Vinyl bromide

Chemical properties

colourless liquid

Chemical properties

Vinyl bromide is a colorless gas or liquid at low ambient temperature. Pleasant odor. Shipped as a liquefied compressed gas with 0.1% phenol added to prevent polymerization.

The Uses of Vinyl bromide

Vinyl bromide is used as a fire retardant inplastics.

The Uses of Vinyl bromide

Production of flame-resistant plastics or thermoplastic resins.

Production Methods

VB can be produced by the catalytic addition of hydrogen bromide to acetylene in the presence of mercury and copper halide catalysts or by partial dehydrobromination of ethylene dibromide with alcoholic potassium hydroxide.

Definition

ChEBI: Bromoethene is a monohaloethene and a bromoalkene.

General Description

Boiling point 60°F. Liquid at low ambient temperatures. Specific gravity 1.51. A suspected carcinogen. Under exposure to fire or heat containers may rupture violently and rocket.

Air & Water Reactions

Highly flammable, with air forms peroxides

Reactivity Profile

VINYL BROMIDE is a light sensitive, peroxidizable monomer may initiate exothermic polymerization of the bulk material [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980.. p. 958]. Vinyl bromide will react violently with oxidants.

Health Hazard

Vapors may cause dizziness or asphyxiation without warning. Some may be toxic if inhaled at high concentrations. Contact with gas or liquefied gas may cause burns, severe injury and/or frostbite. Fire may produce irritating and/or toxic gases.

Health Hazard

Inhalation of this gas at high concentrationscan produce anesthesia and kidney damage.Exposure to 2.5% concentration in air pro duced anesthetic effects in rats. A 15-minuteexposure to 10% concentration was fatal torats (ACGIH 1986). Kidney injury occurredat a 5% exposure level. Human toxicity datafor this compound are not available. The liq uid is mild to moderately irritating to theeyes.
Vinyl bromide manifested carcinogenicproperties in laboratory animals. It producedliver and blood tumors in rats and mice.Its cancer-causing effects in humans arenot known. However, on the basis of itssimilarity to vinyl chloride, it is suspectedto be a human carcinogen.

Fire Hazard

EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. Will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames. Will form explosive mixtures with air. Silane will ignite spontaneously in air. May polymerize explosively when heated or involved in a fire. Vapors from liquefied gas are initially heavier than air and spread along ground. Vapors may travel to source of ignition and flash back. Cylinders exposed to fire may vent and release flammable gas through pressure relief devices. Containers may explode when heated. Ruptured cylinders may rocket.

Safety Profile

Confirmed carcinogen with experimental carcinogenic, neoplastigenic, and tumorigenic data. Moderately toxic by ingestion. Mutation data reported. A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame. Can react violently with oxidzing materials. May polymerize in sunlight. To fight fire, use CO2, dry chemical, or water spray. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of Br-. See also BROMIDES and VINYL CHLORIDE.

Potential Exposure

Vinyl bromide is used as an intermediate in organic synthesis and for the preparation of plastics by polymerization and copolymerization; as a comonomer with acrylonitrile and other vinyl monomers in modacrylic fibers; in the production of flame-retardant synthetic fibers.

Carcinogenicity

Vinyl bromide is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogenbased on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.

Shipping

UN1085 Vinyl bromide, stabilized, Hazard Class: 2.1; Labels: 2.1-Flammable gas. Cylinders must be transported in a secure upright position, in a well-ventilated truck. Protect cylinder and labels from physical damage. The owner of the compressed gas cylinder is the only entity allowed by federal law (49CFR) to transport and refill them. It is a violation of transportation regulations to refill compressed gas cylinders without the express written permission of the owner.

Incompatibilities

Vinyl bromide is a dangerous chemically unstable compound that may polymerize spontaneously in heat, sunlight and possibly exposure to UV. Dangerously reactive with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, acetylene, strong acids, strong bases, copper compounds. Add 0.1% phenol to gas to prevent polymerization.

Waste Disposal

Return refillable compressed gas cylinders to supplier. Nonrefillable cylinders should be disposed of in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. Allow remaining gas to vent slowly into atmosphere in an unconfined area or exhaust hood. Refillabletype cylinders should be returned to original supplier with any valve caps and outlet plugs secured and valve protection caps in place.