Chemical Properties |
Colorless to light yellow liquid |
General Description |
A clear colorless to light yellow liquid with a penetrating nauseating odor. Density 0.978 g / cm3. Flash point 68°F. Vapors are heavier than air. Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Combustion produces toxic oxides of nitrogen. |
Air & Water Reactions |
Highly flammable. Soluble in water. |
Reactivity Profile |
Azabenzene is a base. Reacts exothermically with acids. During preparation of a complex of Azabenzene with chromium trioxide, an acid, the proportion of chromium trioxide was increased. Heating from this acid-base reaction led to an explosion and fire [MCA Case History 1284 1967]. A 0.1% solution of Azabenzene (or other tertiary amine) in maleic anhydride at 185°C gives an exothermic decomposition with rapid evolution of gas [Chem Eng. News 42(8); 41 1964]. Mixing Azabenzene in equal molar portions with any of the following substances in a closed container caused the temperature and pressure to increase: chlorosulfonic acid, nitric acid (70%), oleum, sulfuric acid (96%), or propiolactone [NFPA 1991]. The combination of iodine, Azabenzene, sulfur trioxide, and formamide developed a gas over pressurization after several months. This arose from the slow formation of sulfuric acid from external water, or from dehydration of the formamide to hydrogen cyanide. Ethylene oxide and SO2 can react violently in Azabenzene solution with pressurization if ethylene oxide is in excess (Nolan, 1983, Case History 51). |
Health Hazard |
Vapor irritates eyes and nose. Liquid irritates skin and is absorbed through the skin. Overexposure causes nausea, headache, nervous symptoms, increased urinary frequency. |
Fire Hazard |
Behavior in Fire: Vapor is heavier than air and may travel considerable distance to source of ignition and flash back. |