much purer.  Chlordane was so heavy that it could only be shipped in 30-gal.

drums.  It was diluted by reformulators with kerose ne (5-10% chlordane, I

think).  The k erosene-chlordane mixture could be dispersed in water with the

aid of detergent to make an emulsion for field spraying and termite

treatment.  With the closure of t he Marshall, IL plant, acquisition of

Velsicol by Great Lakes Chemical (now part of Chemtura), and environmental
< /blockquote>

issues, chlordane manufacture was never re-started.   This might explain the

age of the drums.

Chlordane is  ;an impure mixture containing numerous chlorination byproducts

of cyclopentadiene and dicyclopentadiene.  The EPA pub lished a GC-MS study

of it ca. 1976 in Analytic al Chemistry which revealed dozens of compounds..

Velsicol had no idea of that complexity; we were using packed column GC< br>

technology for process control.  I'm not s ure that GC-MS will be useful for

identifi cation given the mixture of kerosene and chlordane. That would be an

identification nightmare.

Chlordane yellows with age.  The green f lame is from the Bielstein test for

chlorine.  The emulsion of the kerosene mixture is cloudy-white.  While the< br>

initial boiling point may be 27=C2=B0C, the boi ling point may rise quickly above

100=C2=B0C.  An ASTM distillation will give some idea of that.  Infrared

spectroscopy of the distillation fractions (10% volu me cuts) should show a

mixture of saturate d hydrocarbons and chlorination of saturated and

unsaturated hydrocarbons.  I'll be surprised if you can take the

distillation to a dry point before the flask conte nts start to smoke;

chlordane will likely break down before it distills.  If the low boiling

components are chlorinated by-products, they won't flash.

Hope this helps (and my memory isn't too inaccurate).

Rick Clark

Sr. Research Chemist

Curwood, Inc.

________________________________

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of

List Moderator

Sent: Monday, Decem ber 28, 2009 11:38 AM

To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Unknown Hazardous Chemical

From: Andrew Gross <gross.drew**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com>

Date: December 28, 2009 12:02:48 PM EST< br>

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Unknown Hazardous Chemic al

Hi Everyone,

My lab recieved a sample from a power plant that they do not know what

it is and wish to have it identified.  I am trying to ID it because

until I have a better idea it is on hold for all testing (read on to

find out why).  I'm hoping for some thoughts.

Sample is liquid in appearance, but lighter then di-chloromethane.  I

think it is actually an oil of some kind.  It is transparant yellow

and some say it smells like kerosene.

It forms a white emulsion when mixed with water.

T here is no flash point.  On closed cup method it flames out below
< /blockquote>

25C.  It does not ignite when exposed to direc t flame.  However it

boils around 27C.

Exposed flame turns green (like copper flame), vap ors also turn flame green.

When dried, it turns to a waxy white translucent crystal.  My closed

cup flame is still green meaning it is contaminated by the vapors.

Vapors in small quanteties (under hood) cause na usea, light headedness

and confusion.

pH is 6ish (litmus paper) although client claims it to b e caustic.

All PCB analysis came up negative.

The exposure effects are why all tests are on ho ld till we have a

better idea as to what were d ealing with as well as the remaining

tests for my department involve reacting with acid and pumping

nitrogen through it.

Thoughts, ideas, exp eriences?  Client has 5 unidentified drums of this

stuff and has no idea what it is.  We need to identify but I am not

going to put anyone in danger until I kn ow more about it.

Andrew Gross

< /blockquote>

______________________ __________

This email and any attachments may c ontain confidential and/or proprietary

informat ion. If you are not the intended recipient, you are not authorized

to read, copy or use the contents of the email or any a ttachment. If you

have received this email in e rror, please let us know by reply and then

dele te it from your system.