Preliminary Requirements

Safety Requirements

WARNING

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OPERATOR TO OBTAIN AND OBSERVE THE MANUFACTURERS MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS FOR CONSUMABLE MATERIALS INFORMATION SUCH AS, HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS, PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS, FIRE, EXPLOSION, REACTIVITY, HEALTH HAZARD DATA, PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING, USE AND CONTROL MEASURES AND ALSO TO TAKE LOCAL REGULATIONS INTO CONSIDERATION.

WARNING

THE OPERATORS MUST ALWAYS WEAR THE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SUPPLIED, WHICH INCLUDES RUBBER GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION.

IF ACID SOLUTIONS GET INTO THE EYES FULLY FLUSH THEM, WITH CLEAN WATER, THEN GET MEDICAL TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY.

WARNING

EVERY POSSIBLE CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO AVOID THE SOLUTION COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE EYES OR BARE SKIN. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING INCLUDING RUBBER GLOVES AND GOGGLES MUST BE PROVIDED FOR THE OPERATORS WHEN PREPARING AND USING THE NITRIC OR HYDROFLUORIC ACID SOLUTION. RUBBER GLOVES SHOULD BE CHECKED REGULARLY FOR PIN HOLES AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY.

SAFETY NOTICES MUST BE PLACED IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE.

EYE-WASH BOTTLES AND HF BURN JELLY MUST BE PROVIDED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE PLACE OF WORK.

IF SKIN BECOMES CONTAMINATED WITH THE SOLUTION IT MUST BE RINSED WITH COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF CLEAN RUNNING WATER.

ALL BURNS, HOWEVER SLIGHT, SHOULD BE TREATED AT THE NEAREST SURGERY OR FIRST AID POST.

THE SURGERY MUST BE TOLD WHICH SOLUTION (THE ACIDS INVOLVED) HAS CAUSED THE BURN. THIS APPLIES PARTICULARLY WHEN HYDROFLUORIC ACID IS A CONSTITUENT.

WARNING

YOU MUST USE THE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SUPPLIED, TOGETHER WITH RUBBER GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION

SOLUTION IN THE EYES MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. CLEAN THE EYES WITH WATER, SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE THE CONTAMINATION. GO FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY.

A SUPPLY OF BUFFERED PHOSPHATE SOLUTION MUST ALWAYS BE EASILY AVAILABLE, TO APPLY TO BURNS.

ALL INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE SAFETY OFFICER MUST BE OBEYED.

Procedure

1. SUBTASK 70-04-03-650-001 The Procedure to Identify Metal Particles

   
   WARNING
   BURN ONLY A VERY SMALL QUANTITY OF PARTICLES IF YOU THINK THEY ARE MAGNESIUM. MAGNESIUM DUST OR POWDER IS EXPLOSIVE.

   1. Steel - You can isolate particles with a permanent magnet.

   2. Magnesium - Particles burn with a sudden very bright white light when they are put in an open flame.

   3. Cadmium - Put the particles in two ounces of solution of water and 10 percent of CoMat 01-106 AMMONIUM NITRATE NH4NO3. The cadmium particles will dissolve. Clean and dry the remaining particles.

   4. Tin - You can identify these particles by their low melting point. With a clean soldering iron, heat to a temperature of 500 deg F (260 deg C ) and tin with 50/50 solder (50 percent tin and 50 percent lead). A tin particle dropped on the iron will melt and fuse with the solder.

   5. Aluminum - A particle will quickly make bubbles and slowly break apart to become aluminum chloride (a black material) when it is in CoMat 01-006 HYDROCHLORIC ACID (50 percent by volume). CoMat 01-006 HYDROCHLORIC ACID has no effect on silver or bronze.

   6. Aluminum Paint - Use the procedure that follows to identify aluminum silicone paint, aluminum, and silver particles.

      1. Make a solution of one pellet of CoMat 01-377 SODIUM HYDROXIDE PELLETS to 0.18 cuin (3.0 cc) of water.

      2. Put some drops of this solution in a watch glass and put the particles, you want to identify, into the solution.

         1. If the particles are aluminum silicone paint, they will give off some bubbles and gas as the particles change to sodium aluminate.

         2. If the particles are aluminum, there will be many more bubbles and much more gas.

         3. If the particles are silver, the solution will have no effect.

   7. Silver - Silver particles make a white fog in the acid when put into CoMat 01-025 NITRIC ACID HNO3, TECHNICAL GRADE.

   8. Bronze - Bronze (or copper) particles make a bright green cloud when put into CoMat 01-025 NITRIC ACID HNO3, TECHNICAL GRADE.

   9. Titanium - Put the particles on a white porcelain spot plate. Put a piece of titanium or metal made of a titanium compound on another spot plate to monitor and approve the results.

      1. NOTE

         Because solid ammonium bifluoride is crystalline, you can store it in a dry place and use it when necessary.

         Add some CoMat 01-374 AMMONIUM BIFLUORIDE PELLETS and 5 to 10 drops of water to the metal particles. Alternatively, you can use 2 to 3 drops of CoMat 01-375 HYDROFLUORIC ACID.

      2. After 20 to 30 minutes or until the solution changes color, add 2 to 3 drops of a solution of one part water to one part CoMat 01-043 SULFURIC ACID H2SO4.

      3. After 20 to 30 minutes or until the solution becomes more discolored, add 3 to 4 drops of CoMat 01-376 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. Solution must not be too old.

      4. Titanium will make the solution go to a yellow color. This yellow will slowly become darker with time.

      5. Add 2 to 3 drops of CoMat 01-016 PHOSPHORIC ACID H3PO4 and mix the solution. This will remove the yellow color caused by iron in the particles.

      6. A light yellow-to-orange color shows there is titanium.