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Product Name: Potassium Nitrate
Synonyms: Niter, Saltpeter
Chemical Formula: KNO3
CAS Number: 7757-79-1
Recommended Use: Fertilizers, explosives, food preservation, pyrotechnics
Supplier Identification: Company name, address, and emergency contact number listed on shipping documentation
Hazard Classes: Oxidizing solid (Category 3), Eye irritant (Category 2A)
Pictograms: Oxidizer, exclamation mark
Signal Word: Warning
Hazard Statements: May intensify fire (oxidizer), Causes serious eye irritation
Precautionary Statements: Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames. Wear eye protection. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. In case of fire, use appropriate extinguishing media
Chemical Name: Potassium Nitrate
Common Name: Nitrate of potash
Concentration: Pure form typically 99% or higher
Other Ingredients: Trace impurities (sodium, calcium, magnesium salts usually below 1%)
CAS Registry No.: 7757-79-1
Inhalation: Move to fresh air, seek medical attention if symptoms persist
Skin Contact: Wash affected area with water and soap
Eye Contact: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes, remove contact lenses, continue rinsing, seek medical care for lasting irritation
Ingestion: Rinse mouth, do not induce vomiting, seek medical help, provide the chemical label to responders
Most Important Acute Symptoms: Eye irritation, headache, dizziness, gastrointestinal upset on ingestion
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Water spray, large volumes of water
Unsuitable Media: Dry chemicals, carbon dioxide, foam (product supports combustion as an oxidizer)
Hazards from Combustion: Product feeds fire, can form toxic fumes such as nitrogen oxides and potassium oxides under combustion conditions
Protective Equipment: Firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus and full protective gear
Advice for Firefighters: Contain runoff, cool containers exposed to flames, evacuate area if necessary
Personal Precautions: Avoid dust inhalation, ventilate area, use personal protective equipment
Environmental Precautions: Prevent spillage into watercourses, drains, soil
Clean-Up Methods: Sweep up material without water, place in labeled container, avoid creating dust, collect for disposal according to regulations
Decontamination: Wash spill area thoroughly with water after bulk is picked up
Handling: Store in tightly closed containers, work in well-ventilated space, avoid creating or inhaling dust
Storage: Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, and incompatible materials such as acids and reducing agents
Incompatibilities: Acids, organic materials, powdered metals, sulfur, combustible materials
Special Precautions: Use nonsparking tools, grounded equipment, avoid eating or drinking in work area
Occupational Exposure Limits: No OSHA PEL or ACGIH TLV for potassium nitrate, but limit total dust exposure to 10 mg/m3 (inhalable), 3 mg/m3 (respirable fraction)
Engineering Controls: Ventilation (local exhaust), use of closed systems to limit exposure
Personal Protection: Use safety glasses or chemical goggles, nitrile or rubber gloves, dust mask or NIOSH-approved respirator in dusty conditions, long-sleeve lab coat or coveralls
General Hygiene: Wash hands after handling, remove contaminated clothing, wash before reuse
Appearance: White, crystalline solid
Odor: Odorless
Melting Point: 334 °C
Boiling Point: Decomposes above 400 °C
Solubility: Highly soluble in water (132 g/100 mL at 25°C)
Density: 2.11 g/cm3 at 20°C
pH (10% solution): Approx. 7
Vapor Pressure: Negligible
Explosive Properties: Not explosive, but strong oxidizer
Decomposition Products: Forms toxic gases above decomposition temperature
Chemical Stability: Stable under normal storage, reacts vigorously with reducing agents
Conditions to Avoid: Heat, friction, impact, contact with organic or combustible substances
Incompatible Materials: Acids, reducing agents, organic materials, sulfur, carbon, powdered metals
Hazardous Decomposition: Nitrogen oxides, potassium oxides form during thermal decomposition
Reactivity: Strong oxidizer, can accelerate combustibility of other materials
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation, ingestion, skin and eye contact
Acute Effects: Irritation of respiratory tract, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, methemoglobinemia in cases of large ingestion
Chronic Effects: Long-term overexposure linked to risk of kidney damage, blood disorders
LD50 (Oral, rat): Approx. 3015 mg/kg
Carcinogenicity: Not classified as carcinogen by IARC, NTP, ACGIH, or OSHA
Sensitization: No known skin sensitization
Symptoms of Overexposure: Headache, bluish skin, low blood pressure, confusion (oxygen deprivation from nitrates)
Aquatic Toxicity: Harmful to aquatic life, causes rapid growth of algae, hazardous to drinking water sources due to eutrophication
Persistence and Degradability: Nitrate ions highly soluble, rapidly distributed in soil and water
Bioaccumulation: Does not bioaccumulate significantly in aquatic organisms
Mobility in Soil: Moves easily in drainage water, risk of groundwater contamination
Additional Effects: High nitrate levels cause blue-baby syndrome in infants, disrupt aquatic ecosystems through nutrient loading
Waste Handling: Do not release to environment, sweep up, containerize, and manage as non-hazardous waste unless mixed with hazardous substances
Disposal Methods: Dispose at approved disposal facility in accordance with local, regional, and national regulations
Container Disposal: Rinse thoroughly before recycling or disposal, triple rinse containers before discarding
Special Instructions: Consult local waste disposal authority for guidance on quantity restrictions and requirements
UN Number: UN 1486
Proper Shipping Name: Potassium Nitrate
Transport Hazard Class: 5.1 (Oxidizing substance)
Packing Group: III
Environmental Hazards: Not classified as marine pollutant
Special Precautions for Transport: Keep separate from combustibles, organic substances, acids during transport, package securely to prevent leaks or spills
OSHA: Listed as hazardous due to oxidizing properties
TSCA: Listed on United States TSCA Inventory
SARA Title III: Subject to reporting under SARA Title III Section 313 if above threshold quantities
REACH: Registered under EU REACH Regulations
Canadian WHMIS: Classified D1B (toxic) and C (oxidizing material)
Other National Inventories: Listed in National Inventories of most industrialized countries (e.g., Australia AICS, Japan ENCS)
