Southern Ionics INCORPORATEDINCORPORATED CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TODAY SII Sulfur Products Handbook CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TODAY Southern Ionics Incorporated (SII) was founded in 1980. The corporate headquarters and research facilities are located in West Point, Mississippi. The company has eleven facilities located in Port Allen, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Calhoun, Tennessee; Chickasaw, Alabama; Columbus, Mississippi; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Midlothian, Texas; Pasadena, Texas; Terrell, Texas; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and West Point, Mississippi. CUSTOMER FOCUS SII manufactures and markets the following products: Southern Ionics is committed to building a team of motivated individuals who can advance the technology of our business, manufacture quality products, and ALUMINUM CHLORIDE provide our customers with the service and know-how to maximize the value POLYALUMINUM CHLORIDE of our products. We provide comprehensive technical service and application assistance for our products through our engineering, technical, sales, and R&D ALUMINUM CHLOROHYDRATE personnel. Southern Ionics’ quality management system is certified to meet ISO 9001:2000 Standards. Potable water treatment products are NSF certified ALUMINUM SULFATE SOLUTION for use. Many of our products meet the Food Chemical Codex specifications and are classified by the FDA as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). AQUA-CAT™ AQUA AMMONIA CEMENT MANUFACTURING ADDITIVES CUSTOMER SERVICE Our number one priority is meeting our customers’ expectations. SII has a SI-SOLV™ FOR DEINKING RECYCLED PULP centrally located Customer Service Department with toll free telephone and SODIUM ALUMINATE facsimile numbers for the customers’ convenience in ordering during business hours, and there is a toll free number for after hours and emergencies. The SODIUM BISULFITE after-hours operator is equipped with pertinent information to handle any customer request. This allows for 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year SODIUM SULFITE service to handle customers’ needs. Inventory management is also available. SII personnel simply contact the SODIUM THIOSULFATE customer via an electronic dial-up remote tank level monitor system. SII then MAGNESIUM SULFATE schedules delivery based on the customer’s inventory targets and usage rates. Customer contacts for inventory management are also made by scheduled VARIOUS ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS phone or internet queries. CUSTOM COMPOUNDS & FORMULATIONS PRODUCT INFORMATION Southern Ionics manufactures sodium bisulfite solutions and sodium sulfite solutions at Pasadena, Texas and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Sodium Thiosulfate solutions are produced at Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Pasadena, Texas. All three products are aqueous solutions. Standard products are a 40% sodium bisulfite solution, 15% sodium sulfite solution, and 30% sodium thiosulfate solution. Other concentrations of these products are available; however, the solubility of the materials and individual customer requirements dictate the practical concentrations that can be produced, shipped and stored (see Temperature Solubility Curves on pages 18 & 19.) The chemistry of the three products is similar in that they are sulfur based reducing agents and will react with many of the same oxidizing agents. They are also similar in that they can be used in reactions that add functionality to the compounds produced. 1 The solutions range from mildly acidic, as in the case of bisulfite, to slightly basic, in the case of sodium sulfite and sodium thiosulfate. The pH of these sulfite solutions dictates the existence of sodium bisulfite and/or sodium sulfite (see Speciation of Sulfurous Acid-Bisulfite-Sulfite vs. pH on page 21). Sodium thiosulfate on the other hand is more stable and usable at pH levels above 8. There is a long list of applications where these products are used. The most significant uses are: • In chemical reactions as a raw material • As a reducing agent to destroy active halogen compounds • As an oxygen scavenger (sulfite and bisulfite) • As a sulfonating agent for organics • Acrylic polymerization catalyst component (bisulfite) • Metals reduction • Photographic developer compounding • Pulp and paper production • Food preservation (bisulfite) MANUFACTURING PROCESS While there are a number of potential processes that yield bisulfite, sulfite, and thiosulfate, all commercial processes react sulfur or sulfur dioxide with alkali in an aqueous solution. Southern Ionics produces sodium bisulfite by burning elemental sulfur in air to form a gas containing sulfur dioxide. The combustion gas is cooled and absorbed into an alkaline solution, either caustic soda or soda ash, to form sodium bisulfite. Sodium bisulfite is further reacted with caustic soda or soda ash to produce sodium sulfite. By adding additional sulfur and heat, the sodium sulfite can be converted to sodium thiosulfate solution. SODIUM THIOSULFATE PROCESS Sodium Sulfite Solution REACTOR Heat Sulfur SODIUM Loading FILTER THIOSULFATE STORAGE 2 3 4 5 6 SAFETY SAFETY Sodium bisulfite solution is classified as a Hazardous Chemical Class A by DOT standards. Sodium sulfite solutions and sodium thiosulfate solutions are not regulated by DOT; however, all three products deserve respect as reactive chemicals in regard to personal safety during handling and use. Contact with eyes, skin, or mucous membranes can cause severe irritation and even burns. To avoid irritation, these products should be handled in well-ventilated areas and all personal protective equipment should be utilized. Appropriate personal protective equipment, including safety glasses, chemical goggles, rubber boots, chemical resistant gloves, rubber apron, and face shield should be worn. In the case of sodium bisulfite, respirators should be worn unless ventilation is adequate to keep concentrations of sulfur dioxide below exposure standards. Some individuals are highly sensitive to sulfur dioxide and sulfites. These individuals should not be placed in a situation where they could become exposed to these products or the vapors from the products. THE MSDS SHOULD BE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND FOLLOWED BEFORE HANDLING THESE OR ANY OTHER CHEMICALS. FIRST AID Eyes: Immediately flush eyes with a large amount of water for at least 15 minutes. Get prompt medical attention. Skin: If exposed to skin: Wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Remove contaminated clothing while continuing to apply water. Get prompt medical attention if irritation persists. Inhalation: Move victim to fresh air. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. If breathing has stopped, start artificial respiration. Get prompt medical attention. Ingestion: Induce vomiting by giving 2 glasses of water to drink and touching back of subject’s throat with finger. IMMEDIATELY see a physician. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Contact local Poison Control Center. In case of ingestion of sodium thiosulfate, induce vomiting if gross amounts are swallowed. See MSDS for more information. FIRE PROTECTION FLAMMABLE LIMITS EXTINGUISHING MEDIA SPECIAL FIREFIGHTING PROCEDURES Sodium Bisulfite Non Flammable Use extinguishing media Move containers promptly out of fire zone. If appropriate for surrounding fire. removal is impossible, cool containers with water spray. Remain upwind. Avoid breathing noxious fumes (sulfur dioxide) from fire-exposed material. Sodium Sulfite Non Flammable Use extinguishing media Wear complete fire service protective equipment, appropriate for surrounding fire. including full-face piece MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatus. Use water to cool fire-exposed container/structure/protect personnel. Water or foam may cause frothing, if product is heated above 93ºC/200ºF. Sodium Thiosulfate Non Flammable Use extinguishing media For fires involving this material wear SCBA. appropriate for surrounding fire. 7 REACTIVITY Stability Conditions To Avoid Incompatibility Hazardous Decomposition Products Hazardous Polymerization Sodium Bisulfite Stable Avoid exposure to Avoid contact Thermal decomposition may yield the Will not occur. excessive heat. Sulfur with acids and following: sulfur dioxide – toxic dioxide may be released oxidizing agents. fumes. if allowed to contact strong acids or if dried material is overheated. Sodium Sulfite Stable Avoid exposure to Liberates sulfur Oxides of sulfur fumes emitted when Will not occur. excessive heat. Sulfur dioxide in the heated to decomposition dioxide may be released presence of if allowed to contact strong acids. strong acids or if dried material is overheated. Sodium Thiosulfate Stable Avoid exposure to Strong Acids If dried material is overheated, sulfur Will not occur. excessive heat. Sulfur dioxide is given off. dioxide may be released if allowed to contact strong acids or if dried material is overheated. SYMPTOMS & EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE Sodium Bisulfite Sodium Sulfite Sodium Thiosulfate Eyes Severe Irritation; Mild irritation Slight irritation corneal burning possible Skin Irritation – dermatitis Mild irritation Moderate to low irritant. Inhalation Irritation of nose, throat, and lungs Sulfite-sensitive individuals, N/A – coughing – shortness of breath upon inhalation of this product may experience a severe allergic reaction. Ingestion Harmful if swallowed. Oral exposure or swallowing Up to 12 grams can be taken daily by Gastrointestinal irritation; allergic may produce gastrointestinal mouth with no ill effects except catharsis. reaction; In large doses may cause: upset. Sulfite sensitive abdominal pain, control nervous individuals may experience a system