Anhydrous Ammonia

[88Nightmare]

What do you guys know about the stuff? Just how dangerous is it? Im kinda curious, since Im working near the stuff 5 days a week.

[hrsp]

ummmmmm what do you do? sounds unhealthy.....lol

[Korndogg]

Anhydrous Ammonia is pure ammonia. Its not dissolved in water at all.

http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/agrianam.htm

[88Nightmare]

ummmmmm what do you do? sounds unhealthy.....lol

I work at Roundys Distribution Center. They use the stuff as a refridgerant for their perishable foods section and freezer section. Their freezer, which obviously has all of your frozen foods and ice cream, is kept at a constant -18º :stare

From what I am told, the Anhydrous ammonia is extremely toxic. We are to evacuate the building and surrounding area if we have ammonia levels in the air at 25ppm.

[Korndogg]

uh yes....pure ammonia is extreeeeeeeemly toxic. The Bradly Center ice is made with an amonia system and if there is a small leak, they have to evacuate something like a 3 square mile radius or something like that. I dont remember what they said when I was there but its like 3 miles.

[88Nightmare]

I worked at a place in Butler in an industrial park. It was right down the street from Wispak (Cargill Meat Solutions). I was out on a delivery, but when we tried to return, police had a huge section blocked off, because they had an ammonia accident. We couldn't return for hours, not even to get our own personal vehicles.

[88Nightmare]

I suppose companies like these use this anhydrous ammonia as a refridgerant because its more efficient then freon. I can't imagine the amounts of freon it would take to cool down the facility I work at. I know their whole building including their small office space is about 1.3 million square feet. I would say 1/3rd of that area is their perishable foods/freezer section. Perishables are kept at temperatures ranging from 34º - 38º depending on the area, whether it be produce, dairy, or meats.

[Al]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhydrous_ammonia

[animal]

Heh, I once thought it'd be funny to disobey the TA in chem lab in college and dump the 18M ammonia solution down the drain. My only problem was that when I did it, I was looking straight down at the drain. The fumes hit me like a sledge hammer to the forehead and I almost passed out. :goof

Ah, the lessons we learn in youth.

[USMARINE1108]

Don't mix it with bleach!

[DirtyMax]

"prolonged exposure can cause erectile dysfunction"


I'd start looking for a new job.... ;)

[MurphysLaw88GT]

Laboratory use of anhydrous ammonia (gas or liquid)
Anhydrous ammonia is classified as toxic (T) and dangerous for the environment (N). The gas is flammable (autoignition temperature: 651 °C) and can form explosive mixtures with air (16–25%). The permissible exposure limit (PEL) in the United States is 50 ppm (35 mg/m3), while the IDLH concentration is estimated at 300 ppm. Repeated exposure to ammonia lowers the sensitivity to the smell of the gas: normally the odour is detectable at concentrations of less than 0.5 ppm, but desensitized individuals may not detect it even at concentrations of 100 ppm. Anhydrous ammonia corrodes copper- and zinc-containing alloys, and so brass fittings should not be used for handling the gas. Liquid ammonia can also attack rubber and certain plastics.

Ammonia reacts violently with the halogens, and causes the explosive polymerization of ethylene oxide. It also forms explosive compounds with compounds of gold, silver, mercury, germanium or tellurium, and with stibine. Violent reactions have also been reported with acetaldehyde, hypochlorite solutions, potassium ferricyanide and peroxides

[Teufelhunden]

HR should have a MSDS.