Molybdenum Disulfide SDS – Safety Datasheet

Technical Datasheets (TDS)

Safety Datasheets (SDS)

Identification

  • Product Name: Molybdenum Disulfide
  • Chemical Formula: MoS2
  • Synonyms / Trade Names: Molysulfide®; molybdenum disulphide lube grade; molybdenum (IV) sulfide lube grade; molybdic sulfide; molybdenite; DAG 325
  • CAS Number: 1317-33-5
  • EC Number: 215-263-9
  • Product Use: Manufacture of heat-resistant lubricants in greases, oil dispersions, resin-bonded films, and dry powders; hydrogenation catalyst; anti-seize compounds.
  • Restriction of Use: Sales restricted to commercial users only.
  • Region: United States
  • Manufacturer: Climax Molybdenum Company, 333 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
  • Distributed By: Huron Industries, Inc., 2301 16th Street, Port Huron, MI 48060
  • Distributor Phone: 810-984-4213
  • Distributor Fax: 810-987-4199
  • Email: orders@huronindustries.com
  • Website: https://huronindustries.com/
  • Emergency Response: INFOTRAC: 800-535-5053 (Huron 89770); CHEMTREC: +1-800-424-9300 (USA)

Hazard Identification

Warning. May be harmful if swallowed.

Hazard Classification

  • Not classified under EU Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (CLP).
  • UN GHS: Acute Toxicity – Category 5.
  • Signal Word: Warning (UN GHS); none (EU CLP).
  • Pictogram: None.

Precautionary Statements

  • Prevention: None.
  • Response: Call a POISON CENTER or doctor if you feel unwell.
  • Storage: Keep container tightly closed.
  • Disposal: None.

Other Hazards: The substance does not meet the criteria for a PBT or vPvB substance. No environmental, toxicological, or physico-chemical hazards identified. Note: decomposes on heating to produce toxic fumes of sulfur oxides (SO2) and molybdenum trioxide, and reacts violently with hydrogen peroxide.

Composition / Information on Ingredients

  • Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) (CAS 1317-33-5; EC 215-263-9): >99%

The remainder is made up of multiple trace contaminants, each less than 0.1%, which do not contribute to the classification of the product.

First-Aid Measures

  • General Advice: First-aid responders should wear suitable personal protective equipment in case of insufficient ventilation or possible inhalation or eye contact.
  • Inhalation: If excessive dust is inhaled, exit the contaminated area. Encourage the patient to blow their nose to ensure a clear breathing passage. If irritation or discomfort persists, seek medical attention.
  • Skin Contact: If excessive skin contact occurs, remove all contaminated clothing, including footwear if necessary. Flush skin and hair with running water (use soap if available). Seek medical attention in the event of skin irritation.
  • Eye Contact: Check for and remove any contact lenses. (Removal of contact lenses after an eye injury should only be undertaken by skilled personnel.) Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water, occasionally lifting the upper and lower eyelids, for several minutes. If pain or irritation persists or recurs, seek medical attention.
  • Ingestion: If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. If vomiting occurs, lean the patient forward or place on the left side (head-down position, if possible) to maintain an open airway and prevent aspiration into the lungs. Never give liquid to a person who is drowsy or has reduced awareness. Give the victim water to rinse out the mouth, then provide liquid slowly. Seek medical advice.
  • Most Important Symptoms and Effects: Acute or delayed effects are not anticipated. No specific treatment is expected to be required.

Fire-Fighting Measures

  • Suitable Extinguishing Media: Standard extinguishing media such as water, sand, or foam. Use firefighting measures that suit the location and surroundings.
  • Unsuitable Extinguishing Media: None.
  • Special Hazards: Decomposes on heating and produces toxic fumes of sulfur oxides (SO2) and molybdenum trioxide. Reacts violently with hydrogen peroxide. Avoid reaction with hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate, and stray oxidizers. Under standard conditions, molybdenum disulfide is a slight fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
  • Advice for Firefighters: Move the container from the fire area if possible. Avoid breathing vapors or dusts; keep upwind. Use full firefighting turnout gear (bunker gear) and self-contained breathing apparatus with a full face-piece. Cool fire-exposed containers with water spray from a protected location.
  • Ignition Data (Super Fine, 2004): Minimum ignition temperature (5 mm layer) 380°C; minimum ignition energy (dust cloud) >1000 mJ; minimum ignition temperature (dust cloud) >1000°C; minimum explosive concentration (dust cloud) 125–150 g/m³.

Accidental Release Measures

  • Personal Precautions: Avoid dust cloud formation and inhalation of dust. Ensure ventilation that maintains airborne concentrations below Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs). Keep unprotected persons away. Although the substance has no or very low acute toxicity, avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing, and wear suitable protective equipment.
  • Environmental Precautions: In the event of an accidental release, prevent the product from reaching the sewage system, any watercourse, or the ground/soil. Secure the area around the spill to prevent material from being tracked into other areas.
  • Methods for Containment and Cleanup: Avoid formation and inhalation of dust. Use an appropriate industrial vacuum cleaner equipped with ULPA or HEPA filters. Collect spilled material in suitable containers or bags for recovery or disposal.

Handling and Storage

  • Handling: Avoid formation of dust clouds, inhalation, and ingestion. Follow general occupational hygiene practice: regular cleaning, no eating, drinking, or smoking at the workplace, and wearing standard work clothes and shoes. Wash hands after contact with the powder or fume. Do not blow dust off with compressed air. Avoid contact with skin and eyes and with incompatible materials. Use in a well-ventilated area. Avoid physical damage to containers and keep them securely sealed when not in use.
  • Storage: Store in a closed container in a dry area. Do not store in open, inadequate, or mislabeled packaging. Use metal cans, metal drums, or fiber containers. Product has an indefinite shelf life.

Exposure Controls / Personal Protection

  • US OSHA PEL (insoluble molybdenum compounds): 8-hour TWA of 15.0 mg/m³ (as total dust).
  • US ACGIH TLV-TWA: 10 mg/m³ (inhalable); 5 mg/m³ (respirable). Consider the OEL used in your locality as a control measure.
  • Engineering Controls: Provide local exhaust ventilation as needed to stay below the OEL. If engineering controls fail to control the risk of overexposure to dust or fume, wear a properly fitted, approved respirator.
  • Eye and Face: Use safety glasses with side shields or, as required, chemical goggles. Where there is a high potential for eye contact, an eyewash station should be readily available.
  • Skin, Hand, and Feet: Material may cause slight skin irritation over a prolonged time. Wear ordinary cloth, leather, latex, PVC, or laminate gloves of suitable thickness (minimum 1.0 mm). Use good-quality safety shoes or boots.
  • Respiratory Protection: If dust generation is excessive, use an appropriate, properly fit-tested dust-filtering respirator. Air-purifying respirators do not protect workers in oxygen-deficient atmospheres; use a supplied-air respirator if oxygen-deficient.
  • Thermal Hazards: None.

Physical and Chemical Properties

  • State: Powder
  • Appearance: Gray to black powder
  • Odor: Odorless
  • Melting Point: 1185°C
  • Flammability (solid): Not flammable
  • Explosive Properties: Not explosive
  • Vapor Pressure: 0.0 kPa at 20°C
  • Relative Density: 4.80–5 g/cm³ at 14°C (natural molybdenite); 4.96 ± 0.03 (re-purified MoS2)
  • Solubility in Water: Immiscible; 0 mg/L at 20°C (sinks in water)
  • Decomposition Temperature: >599°F (>315°C) — begins oxidization to MoO3
  • Auto-Flammability: ca. 290°C (layer) and 570°C (cloud)
  • Molecular Weight: 160.07

Stability and Reactivity

  • Reactivity / Stability: Stable under ambient temperatures and pressures.
  • Possibility of Hazardous Reactions: Molybdates react violently or explosively when reduced to molybdenum by heating with zirconium. Will not otherwise react or polymerize.
  • Conditions to Avoid: No specific conditions to avoid have been identified.
  • Incompatible Materials: Hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate, and most oxidizers. Violent reaction with hydrogen peroxide.
  • Hazardous Decomposition Products: Upon thermal decomposition, may produce hazardous molybdenum trioxide fumes and SO2 gas when burned.

Toxicological Information

The information in this section is consistent with the REACH Chemical Safety Reports for molybdenum compounds.

  • Acute Toxicity: Insoluble molybdenum compounds are characterized by low toxicity. LD50 (rat) > 5000 mg/kg.
  • Skin Corrosion/Irritation: Not irritating / not corrosive to the skin. LD50 (rat) > 16000 mg/kg.
  • Serious Eye Damage/Irritation: Not an irritant / not corrosive to the eyes.
  • Respiratory or Skin Sensitization: Not sensitizing to the skin.
  • Germ-Cell Mutagenicity: Not a germ-cell mutagen.
  • Carcinogenicity: Not a carcinogen.
  • Reproductive Toxicity: No reliable scientific data indicating adverse effects on reproduction or fertility.
  • STOT (Single and Repeated Exposure): No specific target-organ or adverse systemic effects identified.
  • Aspiration Hazard: Not applicable (not an aerosol/mist).

Molybdenum is an essential trace element required in nitrogen metabolism in the human body. Recommended occupational exposure limits incorporate a large margin of safety against potential pulmonary or systemic effects.

Ecological Information

  • Aquatic Toxicity: Molybdenum disulfide concentrate (lube grade) is not hazardous to the aquatic environment. The lowest acute reference values for fish, invertebrates, and algae are >100 mg Mo/L, and the lowest aquatic NOEC is >1 mg Mo/L (43.2 mg Mo/L for rainbow trout). Tests conducted in 1990 at levels up to 750 mg/L of powdered molybdenum disulfide (96 hr) resulted in zero mortality to rainbow trout.
  • Persistence and Degradability: When released into the environment, molybdenum disulfide rapidly dissolves and is present as the molybdate species under normal conditions.
  • Bioaccumulative Potential: No evidence of bioaccumulation or biomagnification in aquatic or terrestrial food chains.
  • Other Adverse Effects: Molybdate can contribute to molybdenosis (a molybdenum-induced copper deficiency) in ruminants such as cattle, deer, and sheep. A minimum dietary Cu:Mo mass ratio of 1.30 is recommended to prevent molybdenosis.

Disposal Considerations

  • Waste must be disposed of in accordance with national/federal, state, and local environmental control regulations. Disposal requirements differ by country, state, and territory—refer to local disposal codes.
  • For this product, reclaim and recycle should be considered before any other disposal method.
  • Do not allow wash water from cleaning or process equipment to enter drains. Decontaminate empty containers; observe all label safeguards until containers are cleaned and destroyed.

Transport Information

  • UN Number: None — Not Dangerous for Transport
  • Proper Shipping Name: None — Not Dangerous for Transport
  • Transport Hazard Class(es): None
  • Packing Group: None
  • Environmental Hazards: None
  • Other: Not regulated by ADR, RID, ADN, IMDG, IATA, or DOT (USA). Non-hazardous for transport.

Regulatory Information

  • TSCA Inventory Status: Yes
  • TSCA 12(b) Export Notification: Not listed
  • CERCLA Section 103 (40 CFR 302.4): No
  • SARA Sections 302, 304, and 313: No
  • SARA 311/312 Hazard Categories (Acute, Chronic, Fire, Reactivity, Sudden Release): No
  • State Regulations: Not listed on the California Proposition 65 list. Does not contain any contaminants or by-products known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
  • REACH: Exempt as per Annex V; chemical safety assessment not required.
  • Germany: Water Hazard Class WGK = 1 (low hazard to water).
  • Other: Not a SEVESO substance, not an ozone-depleting substance, and not a persistent organic pollutant. No known safety, health, or environmental restrictions in any country where this product is produced, imported, or marketed.

Other Information

  • HMIS (II): Health 1; Fire 1; Reactivity 0; Personal Protection D
  • HMIS (III): Health 1; Fire 1; Physical Hazard 0; Personal Protection D
  • NFPA: Health 1; Flammability 1; Instability 0
  • Version: 19 Feb 2014 (Creation Date: 13 Sept 2011)
  • Revision Number: 2
  • Issue Date: 05/13/2020
  • Prepared By: Debra Hardy

Disclaimer

The data contained herein are furnished for information only and are believed to be reliable. However, Huron Industries, Inc. and its affiliates (“HI”) do not assume responsibility for any results obtained by persons over whose methods HI has no control. It is the user’s responsibility to determine the suitability of HI’s products or any production methods mentioned herein for a particular purpose, and to adopt such precautions as may be advisable for the protection of property and persons against any hazards that may be involved in the handling and use of any HI products. In light of the foregoing, HI specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, arising from the sale or use of HI’s products. HI further disclaims any liability for consequential or incidental damages of any kind, including lost profits.

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