Shipping 1L Tert-butyllithium

There are eight steps to conduct when shipping hazardous materials and this includes classification, naming, packaging, marking, labeling, paperwork, and placard.  Tert-butylithium is classified as an organometallic substance, a pyrophoric liquid. It can catch fire when it is exposed to air and reacts violently with water to give off flammable gases and corrosive dusts. This chemical is corrosive to the eyes (may cause blindness), skin, nose, throat, and stomach. It can catch fire when exposed to body moisture or it it is exposed to air. Inhalation of the vapors may cause dizziness, nausea, anesthesia, numbness, motor weakness in fingers and toes, in-coordination, and headaches. If it is ingestion, it may produce a lung aspiration hazard. Flying this substance is considered to be not acceptable, but for sea and road transportation, the regulations are found under 4.2 (4.3) in the Guide to Shipping Biological Materials. Under its packaging groups, this chemical compound is rated to be a group 1 or group 2 substance. This ranking means that tert-butylithium is one of the more hazardous materials. Group 3 is considered to be the least.



Naming this material is considered to be an extremely important part of shipping hazardous materials. This is also referred to the PSN and is important for shipper and receivers and also any third party involved to identify and classify exactly what material is being shipped and how extensive and important it is to put in place precautions for handling it. The proper PSN name for shipping this item would be Tertiary-butyllitium. The next step for shipping hazardous materials is the packaging aspect. This is the step that is most important for selecting the correct packaging for shipping the materials in.  For this case, shipping one liter of this material should be properly packaged in a bulk package that specifies for less than exactly 450 liters of hazardous material. One way to package this bottle would be to contain it in a glass bottle and extract the material through a syringe.

(https://www.scisale.com/SIG186198-8L.html)

Tert-butyllithium packaging

Next, marking the package is important for making clear to transporters, shippers, receivers, and third party members the classification of hazards. This step of shipping hazardous materials is recognized as markings that are the shaped hazardous signs/markings. For these markings, they must be labeled in English and attached to the top/front of the package. For shipping one liter of tert-butyllitium, the markings should state "Dangerous When Wet" and "Spontaneously Combustible". Labeling this package refers to the diamond shaped hazard sign that is most recognizable. This label should also go on the top or side of the package and near the shipping name, and if there is more than one shipping label they must be at least 6 inches apart.

Once these steps have been completed, paperwork must be completed. The paperwork must be legible and written in English. The basic description of the material must be described in order starting with the proper shipping name, hazard class, UN number, and then the packaging group. For shipping 1 liter of tert-butyllithium, the proper format would be: T - BUTYLLITHIUM, HYDROCARBON SOLUTION, 4.2 (4.3), UN 3394, PG 1/2. Finally ones this has been addressed, the last step is the placard. This is considered to be information the shipper must supply the carrier with for the hazardous material. For the shipment of one liter of tert-butyllithium, the placard would be 172.548.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazardous_Materials_Transportation_Act)

Example of a shipping paper