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Product Name: Sodium Hydroxide
Synonyms: Caustic Soda, Lye
Chemical Formula: NaOH
CAS Number: 1310-73-2
EC Number: 215-185-5
Recommended Use: Industrial manufacturing, cleaning, water treatment, chemical processing
Supplier Information: Manufacturer details typically appear here; emergency contact numbers for chemical incidents also belong in this section to give frontline employees and first responders a quick reference.
GHS Classification: Corrosive to metals (Category 1), Acute toxicity (oral, dermal - Category 4), Skin corrosion (Category 1A), Serious eye damage (Category 1)
Hazard Statements: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. Harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin. Can cause respiratory irritation.
Pictograms: Corrosive symbol clearly visible on all packaging.
Signal Word: Danger
Precautionary Statements: Avoid breathing dust or mist. Wear protective gloves, clothing, and eye/face protection. Wash thoroughly after handling. Store locked up.
Target Organs: Skin, eyes, respiratory tract
Chemical Identity: Sodium Hydroxide
Concentration: 98%–100% (pure form)
Impurities: Traces of sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, and moisture may be present; commercial grades can include other salts depending on manufacturing process.
Ingredient Information: No hazardous impurities above regulatory disclosure thresholds.
Inhalation: Move person to fresh air. If breathing difficulties crop up, medical attention is necessary. Coughing and burning in the respiratory tract signal exposure.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing and rinse skin with running water for at least 15 minutes. Burns or irritation warrant immediate medical help.
Eye Contact: Flush eyes for at least 15 to 30 minutes with plenty of water, lifting eyelids occasionally. Urgent medical attention must follow.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth but never attempt to induce vomiting. Drink water if conscious. Quickly seek medical aid. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Most Important Symptoms: Redness, blistering, severe burns on contact; airway irritation or distress points to inhalation incidents.
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical, or carbon dioxide for fires involving other materials near sodium hydroxide.
Unsuitable Extinguishing Media: Avoid use of water jets straight on the material; heat from the exothermic reaction can spatter caustic material.
Specific Hazards: Not flammable, but reacts violently with acids and certain metals, releasing flammable hydrogen gas.
Protective Equipment: Firefighters wear full body, chemical-resistant suits and self-contained breathing apparatus.
Firefighting Guidance: Cool containers exposed to fire with water spray.
Personal Precautions: Evacuate area. Use personal protective equipment including gloves, boots, chemical splash goggles, and respirators as needed.
Spill Containment: Avoid allowing spillage to enter watercourses or drains. Dike and contain with inert material.
Cleanup Methods: Absorb with dry earth, sand, or other non-combustible material; sweep up and place in properly labeled containers.
Environmental Precautions: Prevent runoff into soil, surface water, or drains. Notify authorities if large releases threaten community safety or environment.
Decontamination: Thoroughly wash area with large quantities of water after solid removal.
Handling Precautions: Only trained personnel should handle sodium hydroxide, using protective gear for eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Avoid producing dusts or aerosols.
Storage Requirements: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from incompatible materials like acids, ammonia, aluminum, and other metals. Securely close all containers.
Special Handling Instructions: Never add water to sodium hydroxide; always add sodium hydroxide to plenty of water to prevent violent boiling and splashing.
Incompatibility: Avoid mixing with all acids, halogenated organics, and organic peroxides to prevent dangerous exothermic reactions.
Exposure Limits: OSHA PEL: 2 mg/m3 (Ceiling) for sodium hydroxide dust and mist
Engineering Controls: Provide local exhaust ventilation to control airborne exposure points. Eye wash stations and safety showers need to be easy to access in areas where sodium hydroxide is used.
Personal Protection: Wear chemical splash goggles, faceshields, gloves (rubber, neoprene, or nitrile), chemical-resistant clothing, and respiratory protection when aerosol or mist is expected.
Hygiene Measures: Wash hands and face before meals and after handling. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in work areas.
Monitoring: Continuous air quality checks in handling and processing zones help protect health of workers.
Appearance: White solid (flakes, granules, or pellets); in solution, clear and colorless
Odor: Odorless
pH: Strongly alkaline (> 13 for 1% solution)
Melting Point: 318°C (604°F)
Boiling Point: 1,388°C (2,530°F)
Solubility: Soluble in water with vigorous heat evolution
Specific Gravity: 2.13 (water = 1)
Vapor Pressure: Negligible at room temperature
Other Properties: Deliquescent; absorbs moisture and carbon dioxide from air, which makes secure container sealing necessary.
Chemical Stability: Stable under normal temperatures and storage conditions; reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide, forming sodium carbonate.
Reactivity: Intense reaction with acids, organic halogen compounds, and some metals. Water addition generates heat.
Incompatible Materials: Metals (aluminum, zinc, tin); acids; flammable liquids; nitro compounds.
Hazardous Decomposition: Hydrogen gas from contact with certain metals.
Polymerization: Does not occur.
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation, skin and eye contact, ingestion
Acute Effects: Severe burns, ulceration, and possible blindness on eye contact; corrosive injury to all exposed tissues. Inhalation can damage respiratory tract.
Chronic Effects: Prolonged or repeated exposure causes dermatitis, chronic respiratory conditions, and dental erosion.
LD50 (oral, rat): 140-340 mg/kg for sodium hydroxide solid
Carcinogenicity: Not classified as a human carcinogen
Other Health Risks: Potential for permanent damage with inadequate personal protection practices.
Aquatic Toxicity: Harmful to aquatic organisms due to high pH, causing irreversible damage to fish and invertebrates by altering water chemistry.
Persistence/Degradability: Not persistent; reacts with carbon dioxide and neutralizes.
Bioaccumulation: Does not bioaccumulate.
Mobility in Soil: High solubility in water; rapidly moves through soil and can increase local pH.
Other Environmental Effects: Spills can rapidly affect local waterways, requiring careful prevention of runoff or uncontrolled discharge.
Waste Disposal Method: Neutralize with dilute acid under controlled conditions, followed by significant water dilution. Dispose using a licensed chemical waste disposal contractor in line with local, state, and federal regulations.
Container Disposal: Rinse empty containers thoroughly and destroy to prevent reuse.
Special Disposal Precautions: Sodium hydroxide solutions should never enter natural water sources without neutralization and regulatory approval.
UN Number: UN 1823 (Solid), UN 1824 (Solution)
Proper Shipping Name: Sodium hydroxide, solid, or Sodium hydroxide solution
Transport Hazard Class: 8 (Corrosive Substance)
Packing Group: II
Labeling: Corrosive labels clearly affixed to packaging.
Transport Precautions: Guard against moisture and incompatible cargo; keep in corrosion-resistant packaging; report spills immediately during transit.
OSHA: Listed as a hazardous chemical with strict requirements for labeling, recordkeeping, and training.
EPA: Reportable Quantity (RQ) under CERCLA: 1,000 lbs (454 kg)
TSCA: Listed in Inventory
SARA 313: Not subject to reporting
Other Regulations: Controlled under international guidelines for corrosive materials (IATA, IMDG), and listed under various state and national hazardous substance acts. Community right-to-know laws often apply for quantities stored or used above threshold amounts.
West Ujimqin Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, China
