Acetyl chloride production, hazmat classification, and environmental containment procedures

Properties of Acetyl Chloride

Acetyl chloride is a colorless, fuming liquid used primarily in the chemical industry.

a) How is acetyl chloride produced? If 915 gallons is produced and shipped, will DOT require the carrier to display the FLAMMABLE placard? Explain your answer.

The production process used to create the colorless liquid acetyl chloride [CH3COCl], which is also known by the terms ethanoyl chloride and acyl chloride, requires a controlled reaction between hydrogen chloride [HCI] and acetic anhydride [(CH3CO)2O] in the laboratory setting. This reaction can be described as (CH3CO)2O + HCl ? CH3COCl + CH3CO2H. An alternative method for deriving acetyl chloride involves the catalytic carbonylation of methyl chloride (Paquette 2005).

In the occasion large quantities of acetyl chloride are transported for industrial use, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) would require the carrier to display the FLAMMABLE (3) placard for a variety of reasons. First, because acetyl chloride is rated by the DOT's Guidebook for First Responders During the Initial Phase of a Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident as a toxic and/or corrosive substance that is both flammable and water-sensitive (2012), the FLAMMABLE (3) placard would warn first responders to avoid using water during their efforts.

b) When there is a bulk spill of this chemical, why is it necessary to prevent the liquid from entering nearby streams and lakes?

In the event of a major crash and spill situation involving a tanker or train hauling large quantities of acetyl chloride, the first priority for emergency management agencies should be to prevent the liquid from coming in contact with nearby streams, lakes, ponds, or any other source of standing water. These preventative measures must be taken because "acetyl chloride reacts violently with water to release heat and toxic and corrosive hydrogen chloride and acetic acid" (New Jersey, 2008), meaning any contact between the chemical and liquid water would result in a catastrophic chain reaction. Highly combustible by nature, acetyl chloride even reacts with the latent moisture present in the air, so a reaction between a stream or lake and sizable amounts of the chemical would prove to be disastrous. The intense heat produced by this interaction would cause flash fires and explosive reactions, releasing corrosive fumes that would quickly spread throughout the area.