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Product Name: Mercuric Oxycyanide Desensitized
Chemical Formula: Hg2CNO
Synonyms: Mercury oxycyanide, Oxycyanide of mercury, Mercurous oxycyanide
Recommended Use: Laboratory reagent, explosives research (desensitized form intended for safer storage and handling)
Manufacturer: Not specified here – refer to supplier’s original documentation
Emergency Contact: Refer to local poison control and hazardous materials response services immediately after any suspected exposure
GHS Classification: Acute toxicity (oral, dermal, inhalation); Acute aquatic hazard; Specific target organ toxicity; Carcinogenicity suspected
Pictograms: Skull and crossbones, environment, health hazard
Signal Word: Danger
Hazard Statements: Fatal if swallowed, in contact with skin, or inhaled; Causes damage to kidneys, nervous system, liver, and respiratory tract; Very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects
Precautionary Statements: Avoid breathing dust, mist, or vapors; Use explosion-proof equipment only; Do not release to environment; Wear splash-proof goggles, impervious gloves, chemical apron, and respiratory protection; Wash hands thoroughly after handling
Chemical Identity: Mercuric Oxycyanide
Concentration: ≥ 98% (desensitized with inert medium, e.g., >2% stabilizer such as dextrin, sand, or talc)
CAS Number: 12269-79-5
Impurities: Trace levels of free cyanides, mercury(II) ions, moisture possible depending on storage
Hazardous Components: Mercury(II) compounds, free cyanide byproducts
Stabilizing Agents: Varies by production, generally listed as proprietary, not reactive with the main component but weakens explosive potential
Eye Contact: Flush immediately with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes; remove contact lenses; seek medical attention urgently
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothes; wash skin with soap and water; do not scrub forcibly; consult medical care promptly
Inhalation: Move person to fresh air; keep at rest and warm; administer artificial respiration if unconscious and breathing stops; immediate medical help required
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting; rinse mouth with plenty of water provided person is conscious; seek emergency medical help without delay
Note to Physician: Treat mercury and cyanide poisoning with standard chelation protocols and supportive measures; monitor renal, neurological, and cardiovascular functions
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Use only dry sand, dry chemical powder, or Class D extinguishing agents; water jet creates risk of explosion and spreads contamination
Fire Hazards: Sensitive explosive, shock and heat may trigger violent detonation; hazardous decomposition includes mercury vapor, cyanide gases, nitrogen dioxide
Protective Equipment: Full chemical-resistant gear with self-contained breathing apparatus required for all personnel; evacuate the area if safe containment is not possible
Fire-Fighting Procedures: Remove unaffected materials from area if safe; do not fight fire in bulk quantities; avoid inhalation, as mercury vapor and cyanide gas are released
Personal Precautions: Keep untrained personnel away; ventilate affected area; avoid creating dust; wear chemical protective clothing, eye protection, gloves, and NIOSH-approved respirator appropriate for mercury and cyanide dusts/vapors
Environmental Precautions: Prevent material from entering drains or waterways; isolate spill area; contain with barriers such as sand to reduce spread
Cleanup Methods: Collect spill with non-sparking tools; sweep up gently and transfer to sealed, secure containers; clearly label all containers and arrange immediate disposal through hazardous waste specialists
Handling: Handle under fume hood or in well-ventilated lab designed for explosive/toxic materials; avoid friction, shock, and static electricity; keep containers closed and handle away from heat or ignition sources
Storage: Store in approved, secure, and dedicated explosives cabinet, ideally in desensitized form with inert packing; maintain strong ventilation in storage area; keep separate from oxidizers, acids, and food items; check container integrity regularly; label areas appropriately
Special Recommendations: Limit access to trained staff; maintain detailed usage logs; implement regular training and incident drills
Exposure Limits: Mercury (as Hg): TLV (ACGIH) 0.025 mg/m³ (TWA); Cyanides as CN: TLV (ACGIH) 5 mg/m³
Engineering Controls: Use explosion-proof, forced-ventilated enclosures; implement local exhaust ventilation; regularly inspect equipment
Personal Protective Equipment: Impermeable gloves (nitrile preferred), chemical-resistant suit, closed-toe shoes, splash-resistant goggles, face shield for bulk handling; P3-level particulate filter respirator with mercury/cyanide cartridge
Hygiene Measures: Wash hands and face thoroughly before breaks and after end of work; do not eat, drink, or smoke around the substance; regular testing for workplace mercury contamination
Physical State: Fine yellowish-white or off-white crystalline powder, often slightly moist due to desensitizing component
Odor: None in solid state, but volatilizes irritating fumes on heating
Molecular Weight: 288.42 g/mol
Melting Point: Decomposes below 200°C without melting
Solubility: Practically insoluble in water; decomposes in moist air, forming toxic products
Vapor Pressure: Negligible at room temperature
Density: 5.15 g/cm³
Explosive Properties: Can detonate with heat, friction, or impact; desensitizers reduce but do not eliminate risk
Stability: Unstable without regular monitoring; risk increases under heat, open flame, friction, or with desensitizer loss
Incompatible Materials: Acids, bases, strong oxidizers, reductants, sulfur compounds, ammonia; metal salts can initiate dangerous reactions
Hazardous Decomposition Products: Mercury vapor, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide if organic desensitizer used
Polymerization: Does not polymerize, but decomposes explosively under stress
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact
Acute Effects: Severe poisoning with neurological, renal, cardiovascular, and respiratory collapse; rapid onset of delirium, convulsions, and coma in severe cases
Chronic Effects: Persistent mercury accumulates in tissues, causing neurological degeneration, tremors, memory loss, behavioral changes; possible kidney and liver failure; skin contact may produce dermatitis
Carcinogenicity: Mercury compounds are classified as possible human carcinogens, though evidence remains limited; chronic cyanide exposure can cause nervosity and thyroid damage
Epidemiological Data: Laboratory exposures have produced acute and chronic poisoning cases; deaths reported with small accidental doses
Toxicity to Aquatic Life: Extremely toxic to fish, invertebrates, amphibians at microgram-per-liter concentrations; mercury bioaccumulates in food chains
Fate in Environment: Mercury and cyanide released can persist in soil and water; conversion to methylmercury magnifies toxicity in living organisms; potential for catastrophic ecosystem damage from contamination
Persistence and Degradability: Low degradation rate; both cyanide and mercury persist and travel in environment
Bioaccumulation: High bioconcentration in aquatic species; dangerous to wildlife at all trophic levels
Waste Treatment Methods: Collect all remains and cleaning materials in sealed, clearly labeled hazardous waste containers; do not wash into drains or incinerate untreated; arrange disposal through licensed toxic waste handlers capable of mercury and cyanide neutralization
Special Precautions: Record batch amounts leaving facility; decontaminate all contacted surfaces under specialist supervision
Container Disposal: Triple rinse empty containers with appropriate neutralizing agent, collect all rinse in waste; mark as containing highly toxic residues
UN Number: UN 1645
UN Proper Shipping Name: Mercuric Oxycyanide, desensitized
Transport Hazard Class: 6.1 (Toxic substances), Additional explosive hazard
Packing Group: I (great danger)
Marine Pollutant: Yes
Special Transport Precautions: Only trained and licensed carriers may transport; shipments in secure, sealed insulating containers; notify emergency response centers along route as required by local, national, and international hazardous materials law
Transport Labeling: Poison, Marine Pollutant, Explosive (if applicable to form)
OSHA Regulations: Strictly listed hazardous substance — highly regulated for handling, storage, and reporting
EPA Listings: CERCLA hazardous substance; RCRA hazardous waste U151; TSCA inventory noted
International Regulations: Controlled substance under most national explosive and toxic materials acts; included in the Rotterdam Convention for prior informed consent before trade
Workplace Restrictions: Only certified staff may handle; annual health surveillance mandated in most countries; regular inspections and compliance with all regional and global chemical safety regulations
Community-Right-to-Know: Facilities must maintain safety data sheets and provide access for emergency services
