Sodium Azide

General Properties

 * Sodium Azide is not explosive except when heated near its decomposition temperature (300°C) or reacted with metals.


 * Sodium azide (solid or concentrated solution) should never be flushed down the drain since this practice can cause serious incidents when the azide reacts with lead or copper in the drain lines and explodes.


 * Sodium azide has high acute toxicity as well as high toxicity to bacteria in water treatment plants.


 * Note that metal shelves and other metal items used to handle sodium azide (i.e., spatulas) can also result in the formation of heavy metal azides and thus should be avoided.


 * Solutions of sodium azide do not pose the danger  associated with the solid form; however, the Hydrazoic Acid  generated when the sodium azide is dissolved is extremely toxic.
 * Sodium Azide is a mutagen -all contact with this substance should be limited.
 * Sodium azide and hydrazoic acid are known to produce hypotension and to form complexes with hemoglobin, blocking oxygen transport.
 * Inhalation of HN3 vapor results in hypotension, respiratory irritation, and NaN3 can penetrate skin.

Medical Research Uses
Sodium azide is a common preservative of samples and stock solutions in laboratories and a useful reagent in synthetic work.

==Possible  Substitutes (Preservative) ==
 * Thiomersal
 * Isothiazolones  (5-chloror-2-methyl-4isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one)
 * Kathon CG/ICP Preservatives (DOW and Sigma-Aldrich, a mixture of two isothiazolinones)

Possible Substitutes (Chemical Synthesis)
no known alternative