4.352

pH: 6

Boiling Point: 444°C (831°F) Decomposes.

Melting Point: 212°C (414°F) - Forms a brown, viscous liquid.

Vapor Density (Air=1): 4.4

Vapor Pressure (mm Hg): Very low.

10 - Stability and Reactivity

Stability: Stable at room temperature in sealed containers.

Hazardous Decomposition Products: Oxides of nitrogen.

Incompatibilities: Ammonia. Forms explosive when dry.

Conditions to Avoid: Do not allow solutions of Silver Nitrate and Ammonia to dry out.

14. Transport Information

Domestic (Land, DOT)

Hazard Class: 5.1

Packing Group: II

UN/NA: USPS Publication 52, Silver Nitrate is their item number UN1493

ORM-D: USPS Can ship within United States only.

ORM-D Packaging instruction 5A: Consumer Commodity ORM-D AIR - the weight of the contents of the primary packing container cannot exceed 1 kg. USPS publication 52, Appendix C, 1999 page 291. link

Outer Packaging: A strong outer packaging that is capable of firmly and securely holding the primary receptacle and cushioning material is required.

Mailability:
International Mail: Prohibited.
Domestic Mail: Permitted via air transportation (i.e., Express Mail, Priority Mail, and First-Class Mail rates) or surface transportation (i.e.,Standard Mail rates).