Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HEXAFLUOROPROPYLENE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Intermediate.

SYNONYMS

C3-F6, "propene, hexafluoro-", hexafluoropropene, perfluoropropene, perfluoropropylene,
"propylene, hexafluoro-"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

May form explosive peroxides.
Harmful by inhalation.
Irritating to respiratory system.
Risk of explosion if heated under confinement.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Although ingestion is not thought to produce harmful effects, the material may still be damaging to the health of the individual following ingestion, especially where pre-  existing organ (e.g. liver, kidney) damage is evident. Present definitions of harmful or toxic substances are generally based on doses producing mortality (death) rather than those producing morbidity (disease, ill-health). Gastrointestinal tract discomfort may produce nausea and vomiting. In an occupational setting however, ingestion of insignificant quantities is not thought to be cause for concern.  Overexposure is unlikely in this form.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may produce transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn).  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or skin irritation following contact (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  Material on the skin evaporates rapidly and may cause tingling, chillingand even temporary numbness.  Toxic effects may result from skin absorption.  

INHALED

  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  Material is highly volatile and may quickly form a concentrated atmosphere in confined or unventilated areas. Vapor is heavier than air and may displace and replace air in breathing zone, acting as a simple asphyxiant. This may happen with little warning of overexposure.  Depression of the central nervous system is the most outstanding effect of most halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons. Inebriation and excitation, passing into narcosis, is a typical reaction. In severe acute exposures there is always a danger of death from respiratory failure or cardiac arrest due to a tendency to make the heart more susceptible to catecholamines (adrenalin).  Exposure to fluorocarbons can produce non-specific flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, chest discomfort, sore throat and dry cough with rapid recovery. High concentrations can cause irregular heartbeats and a stepwise reduction in lung capacity. Heart rate may be reduced.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal routes of exposure are usually by inhalation of vapor and possible skin contact/absorption.  Fluorocarbons can cause an increased risk of cancer, spontaneous abortionand birth defects.  Halogenated oxiranes may arise following epoxidation of haloalkenes.  The carcinogenicity of halogenated oxiranes may lie in the reactivity of an epoxide intermediate. It is reported that 1,1-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene,  tetrachloroethylene and chloroprene, for example, are carcinogens in vivo - this may be a consequence of oxirane formation.  Symmetrically substituted oxiranes such as 1,2-dichloroethylene and 1,1,2-2-  tetrachloroethylene are more stable and less mutagenic than unsymmetrical chlorinated oxiranes such as 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,1,2-trichloroethylene and monochloroethylene (vinyl chloride).  The carcinogenicity of 1,1-dichloroethylene has primarily been associated with inhalation exposure while that of vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene occurs following exposure by both inhalation and oral routes. National Toxicology Program Toxicity Report Series Number 55; April 2002 Various studies report an association between cancer and industrial exposure to tetrachloroethylene; IARC concluded that this evidence is sufficient to assign appropriate warnings. Similar warnings have been issued by IARC for vinyl fluoride. Similarly vinyl bromide exhibited neoplastic and tumourigenic activity in rats exposed by inhalation and is classified by various bodies as potentially carcinogenic.  Substances such as chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), are reported to produce an increased frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the lymphocytes of Russian workers. Russian epidemiological studies also suggest an increased incidence of skin and lung cancer following exposure to chloroprene, a result which is not supported by other studies.  Generally speaking, the monohalogenated substances exhibit higher carcinogenic potential than their dihalogenated counterparts. Whether additional substitution lessens such hazard is conjectural. Tetrafluoroethylene, for example, produced clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in a two-year inhalation study in rats and mice. National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series 450, April 1997.