Nitrogen trifluoride

Synonyms

Nitrogen fluoride; Nitrogen fluoride (NF3); Perfluoroammonia; Trifluoroamine; Trifluoroammonia; [ChemIDplus] UN2451

Category

Other Toxic Gases & Vapors

Description

Colorless gas with a moldy odor. [Note: Shipped as a nonliquefied compressed gas.]; [NIOSH]

Sources/Uses

Used in high-energy fuels and in chemical synthesis; [ACGIH]

Comments

Causes liver/kidney injury in rats exposed to 100 ppm 7 hours/day, 5 days a week for 19 weeks; No fluorosis of teeth or bones in these animals; Listed in the table "Examples of Industrial Chemicals for Which Methemoglobin Formation is NOT the Principal Cause of Toxicity"; [ACGIH] May cause fluorosis after high, prolonged, and repeated exposures; [ICSC] "Rats died from exposure to 10,000 ppm for 60 to 70 minutes; the methemoglobin concentrations at the time of death were equivalent to 60 to 70% of available hemoglobin. Animals exposed to nearly lethal concentrations suffered severe respiratory distress and cyanosis due to methemoglobinemia; severely affected animals showed incoordination, collapse and convulsions." [NIOSH Guidelines for Chemical Hazards] See "FLUORIDES."

Biomedical References

Methemoglobin in blood = 1.5% of hemoglobin during or at end of shift. [ACGIH]

Insufficient data

10 ppm

10 ppm

1000 ppm

Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the mouse 4­hour LC50 of 2,000 ppm cited by Deichmann and Gerarde [1969]. Deichmann and Gerarde [1969] also stated that nitrogen trifluoride is a pulmonary irritant comparable in toxicity to the oxides of nitrogen. . . . Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.

LC50 (rat) = 6,700 ppm/1H

Not appropriate

400 ppm

800 ppm

MetHgb is secondary toxic effect

Hepatoxic (a) from occupational exposure (secondary effect) or (b) in animal studies or in humans after ingestion

Yes

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing