Silver Nitrate, ACS/ISO Grade

1. Identification

Product Identifiers

Product Name

Silver Nitrate, ACS/ISO Grade - DISCONTINUED

Other Names

Silver Nitrate AR, Silver Nitrate LR

Product Number(s)

C139, C1391, C1395

CAS Number

7761-88-8

Recommended use of the chemical and restriction on use

Company Details

Emergency Contact Details

2. Hazards Identification

Classification of the substance or mixture

Label Elements

Signal Words

None

Hazard Statement(s)

H272 May intensify fire; oxidiser.H304: May be fatal if swallowed and enters airwaysH314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.

Precautionary Statement(s)

• P210 Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames/hot surfaces. - No smoking.
• P220 Keep/Store away from clothing/.../combustible materials.
• P221 Take any precaution to avoid mixing with combustibles ...
• P260 Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
• P264 Wash thoroughly after handlingP301±P310: If swallowed: Immediately call a poison center/doctorP301±P330±P331 - If swallowed: Rinse mouth. Do not induce vomitingP303±P361±P353: If on skin (or hair) Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower P304±P340: If Inhaled. remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathingP305±P351±P338 If in eyes: Rince cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. P321: Specific treatment (see this label)P363: Wash contaminated clothing before reuseP405 Store locked up.P501: Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local regional/national/international regulations.P273 Avoid release to the environment.
• P280 Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.

Primary route(s) of entry

Human Health

Inhalation

• P304±P340 IF INHALED: Remove victim to fresh air and keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing.
• P310 Immediately call a POISON CENTRE or doctor/physician.

Ingestion

P301±P330±P331 IF SWALLOWED: rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. Drink copious amounts of water and rovide freash air. P310 Immediately call a POISON CENTRE or doctor/physician

Eyes

P305±P351±P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. Consult medical advise

Skin

• P303±P361±P353 IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower.
• P363 Wash contaminated clothing before reuse.

Environment

3. Composition / Information on Ingredients

4. First Aid Measures

Ingestion

• Rinse mouth thoroughly with water immediately, repeat until all traces of product have been removed.
• DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Seek immediate medical advice.

Inhalation

If inhaled, remove from contaminated area to fresh air immediately. Apply artificial respiration if not breathing. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Immediately obtain medical aid if cough or other symptoms appear.

Skin Contact

Wash affected area thoroughly with copious amounts of running water. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. If symptoms develop seek medical attention.

Eye Contact

• Immediately irrigate with copious quantity of water for at least 15 minutes. Eyelids to be held open.
• Seek medical attention.

Other Information

No further relevant information available.

5. Firefighting Measures

Suitable extinguishing equipment

Fire

USE FLOODING QUANTITIES OF WATER. Use dry chemicals, CO₂ powder or water spray. If safe to do so, move undamaged containers from fire area. Do not move cargo if cargo has been exposed to heat.

Large Fire

Flood fire area with water from a protected position. Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out - If impossible, withdraw from area and let fire burn. Avoid getting water inside containers: a violent reaction may occur. Dam fire control water for later disposal.

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Special protective equipment and precautions for fire fighters

6. Accidental Release Measures

Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures

• Eliminate all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flame) within at least 15m. Do NOT touch or walk through this product. Stop leak if safe to do so. Prevent entry into waterways, drains, confined areas. Prevent dust cloud. Use clean non-sparking tools to collect material and place it into loosely-covered plastic containers for later disposal.
• SEEK EXPERT ADVICE ON HANDLING AND DISPOSAL

Environmental precautions

Not available

Methods and materials for containment and clean up

• Sweep up (avoid generating dust) and using clean non-sparking tools transfer to a clean, suitable, clearly labelled container for disposal in accordance with local regulations.
• Most organisations using silver compounds collect all silver residues for subsequent recovery. Any solids spilt may be swept up for eventual recovery or disposal. Solutions could be washed to drain with a large volume of water, or alternatively treated with a salt solution and the resulting silver chloride collected for subsequent recovery.

7. Handling and Storage

Precautions for safe handling

Avoid ingestion and inhalation of vapour or dust. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, clothing and other combustible materials. Avoid prolonged or repeated exposure. If ingested, seek medical advice immediately and show the container or the label. Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Ensure good ventilation at the workplace. Use with adequate ventilation. In case of insufficient ventilation, wear suitable respiratory equipment. This substance is an oxidiser and its heat of reaction with reducing agents or combustibles may cause ignition. Heat, shock, friction, or contact with other materials may cause fire or explosion. Keep away from heat and all sources of ignition - No smoking. Keep container dry. Wash thoroughly after handling. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. Discard contaminated shoes.

Conditions for safe storage

• Keep container tightly closed when not in use, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from incompatible substances. Keep well closed and protected from light and moisture. Sensitive to light. Store in light-resistant containers. Avoid storage on wood floors. Avoid contact with organics. Separate from acids, alkalies, reducing agents and combustibles. Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames and all sources of ignition. Oxidizing materials should be stored in a separate safety storage cabinet or room.
• Unsuitable Materials: Wooden, metal, cardboard or paper.

8. Exposure Controls / Personal Protection

Exposure Standards

Engineering controls

• Maintain eyewash fountain and safety shower in work area.
• In industrial situations maintain the concentrations values below the TWA. This may be achieved by process modification, use of local exhaust ventilation, capturing substances at the source, or other methods.

Personal protective equipment

Eye and face protection

• The use of a face shield, chemical goggles or safety glasses with side shield protection as appropriate.
• Must comply with Australian Standards AS 1337 and be selected and used in accordance with AS 1336.

Skin protection

• Hand protection should comply with AS 2161, Occupational protective gloves - Selection, use and maintenance.
• Recommendation: Excellent: NR latex, vinyl and neoprene. Good: Nitrile rubber gloves

Body protection

• Final choice of personal protective equipment will depend on individual circumstances and/or according to risk assessments undertaken.
• Flame retardant protective clothing. Clean clothing or protective clothing should be worn, preferably with an apron. Clothing for protection against chemicals should comply with AS 3765 Clothing for Protection Against Hazardous Chemicals.

Respiratory protection

Where ventilation is not adequate, respiratory protection may be required. Avoid breathing dust, vapours or mists. Respiratory protection should comply with AS 1716 - Respiratory Protective Devices and be selected in accordance with AS 1715 - Selection, Use and Maintenance of Respiratory Protective Devices. Filter capacity and respirator type depends on exposure levels. In event of emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations a positive pressure, full-face piece SCBA should be used. If respiratory protection is required, institute a complete respiratory protection program including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection.

9. Physical and Chemical Properties

General information

Appearance

Solid Colourless, transparent, tabular, rhombic crystals or white crystalline powder, becoming gray or grayish-black on exposure to light in the presence of organic matter.

Odour

Odourless

pH

Aqueous and alcoholic soln are neutral to litmus; pH 5.4 - 6.4 (100 g/l H2O).

Vapour Pressure

Not available

Density

5.8

Boiling Point

433 °C

Melting Point

212 °C

Solubility

Very soluble, 1220 g/l at 0 °C

Specific Gravity of Density

4.352

Flash Point

Not available

Flammable (Explosive) Limits

Not combustible but assists combustion of other substances

Ignition Temperature

• Many reactions may cause explosion.
• Reacts with ammonia to form compounds that are sensitive to mechanical shock.
• Silver nitrate mixed with dry powdered magnesium may ignite explosively on contact with a drop of water.
• An explosive fulminate may be formed if silver nitrate is mixed with alcohols

Formula

AgNO₃

10. Stability and Reactivity

Reactivity

No further relevant information available

Chemical stability

Stable at room temperature in closed containers under normal storage and handling conditions. Light sensitive. Darkens on exposure to light.

Possibility of hazardous reactions

Reacts with acetylene in presence of ammonia to form silver acetylide, a sensitive powerful detonator when dry. In the absence of ammonia, or when calcium acetylide is added to a silver nitrate soln, explosive double salts of silver acetylide and silver nitrate are produced. Mercurous acetylide precipitates silver acetylide from aqueous nitrate. Reaction with chlorosulfonic acid is violent with nitrosulfonic acid being formed. Reduced by hydrogen sulfide in the dark. Easily reduced to metallic silver by ferrous salts, arsenites, hypophosphites, tartrates, sugars, tannins, volatile oils. Dry powdered magnesium and silver nitrate may ignite explosively on contact with a drop of water. Reaction with ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and stirring may be explosive. Reaction with phosphorus, or sulphur, and shock may be violently explosive. Reaction with charcoal and shock may result in ignition. Highly sensitive explosive is formed when calcium carbide is added to silver nitrate solution. Reaction with alcohols may form an explosive fulminate. When purified phosphine was passed rapidly into a concentrated solution of silver nitrate an explosion occurred.

Conditions to avoid

Heat, flame, sources of ignition, light, contamination and incompatible materials.

Incompatible materials

• Reducing agents, combustible materials, organic materials, easily oxidised materials, acetylene ± ammonia, acetylidene, alcohols, aldehydes, alkalis, alkali hydroxides, ammonia, ammonium compounds, antimony salts, arsenites, benzalkonium chloride, bromides, carbonates, carbides, charcoal, chlorides, chlorosulfonic acid, creosote, ferrous salts, halogenated acids and their salts, hydrazine and derivatives, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide, hypophosphites, iodides, magnesium in powder form (with water), morphine salts, nitriles, non-metals, oils, organic nitro compounds, phosphates, sodium hydroxide, sugars, tannic acid, tannins, tartrates, thimerosal, thiocyanates, vegetable decoctions, and extracts, volatile oils.
• Hazardous Decomposition Products: Oxygen, toxic fumes, nitrous gases, toxic oxides of nitrogen, silver/silver oxides.

11. Toxicological Information

Acute effects

No further relevant information available.

Eye contact

Corrosive. Can cause blurred vision, redness, pain, severe tissue burns and eye damage.

Skin contact

Corrosive. Symptoms of redness, pain, and severe burn can occur.

Ingestion

Corrosive. Swallowing can cause severe burns of the mouth, throat, stomach and gastrointestinal tract.Can cause sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea. Poison. Symptoms include pain and burning in the mouth, blackening of the skin and mucous membranes, throat, and abdomen, salivation, vomiting of black material, diarrhoea, collapse, shock, coma and death. Ingestion of soluble silver salts may cause argyria, characterised by permanent blue-gray pigmentation of the skin, mucous membranes, and eyes. Lethal dose for humans is 2 grams, or about 28.6 mg/kg.

Inhalation

Extremely destructive to tissues of the mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract. Symptoms may include severe irritation, burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, laryngitis, shortness of breath, breathing difficulty, headache, nausea, vomiting and possible coma. May be absorbed into the body following inhalation with symptoms paralleling those from ingestion exposure. Dust deposits in the lungs may resemble a form of pneumoconiosis. Inhalation of silver metal dust and fume or of soluble silver compounds may eventually cause argyria, an unsightly blue-gray discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes, including gum tissue and conjunctiva of the eyes.

Toxicity and irritation

* Nitrate or nitrite (ingested) under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation are evaluated in the IARC Monographs (Vol. 94; in preparation) as Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans.* Carcinogenicity Evidence of reproductive effects. May cause methemoglobinemia, which is characterised by chocolate-brown coloured blood, headache, weakness, dizziness, breath shortness, cyanosis (bluish skin due to deficient oxygenation of blood), rapid heart rate, unconsciousness and possible death. Repeated inhalation may cause lung disease. Chronic inhalation or ingestion of silver salts may cause argyria characterised by a permanent blue-gray discolouration of the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs. This malady results from the accumulation of silver in the body. Laboratory experiments have shown mutagenic effects.

12. Ecological Information

Ecotoxicity

Highly toxic for aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Forms corrosive mixtures with water even if diluted.

Persistence and degradability

Methods for the determination of biodegradability are not applicable to inorganic substances.

Bioaccumulative potential

BCF: 200; Highly bioaccumulative (Biological Concentration Factor 100-1000). Do not allow to enter waters, waste water, or soil!

Other adverse effects

No further relevant information available.

13. Disposal Considerations

General information

14. Transport Information

ADG label required

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UN Number

UN1493

Proper shipping name

SILVER NITRATE

Transport hazard class

5.1

Packing group

PG II

Environmental hazard

No information available

Special precautions for users

No information available

Additional information

• Packaging Method 3.8.5.1
• EPG Number 5B1
• IERG Number 31

15. Regulatory Information

Poisons Schedule Number

S6

Other Information

Listed in the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS)

16. Other Information

SDS preparation date

27 February 2026

Comments

This information is based on our present knowledge. However, this shall not constitute a guarantee for any specific product features and shall not establish a legally valid contractual relationship.

References

• 'Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons No. 6', Commonwealth of Australia, February 2015.
• Lewis, Richard J. Sr. 'Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary 13th. Ed.', Rev., John Wiley and Sons, Inc., NY, 1997.
• National Road Transport Commission, 'Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail 7th. Ed.', 2007.
• Safe Work Australia, 'National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals', 2011.
• Standards Australia, 'SAA/SNZ HB 76:2010 Dangerous Goods - Initial Emergency Response Guide', Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand, 2010.
• Safe Work Australia, 'Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances [NOHSC:1008 (2004)]'.
• Safe Work Australia, 'Hazardous Substances Information System, 2005'.
• Safe Work Australia, 'National Code of Practice for the Labelling of Safe Work Hazardous Substances (2011)'.
• Safe Work Australia, 'National Exposure Standards for Atmospheric Contaminants in the Occupational Environment [NOHSC:1003(1995) 3rd Edition]'.