PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

H.S. CODE

UN NO.

CLASSIFICATION

Azide,

EXTRA NOTES

A cytochrome oxidase inhibitor which is a nitridizing agent and an inhibitor of terminal oxidation. (From Merck Index, 12th ed)

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

275 C

AUTOIGNITION

NFPA RATINGS

REFRACTIVE INDEX

EXTERNAL LINKS & GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Wikipedia Linking

Material Safety Data Sheet

Google Scholar Search

http://www.ehs.neu.edu/
Sodium Azide, NaN3, mol wt 65.02, CAS Number 26628-22-8, is a colorless, odorless, crystalline solid (salt-like) or solution. It is soluble in water or liquid ammonia, slightly soluble in alcohols, and insoluble in ether. It is highly toxic and presents a severe explosion risk when shocked or heated. When heated from 275 to 330°C in dry air, the solid crystals decompose with the evolution of nitrogen gas, leaving a residue of sodium oxide. Sodium hydroxide then forms in moist air. Synonyms and Trade Names are Azide, Azium, and Sodium salt of hydrazoic acid.

http://www.ecarcenter.org/
Airbag Inflators: It is the content of the inflators that dictate safe handling and disposal practices. Specifically, environmental regulators and automotive recyclers alike are concerned about whether and when the contents of the airbag inflators are defined as hazardous waste. Airbags need propellants to deploy. Propellants containing sodium azide (NaN3) were common in early inflator designs, however, sodium azide is highly toxic and considered as hazardous waste. Propellants containing this compound were phased out during the 1990s. More efficient, less expensive and less toxic alternatives are now used that are not considered hazardous waste. For example, many inflators now use canisters with compressed air. http://www.aorc.org/airbag.asp. Many states however, continue to promote airbag deployment best management practices that only apply to those bags with the sodium azide propellant. These bmps recommend deploying airbags with inflators containing sodium azide before a vehicle is crushed or dismantled because once deployed, the inflator material is no longer considered dangerous. In fact, five states (VT, OR, MN, DE and NY) have enacted legislation that mandates that airbags with sodium azide be deployed or removed from a vehicle before it is wrecked or dismantled (see links to each of the 5 states’ policies below). No federal mandate however, exists regarding inflator content/deployment policy.

Local:  Azide contains the group -N₃ represented as a resonance hybrid of two structures, -N-N^-≡N⁺  ↔  -N=N⁺=N^-. Organic azides are compounds replaced by a hydrocarbon group as in alkyl or aryl from hydrazoic acid and have general formula RN₃. Acyl azide is a compound in which the hydroxy group of a carboxylic acid is replaced by the azido group (HN₃). Hydrazide is an acyl hydrazine. Acyl (-CO) is an organic radical formed by removal of a hydroxyl group from an organic acid (carboxyl group). Certain metallic azide salts are very explosive.

Organic azides are useful for the synthesis of target compounds. They act as electrophiles on the nitrogen attached to the carbon and have electron-donating character for the neighboring carbon. In the azide alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition, organic azides react as 1,3-dipoles. Examples of organic azides are the chemical reagent phenyl azide and the antiviral drug zidovudine (AZT). Another azide regular is tosyl azide here in reaction with norbornadiene in a nitrogen insertion reaction

Sodium azide is a crystals; soluble in water and liquid ammonia; decomposes at 300C. Sodium azide rapidly explode and release nitrogen gas by impact, used as a propellant of automotive safety bag (inflating). Sodium Azide is used in the preparation of hydrazoic acid ((HN₃), lead azide, explosives. Sodium azide is a good nitrogen liberating agent. It is used in organic synthesis including pharmaceuticals (such as Alfentanil; Azosemid; Broperamol;). It is used as a soil sterilizing agent, fungicide, and herbicide. Sodium azide is widely used as the propellant in airbags. Sodium azide is useful in the preparation of Agricultural Chemical (Insecticide, Fungicide, bactericide, wood preservative, Herbicide). In biochemistry, it inhibits cytochrome oxidase by binding irreversibly to the heme cofactor in a process similar to the action of carbon monoxide. it is an enzyme inhibitor and nematocide. It is a useful indicator and probe reagent. It is a cardiovascular agent and vasodilator agent.

APPEARANCE

MOISTURE

0.5% max

20 ppm max