MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
NOMACO, INC.
NOTE: Safety Handling Guidelines pages 7-9
1. CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION
Product Name ....................... : Foam Plastics
Product Codes ...................... : All polyolefin products
Chemical Family.................... : Polyolefin Thermoplastics
Formula ................................. : Not Applicable
Prepared Date....................... : November 1, 1996
Revised Date......................... : December 19, 2005
MANUFACTURER: EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Nomaco, Inc. Transportation:
501 NMC Drive CHEMTREC: 800-424-9300
Zebulon, NC 27597 Non-Transport: 919 269-6500
2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Polyethylene CAS # 009002-8804 75-100%
HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS:
INGREDIENT NAME
AND CAS NUMBER EXPOSURE LIMITS
Isobutane 000075-28-5 800 ppm TWA (ACGIH)
3. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW
White or colored solid. Poses little or no immediate hazard. Flammable vapors are produced in
unventilated storage. Toxic fumes are released in fire situations. Appearance: Flexible plastic
foam. Odor: No odor.
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS:
EYE .......................................................................... : Dust may cause irritation or eye injury
due to mechanical action.
Fumes/vapors emitted during hot-wire
cutting may cause eye irritation.
SKIN......................................................................... : Non-irritating to skin. Skin absorption is
unlikely.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 1 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
INHALATION............................................................ : Dust may cause irritation to the nose,
throat and lungs. Fumes/vapors
generated during hot-wire cutting may
cause respiratory irritation.
Concentrations of the isobutane blowing
agent incidental to proper handling of
the product are expected to be well
below the ACGIH recommended
exposure limit of 800 ppm.
INGESTION ............................................................. : None determined
SYSTEMIC EFFECTS
(OTHER TARGET ORGANS) .................................. : None determined
CARCINOGENICITY:
NTP .......................................................................... : Not listed
IARC......................................................................... : Not listed
OSHA ....................................................................... : Not regulated
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE.............................. : None determined
4. FIRST AID MEASURES
EYE .......................................................................... : Flush eyes with clean, lukewarm water
(low pressure) occasionally lifting
eyelids.
SKIN......................................................................... : Wash with soap and water.
INHALATION............................................................ : Remove to fresh air. If not breathing,
give artificial respiration. Oxygen may
be given by qualified personnel if
breathing is difficult. Get medical
attention.
INGESTION ............................................................. : Consult physician
5. FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
FLASHPOINT........................................................... : -117掳F (isobutane)
METHOD USED....................................................... : TOC
FLAMMABILITY LIMITS........................................... : LFL 1.8% by volume
UFL 8.4% by volume
(isobutane)
EXTINGUISHING MEDIA ........................................ : Water
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 2 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
SPECIAL FIRE FIGHTING PROCEDURES ............ : Full emergency equipment with
pressure demand self-contained
breathing apparatus and full protective
clothing should be worn by firefighters.
During a fire, irritating and highly toxic
gases may be generated by thermal
decomposition or combustion.
6. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES
SPILL OR LEAK PROCEDURES ............................ : No special precautions are necessary.
This product is a non-hazardous waste when spilled or disposed of, as defined in Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations (40 CFR 261).
7. HANDLING AND STORAGE
SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS ....................................... : Flammable vapors of isobutane may be
generated during unventilated storage of
large amounts of this product (for
example, in storage trailers).
WARNING: To prevent the build-up of flammable vapors, do not store large quantities of this
product in unventilated spaces including trailers. Transport bulk shipments of the
product in ventilated trailers only.
WARNING: To prevent potential fire or explosion, do not weld or apply intense heat to closed
containers which contain this product. Open closed containers in a well-
ventilated area away from sparks or open flames.
WARNING: This product is combustible and should not be exposed to sparks or open flames.
Large quantities of this product can burn rapidly and release toxic gases,
including carbon monoxide.
WARNING: Fabrication methods involving cutting of this product may release isobutane
remaining in the foam cell structure. Provide adequate ventilation to ensure that
isobutane concentrations remain below the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV)
of 800 ppm and the Lower Flammable Limit of 1.8% in air by volume to protect
workers and eliminate the possibility of developing flammable or hazardous
concentrations.
8. EXPOSURE CONTROLS/PERSONAL PROTECTION
ENGINEERING CONTROLS ................................... : Provide general and/or local exhaust
ventilation to control airborne isobutane
levels below the ACGIH TLV of 800
ppm.
EYE PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.................... : Wear tight-fitting safety goggles if there
is a potential for exposure to flying
particles.
SKIN PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS .................. : No special precautions.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 3 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS . : No protection is required if isobutane
levels are maintained below the ACGIH
TLV of 800 ppm. For exposures above
the TLV, take into consideration the type
of application, environmental
concentrations and materials being used
concurrently when selecting a respirator.
Observe OSHA regulations for
respirator use (29 CFR 1910.134).
EXPOSURE LIMITS................................................. : Not established for products as a whole.
Refer to Section 2.
9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL FORM.................................................... : Flexible solid
ODOR ...................................................................... : No odor. Residual isobutane is
colorless, with a gasoline-like or natural
gas odor. Butane is reported to be
detectable by odor at a range of 1262-
5048 ppm (AIHA, 1989).
VAPOR PRESSURE................................................ : Not applicable
VAPOR DENSITY .................................................... : Not applicable
BOILING POINT....................................................... : Not applicable
SOLUBILITY IN WATER.......................................... : Insoluble
DENSITY.................................................................. : 0-35 lb/ft3
10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
STABILITY ............................................................... : This is a stable material.
HAZARDOUS POLYMERIZATION .......................... : Will not occur.
INCOMPATIBILITIES............................................... : Strong oxidizing agents.
DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS.............................. : Carbon monoxide and other toxic gases
are generated under combustion
conditions.
11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
See Section 3 for potential health effects.
12. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 4 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
This product is inert to the environment and is not expected to exhibit any significant
biodegradation.
13. DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS
Waste may be reused, recycled or buried in an approved landfill. Follow all regulatory
requirements for disposal.
14. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
DOT SHIPPING REQUIREMENTS.......................... : Not regulated
TECHNICAL SHIPPING NAME ............................... : Polyethylene plastic foam
15. REGULATORY INFORMATION
OSHA STATUS........................................................ : This product is not hazardous under the
criteria of the Federal OSHA Hazard
Communication Standard 29 CFR
1910.1200. However, thermal
processing and decomposition
fumes/vapors from this product may be
hazardous as noted in Sections 2 and 3.
CERCLA RQ ............................................................ : None
SARA TITLE III:
SECTION 302
EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES........... : None
SECTION 311/312
HAZARD CATEGORIES.......................................... : Non-hazardous
SECTION 313
HAZARD CATEGORIES.......................................... : None
RCRA STATUS........................................................ : If discarded in its purchased form, this
product would not be a hazardous waste
either by listing or by characteristic.
However, under RCRA, it is the
responsibility of the product user to
determine at the time of disposal,
whether the product should be classified
as a hazardous waste (40 CFR 261.20-
24).
STATE RIGHT-TO-KNOW....................................... : The following product components are
listed by certain states as hazardous
substances noted below.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 5 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
Isobutane ................................................................. : NJ1, NJ3, PA1
NJ1........................................................................... : New Jersey Special Health Hazard
Substance
NJ3........................................................................... : New Jersey Workplace Hazard
Substand
PA1 .......................................................................... : Pennsylvania Hazardous Substance
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
(NFPA) RATINGS .................................................... : Health 0
Flammability 1
Reactivity 0
CANADIAN REGULATIONS.................................... : This product is not a 鈥淐ontrolled
Product鈥? under WHMIS.
16. OTHER INFORMATION
PREPARED BY........................................................ : Health & Hygiene
MSDS NUMBER ...................................................... : 001
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 6 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
Safety Tips for Handling Extruded Polyethylene Foam
Policy Statement
Nomaco is dedicated to quality and safety and we take product stewardship and safe handling of our
products seriously. Nomaco produces polyethylene foam products with customer satisfaction as a
primary objective. Our products are designed to provide you with consistently high quality to meet your
business demands. Our foam products use a blowing agent as part of the manufacturing process to
convert polyethylene plastic into foam products for your application. Without proper precautions, it is
possible to create and ignite flammable concentrations of blowing agent in air. The following
recommendations are designed to inform you of precautions that need to be followed to insure the
highest possible level of safety while using our products.
General Handling
Nomaco is listing precautions and recommendations to help you maintain the highest possible level of
safety when receiving, unloading, storing, handling, fabricating and shipping our polyethylene foam
products. Always refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for additional safety instructions.
Shipping Considerations
Nomaco transports foam using ventilated truck trailers, railcars and other transport vehicles to assure
that a flammable concentration of blowing agent released from the foam does not develop inside the
vehicle.
Nomaco will not load solid-sided truck trailers unless they are equipped with appropriate vents. The
minimum vent requirement for truck trailers are:
1. Minimum vent size is 15 square inches per 1000 cubic feet of transport vehicle space, both front
and rear of vehicle.
2. One vent should be placed low at one end of the trailer in the rear (tail) of the trailer.
3. A second vent should be placed high at the other end of the front (nose) of the trailer.
4. Vents must be unobstructed a minimum of 6 inches front and rear of the transport vehicle.
5. Vents must be permanently open, or must be capable of being locked or sealed in the open
position by the shipping crew.
Nomaco will not accept foam shipments, including returned goods, which have been shipped in
unventilated transport vehicles.
Opening of Vehicles Containing Foam
Although shipment in properly ventilated trailers and other vehicles should prevent the accumulation of
a flammable concentration of blowing agent during transport, the following additional precautions
should be taken when opening shipments of foam or other vehicles being used to store foam:
1. Extinguish all smoking or other ignition sources.
2. Verify that vehicle vents are open.
a. If vehicle vents are not open, open the vents and allow air circulation in the vehicle for at least
10 minutes.
3. Always allow air circulation in the vehicle for at least 10 minutes after opening the vehicle doors
before entering vehicles or moving foam.
Foam Packaging, Storage and Shipping
Foam should be stored only in ventilated areas. Foam should NOT be stored in closed, unventilated
area. Foam should not be stored in trailers. Smoking and all other ignition sources should NOT be
allowed in foam storage areas.
Foam parts being packaged for shipment should be placed in containers which will allow blowing agent
to escape. Plastic bags should be adequately ventilated.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 7 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
Foam Remnants (Scrap)
Foam remnants and scrap pieces should be stored in ventilated areas. Smoking and all other ignition
sources should NOT be allowed in areas where parts or scrap are being stored or loaded into vehicles.
Foam remnants and scrap parts being packaged for disposal or recycling should be placed in
containers which will allow blowing agent to escape. Plastic bags should be adequately ventilated.
Foam Fabrication
Fabricated parts may initially release blowing agent at higher rates than the same piece of foam prior to
fabrication because interior surfaces have been exposed. The blowing agent release rate then
decreases significantly in the days following fabrication. The release rate varies considerably with the
foam product fabricated, the size and shape of the part, the age of the foam, and the storage
temperature of the fabricated part. Operations which cut or destroy cells (such as skiving, die cutting,
routing and grinding) release blowing agent. Flammable concentration of blowing agent in air may
develop in localized areas where large numbers of cells are being cut. Blowing agent release should be
diluted with air to dissipate blowing agent in these localized areas. Never smoke or use other ignition
sources while handling or working with foam.
Thermal Fabrication and Lamination
To prevent buildup of blowing agent, air flow should be provided in areas of thermal fabrication and
lamination. To minimize potential ignition hazards, foam and heat/flame sources should be kept
moving in relation to each other.
Skiving
Flammable concentrations of blowing agent are possible between the two split layers of foam as
they emerge from the skiver. Air flow should be directed into the space behind the blade guide,
between the two split foam layers. Airflow should also be provided in any areas where foam is
stacked or stored after skiving operations.
Die Cutting/Band Sawing
To prevent buildup of blowing agent, air flow should be provided in the die press and band saw
areas. Airflow should also be provided in any areas where foam is stacked or stored after cutting
operations.
Grinding/Routing/Shaping
Equipment should be purged with a sufficient volume of air to assure released blowing agent does
not reach a flammable concentration. Positive air purge should be provided in any bins or hoppers
which receive the shreddings from these operations. Collection systems should be monitored to
ensure that high blowing agent concentrations will not occur when operations sit idle as a result of
temporary shut down or malfunction.
Reprocessing Foam Scrap
Grinding and/or densifying operations release residual blowing agent while reprocessing polyethylene
foam parts and foam scrap. Because of the potential to achieve flammable concentrations of blowing
agent in these operations, DO NOT REPROCESS FOAM PARTS OR FOAM SCRAP UNLESS USING
A REPROCESSING SYSTEM WHICH IS APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED AND OPERATED IN A FAIL-
SAFE MANNER TO PREVENT THE CREATION OF A FLAMMABLE CONCENTRATION OF
BLOWING AGENT IN AIR.
While you need to independently judge and analyze your operation, we believe the minimum air supply
for a reprocessing system is at least 50 cubic feet per minute of adequately mixed positive air flow for
every cubic foot per minute of foam fed into these reprocessing systems.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 8 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
Adequate air must be supplied throughout the entire reprocessing system, including any storage bins or
hoppers receiving output from the reprocessing system Reprocessing and collections systems must be
monitored to ensure that high blowing agent concentrations do not occur during normal operations,
temporary shutdown or malfunction.
Each reprocessor should also use his own independent judgment regarding the safety of reprocessing
foam parts or scrap in his facility. We strongly recommend that you consult with your equipment
manufacturer or contact a qualified party to obtain specific equipment recommendations for your facility
if you plan to reprocess, grind, or densify foam parts or scrap.
Although the blowing agent release rate decreases significantly in the days following foam fabrication,
we recommend that you ship fabricated parts and foam scrap in ventilated truck trailers or other
ventilated transport vehicles. These vehicles should be ventilated in the same way as vehicles used for
shipping unfabricated foam. Our products can be safely used in your operations as long as you keep
foam away from ignitions sources and provide adequate air circulation and ventilation in all areas
where foam is shipped, unloaded, stored, handled and fabricated.
Summary
Government entities may mandate adequate ventilation of the general workplace and storage areas to
assure proper industrial hygiene. Where adequate ventilation is provided to satisfy industrial hygiene
requirements, flammable concentrations of blowing agent should not develop. Always refer to the
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for additional safety instructions. Please contact us with any
questions you may have regarding the safe handling of our products.
Material Safety Data Sheet Product: Foam Plastics
N-MSDSBR-0404 Prepared Date: November 1, 1996
Page 9 of 9 Revised Date: December 19, 2005
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