FIBRE GLAST DEVELOPMENTS CORP. TELEPHONE: (937) 833-5200
385 Carr Drive FAX: (937) 833-6555
BROOKVILLE, OH 45309 FOR CHEMICAL EMERGENCY
CALL (800) 424-9300 24 HRS.
SECTION 1 - PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION
PRODUCT NAME: Kevlar?Tape
CHEMICAL NAME (SYNONYMS): Kevlar?Fabric
SECTION 2 ?COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
MATERIAL CASE #: WEIGHT %
Poly(p-phenylenediamine terephthalmide)
26125-61-1 >89
(para-aramind polymer)
Water, absorbed 7732-18-5 0-7
Pulp wet-lap 35-70
Sodium sulfate in KEVLAR pulp: 7757-82-6 <0.1
<2
In other forms
Finish None <2
SECTION 3 ?HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW
KEVLAR fiber is a golden yarn, staple, flock, pulp, or fabric. As shipped, these products
pose no immediate hazard. Processing and handling can produce airborne respirable
fibrils (subfibers). Animal studies indicate that prolonged overexposure to such fibrils has
the potential for lasting lung damage. Use ventilation or a respirator to minimize fibril
inhalation.
Do not touch moving threadlines of KEVLAR fiber. Entanglement with this high strength
fiber can severely cut or even sever fingers.
During a fire, these KEVLAR products are unlikely to pose a respirable fibril hazard, but
may release toxic and irritating gases, much like those of wool. KEVLAR will burn only
with added heat, but pulp and dust may smolder. KEVLAR pulp and dust do not present
an explosion hazard.
If permitted to dry, pulp can become electrostatically charged during processing and
handling. Electrostatic discharge may cause ignition of nearby flammable vapors. If
package is opened, or punctured, re-moisturize pulp to at least 4% moisture before
using.
KEVLAR fibers are non-biodegradable and nontoxic to aquatic life; they pose no unusual
environmental hazard in a spill or fire.
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS
EYE: Fiber fly and dust may cause slight mechanical irritation.
SKIN: Continual rubbing of fibers and fiber pieces on the skin (as when trapped under
cuffs, or collar, or when constantly handling fabrics) may cause irritation. Based on
animal tests, the fibers do not cause sensitization (allergic reaction).
INGESTION: Based on animal studies, KEVLAR is nontoxic when eaten.
INHALATION: KEVLAR fiber is too big to inhale into the lungs, but fiber dust and fly
from processing may be breathed into the nose and throat. Working unprotected in dusty
conditions may cause upper respiratory irritation and cold-like symptoms.
CHRONIC EFFECTS: Processing KEVLAR or machining materials containing KEVLAR
may create fiber dust in the air small enough to be breather into the lungs. Based on
animal tests, breathing this dust at very high concentration repeatedly over long periods
of time may cause lung injury (fibrosis).
CANCER: IARC classified p-aramid respirable fibrils as Group 3, "not classifiable as to
carcinogenicity in humans" in October, 1996. That is, after reviewing all published
toxicological literature on p-aramid, they found no convincing evidence of carcinogenicity.
(See the TOXICOLOGY section and references contained in the "OTHER INFORMATION"
section of this MSDS.)
None of the components present in this material at concentrations equal to or greater
than 0.1% are listed by IARC, NTP, OSHA or ACGIH as a carcinogen.
SECTION 4 ?FIRST AID MEASURES
EYE CONTACT: In case of contact, immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at
least 15 minutes. Call a physician if irritation persists or develops later.
INHALATION: If large amounts of fumes, dust or fibers are inhaled, remove to fresh
air. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen and call a physician. If persistent cough or other
symptoms develop, get medical attention.
SKIN CONTACT: If fibers irritate the skin, wash with soap and water. Wash
contaminated clothing before reuse. Use hand creams to sooth and moisten irritated
skin. Get medical attention if irritation persists after contact stops.
INGESTION: Not a probable route. However, in case of gastro-intestinal distress
following accidental ingestion, call a physician.
SECTION 5 ?FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
FLAMMABLE PROPERTIES
FLASH POINT: Not Applicable
AUTO IGNITION: Not applicable
EXPLOSIVE LIMITS: Not applicable
KEVLAR Fiber is inherently flame resistant, but can be ignited (limiting oxygen index
= 29). Burning normally stops when the ignition source is removed. Pulp and dust
accumulations may continue to smolder once ignited. KEVLAR fiber dust does not
present an explosion hazard.
FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS: Burning KEVLAR produces hazardous gases
similar to those from wool. These are mostly carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and small
amounts of hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, aldehydes, aliphatic hydrocarbons and other
toxic gases, depending on conditions of burning.
CAUTION: If permitted to dry, pulp can become electrostatically charged during
processing and handling. Electrostatic discharge may cause ignition of nearby
flammable vapors. Close package tightly after opening to retain moisture. If package
is opened or punctured, re-moisturize pulp to at least 4% moisture before using.
EXTINGUISHING MEDIA: Water, foam, dry chemical, CO2.
FIRE FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS: Wear self-contained breathing apparatus. Keep
personnel removed and upwind of fire. Wear full protective equipment (full bunker
gear).
SECTION 6 - ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES
SAFEGUARDS (Personnel)
NOTE: Review FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES and HANDLING sections before proceeding
with clean up.
Use appropriate PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT during clean up.
ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Wash, shovel or mop up and place in solid waste
containers.
Fiber is not biodegradable; do not flush to drains.
Clean up dusts and pulp with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum
equipment, or by wet cleaning. Avoid the use of dry sweeping or air jet blowing of fibers
and dust, which can re-suspend respirable dust in the air.
SECTION 7 ?HANDLING AND STORAGE
HANDLING (PERSONNEL): Do not touch moving threadlines of KEVLAR fiber.
Entanglement with this high strength fiber can severely cut or even sever fingers.
STORAGE: KEVLAR is degraded by ultraviolet light. Do not store in direct sunlight.
Fluorescent lighting will cause discoloration, but will not affect fiber mechanical
properties.
Dry and wet KEVLAR pulp is packaged in moisture-proof bags or bales to prevent drying
to less than 4% moisture and possible pick-up of electrostatic charge. If package is
punctured, re-moisturize pulp to at least 4% moisture before using.
SECTION 8 ?EXPOSURE CONTROLS/PERSONAL PROTECTION
GENERALLY APPLICABLE CONTROL MEASURES AND PRECAUTIONS
Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid dust generation. Do not consume food, drink
or tobacco in areas where they may become contaminated with this material.
ENGINEERING CONTROLS
If fumes, fiber fly or dusts are generated, use engineering controls (where technically
feasible) whenever necessary to control exposures below applicable limits. Isolation,
enclosures, exhausts and ventilation, wetting and dust collection systems may be used.
If ventilation and exhaust air is recirculated, it should be filtered and conditioned to
eliminate respirable fibers, dust and fumes. While (HEPA) filters are effective for dust
removal from local exhausts, they have high pressure drops and require frequent
maintenance. Larger airflow can be effectively cleaned of non-respirable fibers and
particles by screens and coarse filter media. However, respirable particles can be
removed only by secondary filtration equipment designed for fine particles (less than 10
micrometers aerodynamic diameter) or water curtains. Where respirable fibrils may be
generated, recirculated air should be periodically measured to determine if they are being
adequately removed. Air monitoring should be done using the standard asbestos test
method, NIOSH 7400 (B). Method 7400 (A) can also be used, counting only fibers less
than 3 micrometers in diameter.
Fumes and smoke from laser cutting or machining of fabrics and composites of KEVLAR
should be well exhausted or removed by ventilation.
Water jet cutting of fabric or composites of KEVLAR produces respirable size fibrils in the
cutting waste. If dried, this waste can become a source of airborne respirable fibers.
Rinse or wipe waste from floors, work surfaces and parts before it dries.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
RESPIRATOR PROTECTION: Respirator use must be in accordance with OSHA
Standard 29 CFR 1910.134 (the "Respirator Standard.")
Where airborne dust and fibril concentrations are expected to exceed applicable exposure
limits, or where there is potential for irritation of the nasal passage by the mechanical
action of the fibers, NIOSH-approved respirators should be used.
An air-purifying respirator with a dust/mist/fume cartridge or canister may be used under
circumstances meeting the Respirator Standard.
Disposable dust masks equivalent to 3M model N95 8210 may also be used.
EYE PROTECTION: Wear safety glasses or coverall goggles when cutting or
mechanically working this product, or where airborne dust and fly is present.
SKIN PROTECTION: When repeated forceful contact with KEVLAR fiber structures is
anticipated, wear protective gloves and sleeves to minimize skin abrasion and drying.
If repeated handling of KEVLAR leads to dry skin, use non-greasy moisturizing skin
cream. (Barrier creams are not recommended, as they may actually cause fiber dust to
stick to the skin.)
EXPOSURE GUIDELINES
EXPOSURE GUIDELINES
OSHA ACGIH DuPont AIHA
COMPONENT PEL TLV AEL* WEEL
5mg/m3
Poly (p-phenylenediamine None None 2 fibrils/cc-
terephthalamide) Established Established 8 hr TWA* 8 hr TWA*
respirable total dust
fibrils** (non-respirable
fibers and
5mg/m3 non-fibrous
total dust particles)
AEL* is Dupont's Acceptable Exposure Limits. Where governmentally imposed occupational
exposure limits lower than the AEL are in effect, such limits shall take precedence.
**Respirable fibrils are particles <3mm dia., 5-60 mm long with aspect ratios>3.
SECTION 9 ?PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
MELTING POINT: Does not melt.
SOLUBILITY IN WATER: Insoluble in water.
ODOR: Odorless
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 1.45 g/cc
COLOR: Golden
FORM: Solid: Yarn, felt, fabric, paper, pulp, floc, staple
% VOLATILES: <9% water and finish. Wet pulp has <70% water.
SECTION 10 ?STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
STABILITY: Stable at normal temperatures and storage conditions.
INCOMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER MATERIALS: None reasonabley foreseeable.
DECOMPOSITION: Fiber decomposition temperature > 400C. At lower temperatures
finish may boil off as a fume, which should be vented.
POLYMERIZATION: Polymerization will not occur.
SECTION 11 ?TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
EYE EFFECTS:
KEVLAR is untested for eye irritancy. As with other particles, mechanical action
of fibers in the eye may cause slight irritation.
SKIN EFFECTS:
KEVLAR is not a skin irritant, or a skin sensitizer in animals. None of three tests
using guinea pigs produced sensitization.
Skin sensitization has not been observed in human patch tests or in industrial
experience. (KEVLAR fiber has been used in direct contact with the skin in
industrial gloves and protective apparel for many years.)
The mechanical action of the fibers may cause slight skin irritation at clothing
binding points. Repeated harsh rubbing of the skin with fibrous dust or supported
KEVLAR fiber structures (e.g., sized, coated or impregnated fabrics, paper edges,
etc.) may cause abrasion, with resulting irritation and rash. Symptoms disappear
following cessation of skin contact.
ACUTE ORAL EFFECTS:
KEVLAR polymer has very low toxicity by ingestion. Oral ALD>7500 mg/kg in
rats.
ACUTE INHALATION EFFECTS:
Industrial experience shows that inhalation of KEVLAR fibrous dust and fly may
cause mechanical irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat; these
symptoms disappear upon cessation of exposure.
SUBCHRONIC INHALATION EFFECTS:
In a two week inhalation study with rats (1983), respirable KEVLAR fibrils
(subfibers) at concentrations of 1000-2000 fibrils per cubic centimeter (f/cc) caused
mild, non-progressive fibrosis (lung scarring that shrinks with cessation of
exposure) and nonspecific effects such as weight loss and irritation. There were no
permanent lung effects at concentrations of 280 f/cc or less.
Two-week high-dose aerosol exposures to p-aramid fibrils in rats and hamsters
produced transient pulmonary inflammatory and cell proliferative responses, along
with evidence of progressive fiber biodegradability with increasing residence time in
lung tissues of exposed animals. In both studies, the lungs of animals were
analyzed at several post-exposure time periods ranging from immediately after
exposure through one year post-exposure. Lung tissue thickening lesions in rats,
which were measured morphometirically immediately after a 2-week exposure, had
peaked at 1 month post-exposure and were reversible at 6 and 12 months post-
exposure, i.e., no evidence of pulmonary lesions could be found 6 months after
exposure.
CHRONIC INHALATION EFFECTS:
A two-year inhalation study with KEVLAR pulp (refined to increase its respirable
fibril content) produced pulmonary fibrosis at concentrations of 25, 100, and 400
f/cc, as well as additional lung lesions. A panel of 12 pathologists from North
America and Europe reviewed these lesions and diagnosed them as "proliferative
keratin cysts." They agreed that the lesions are not malignant neoplasms and are
most likely not neoplastic. This unique lesion is not found in humans and may be
indicative of a non-specific biological response to the respirable material, rather
than an indication of the toxicity of KEVLAR. No fibrosis was seen in animals
exposed to 2.5 f/cc for two years (and very little at 25 f/cc.) At no concentrations
were fibers found to have migrated beyond the lungs and associated lymph system.
Four experiments at fibril concentrations of 2.5 f/cc to 400 f/cc have shown that
KEVLAR fibrils in the lungs of rats are shortened with time, probably by enzymatic
clipping of the polymer chain. (This effect has been independently confirmed in rats
by two other laboratories and by DuPont in hamsters. In-vitro tests show KEVLAR
fibrils are shortened in proteolytic enzyme solutions.) While not all fibrils disappear,
long fibers are cut to an average of less than 5 micrometers and gradually
removed. The lower the exposure, the faster fibrils are broken down.
CARCINOGENICITY
IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer research arm of the
United Nations World Health Organization) completed an in-depth review of all valid
scientific data relating to para-aramid fibrils in October, 1996. They classified the
fibrils as in Group 3, "not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans." That
is, the experts found no convincing evidence of carcinogenicity. (While IARC has no
regulatory authority, its expert opinions are used for guidance by regulatory
authorities worldwide.)
SUMMARY
Industrial monitoring of airborne fibril concentrations indicates it would be unlikely
that human exposures would approach levels that caused permanent health effects
in animal studies. However, based on animal studies, long-term exposures to high
doses of respirable fibers could lead to pulmonary inflammation and subsequent
development of chronic lung disease.
MUTAGENIC, DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS:
In an in-vitro assay, KEVLAR fibrils produced non chromosomal aberrations in
cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes.
No animal tests have been run to define mutagenic, developmental, or reproductive
hazards.
SECTION 12 ?ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
ECOTOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
KEVLAR fibers are essentially non-biodegradable in the environment, and do not
leach material toxic to flora or fauna.
Finishes and additives used with KEVLAR are routinely tested for their potential
effects on manufacturing wastewater treatment systems. Biocompatibility and
aquatic toxicity tests give the following results:
Finishes do not appear to be inhibitory or toxic to microbes commonly found in
biological treatment systems.
Biodegradation and normal anti-foam treatments should control foaming.
Discharge of scoured finished should not result in increased effluent toxicity.
Most finishes are substantially or completely biodegradable, but a few are not.
Since concentrations and treatment conditions vary, the above should be
considered indicative only.
SECTION 13 ?DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
KEVLAR fiber is not a hazardous waste as defined by regulations implementing
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In general, waste materials
of KEVLAR may be treated, stored, transported and disposed of in accordance
with the State and Local regulations governing the disposal of other common or
non-RCRA regulated waste material.
Waste such as waterjet cutter sludge or dust from air filters may be enriched in
respirable fibers. Bag securely, label as containing respirable fibers and dispose of
it as non-hazardous industrial waste.
Since the fiber is essentially non-biodegradable, it should not be flushed to surface
waters or sanitary sewer systems.
SECTION 14 ?TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
DOT: Proper Shipping Name: Not regulated
CANADA: TDG CLASS: Not regulated
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization classification not required
IMDG: International Maritime Dangerous Goods classification not required
SECTION 15 ?REGULATORY INFORMATION
U.S. FEDERAL REGULATIONS
OSHA:
This MSDS is provided to comply with provisions of the Hazard Communication
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
EPA:
TSCA: Kevlar?fiber products are listed on the TSCA Inventory.
CERCLA: Kevlar?is not regulated as hazardous waster under CERCLA.
SARA TITLE III, Section 313: Not reportable
CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1990:
Kevlar?fiber products and their packaging do not contain, nor are they
manufactured with, any of the ozone-depleting substances listed in either
Class I (chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl
chloroform) or Class II (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990.
FDA:
Some, but not all, Kevlar?fiber products are approved for use as articles or
components of articles intended for repeated contact with food. (See CFR 21, Part
177.1632, 4/1/92 Edition).
STATE REGUALTIONS
California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65):
Kevlar?fiber contains none of the substances known to the State of California to cause
cancer or reproductive toxicity.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey Right-to-Know Laws: Kevlar?fiber is considered an "article"
and is not subject to the provision of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Right-to-Know
laws.
CANADA REGULATIONS
This material is not WHMIS controlled.
This material is not TDG regulated.
SECTION 16 ?OTHER INFORMATION
CAUTION:
DO NOT USE IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS INVOVLVING PERMANENT OR
TEMPORARY IMPLANTATION IN THE HUMAN BODY OR CONTACT WITH BODY
FLUIDS.
NFPA RATINGS NPCA-HMIS RATINGS
Health 0 Health 0* (chronic health effects)
Flammability 1 Flammability 1
Reactivity 0 Reactivity 0
SECTION 17 - COMMENTS
The information accumulated herein is believed to be accurate but is not warranted to
be, whether originating with Fibre Glast Developments Corporation or not. Recipients
are advised to confirm in advance of need that the information is current, applicable,
and suitable to their circumstances.
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