PES Report: Part I. Evaluation Of Chemical Protective Clothing Field Test Methods Using Selected Garment Materials Against Methyl Isocyanate. Part II. Evaluation Of Chemical Protective Clothing.

Berardinelli-SP; Moyer-ES

NIOSH :42 pages

00159451

Protective clothing was evaluated for its ability to resist penetration by methyl-isocyanate (624839) (MIC). Twenty one different garment materials used to fabricate total encapsulating suits were tested against MIC on a specially designed vibrating apparatus in a permeation cell. MIC breakthrough times were measured. Materials which exhibited the longest breakthrough times were a Mine Safety Administration (MSA) aluminum laminate and a teflon/nomex laminate. The respective breakthrough times were 270 plus and 30 minutes for the nonflexed materials and 6 to 8 and 28 minutes for flexed materials. The other materials had mean breakthrough times of less than 10 minutes. Solubility parameters for MIC and methylamine (74895) were calculated. Attempts were made to correlate solubility with chemical permeation data. By comparing solubility parameter values with MIC permeation data, neoprene, silicone, Viton, and natural rubber were found to be unsatisfactory materials, having breakthrough times under 10 minutes. Against methylamine, nitrile, butyl, and Viton elastomers were suitable materials for protective garments, having breakthrough times of 44 hours. Neoprene, polyvinyl-chloride, and silicone would be expected to have breakthrough times of 1 to 4 hours.

NIOSH-Author; Physiology; Cytology; Occupational-exposure; Safety-equipment; Health-hazards; Occupational-hazards; Health-protection; Hazards; Occupations;

624-83-9; 74-89-5;

PB87-104014

A04

DSR;

Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, 42 pages, 18 references

VA; WV;