Silicon tetrachloride

Synonyms

Chlorid kremicity [Czech]; Silane, tetrachloro-; Silicio(tetracloruro di); Silicium(tetrachlorure de) [French]; Siliciumtetrachlorid [German]; Siliciumtetrachloride [Dutch]; Silicon chloride (SiCl4); Tetrachlorosilane; Tetrachlorosilicon; Tetrachlorure de silicium [French]; UN1818; [ChemIDplus]

Category

Chlorosilanes

Description

Colorless fuming liquid with a suffocating odor; [HSDB]

Sources/Uses

Used to produce military smokescreens; Used to manufacture silicones, fused silica glass, fumed silica, “silica fiber optic waveguides,” transistors, and other chemical products; [HSDB]

Comments

Decomposes in water to release hydrochloric acid; [Merck Index # 8500] Contact can cause severe burns to skin and eyes; Inhalation can cause pulmonary edema; [CAMEO] Silicon tetrachloride is a skin irritant. [Quick CPC] Corrosive to rabbit skin when applied undiluted; In a spill accident, several people were treated for burning of the eyes and respiratory tract; in most cases, symptoms cleared within 24 hours; [AIHA]

Biomedical References

Yes

Yes

236 mm Hg

LC50 (rat) = 8,000 ppm/4H

Explanatory Notes

Boiling Point = 135.7 degrees F; [CAMEO] Not TIH in land-based spills, but TiH substance released when spilled in water; [ERG 2016]

0.75 ppm

5 ppm

37 ppm

Ceiling = 1 ppm

Yes

Skin burns

Diseases

Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:

• Pneumonitis, toxic

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Glass Manufacturing
• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Toxic Gas from Spilling Chemical in Water