Aluminium oxide

CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE IDENTIFICATION

Chemical name                 

Aluminum Oxide [1]

Synonyms                           

Aluminium oxide [1], alumina,  aloxide, aloxite, or alundum, depending on particular forms or applications [wiki]

IUPAC name

dialuminum;oxygen(2-) [1], oxo[(oxoalumanyl)oxy]alumane [4]

CAS No

1344-28-1

REACH registration number

EC No

Molecular formula              

Al₂O₃

Substance group/chemical family

mono-constituent substance

Appearance

Physical state

Odour

Form

Colour

 solid

odourless

crystalline powder

white

USES AND HANDLING ISSUES

Relevant identified uses

Production of aluminium, manufacture of abrasives, refractories, ceramics, electrical insulators, catalyst and catalyst supports, paper, spark plugs, crucibles and laboratory wares, adsorbent for gases and water vapors, chromatographic analysis, fluxes, light bulbs, artificial gems, heat resistant fibers, food additive (dispersing agent). Activated alumina is/ an effective desiccant for gases and vapors in the petroleum industry. Also used as catalyst or catalyst carrier in chromatography, and in water purification [1]

Handling considerations

HANDLING
Ensure good ventilation / local exhaust at the workplace in the case of operations generating dust. Avoid creating dusty conditions. Avoid inhalation and skin and eye contact. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment. 
STORAGE
Requirements to be met by store rooms and receptacles: Store in dry ventilated area. [4]

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Molecular weight                                  

101.961 g/mol [1]

Bulk density/Specific gravity

3.4-4.0 g/cm³ [1] approx. 4 gm/cm³ [4]

pH

Particle size

 0.1 - 150 µm for coarse ground alumina, 0.15 - 250 µm for fine unground alumina, and 0.125 - 40 um for fine ground alumina. [4]

EC

Melting point

2054 °C [1, 2] 2000 °C [4]

Boiling point

3000 °C [1, 2]  2 980 °C [4]

Flash point

not applicable because  the substance is inorganic [4]

Flammability

 Not combustible [1]

Vapour density

Vapour pressure

0 mm Hg (approx) [1, 3], 1 mm at 2158°C [4]

Solubility in water

 insoluble [1], 0.00002 g/L at 20 °C [4]

Solubility in organic solvents

Not applicable because  the substance is inorganic

Solubility in inorganic solvents

Difficult solubility in mineral acids and strong alkali [1], when heated above 800 °C, it becomes insoluble in acid [1] 

Hydrolysis

Ionicity in water

Surface tension

  because water solubility is below 1 mg/L at 20°C  [4]

Dispersion properties

Explosiveness

there are no chemical groups present in the molecule which are associated with explosive properties

Other properties

Very hygroscopic; electrical insulator, electrical resistivity at 300 °C about 1.2x10+13 ohms-cm; very hard, about 8.8 on Mohs' scale [1]

Stability and reactivity

Chemical stability

Stable under normal conditions of use, storage, and transport. [4]

Reactivity hazards

 None [4]

Corrosivity

Polimerization

 Ethylene oxide may polymerize violently when in contact with highly catalytic surfaces such as ... the pure oxides of aluminium. [1]

Incompatibility with various substances

 None [4]

Special remarks on reactivity

Physical, chemical and biological coefficient

Koc

Kow

pKa

log Kp

Henry-constant

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE AND BEHAVIOUR

Artificial pollution sources

General terrestrial fate

General aquatic fate

General atmospheric fate

General persistence and degradability

Abiotic degradation and metabolites

Biodegradation and metabolites

According to the guidance given in Annex VII of REACH legislation and Chapter R.7B (Endpoint Specific Guidance) of the ECHA REACH Guidance Document, (2008), the requirements for “Ready biodegradability” can be waived if the substance is inorganic. [4]

Bioconcetration

The available evidence shows the absence of aluminium biomagnification across trophic levels both in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. The existing information suggests not only that aluminium does not biomagnify, but rather that it tends to exhibit biodilution at higher trophic levels in the food chain. [4]

Volatilization

Photolysis

Hydrolysis

Soil adsorption and mobility

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS

Measured data

ECOTOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION

General adverse effects on ecosystem

Acute toxicity (LC50, EC50)

Aquatic systems

Terrestrial systems

Chronic toxicity (NOEC, LOEC)

Aquatic systems

Terrestrial systems

HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS and PROTECTION

Routes of human exposures

inhalation, oral 

General effects

Endocrine disruption

Mutagenicity

Carcinogenicity

The carcinogenic risk from aluminium and its compounds has not been evaluated by IARC. However, IARC has deemed that that there is sufficient evidence to show that certain exposures occurring during the production of aluminium cause cancer in humans; therefore “aluminium production” has been classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group I) by IARC. [6]

Reprotoxicity

Teratogenicity

Skin, eye and respiratory irritations

Metabolism:

absorption, distribution & excretion

Exposure limits

 For workers: inhalation: (DNEL) 15.63 mg/m³ (both long term systemic and local effects) [4]

For general population: oral: (DNEL) 3.29 mg/kg bw/day (long term, systemic effects) [4]

Drinking water MAC

Other information

Animal toxicity data

Acute toxicity (LD50)

LD50 10 000 - 15 900 mg/kg bw (rat, oral)  [4, 5]

LC50 (4 h) 888 - 2 300 mg/m³ air (rat, inhalation) [4, 5]

LC50 (60 min) 7.6 mg/L air (rat, inhalation) [4, 5]

LC0 (4 h) 888 mg/m³ air (rat, inhalation) [4, 5]

Chronic toxicity (NOEL, LOEL)

NOAEL (rat, oral): 200 - 3 225 mg/kg bw/day [4, 5]

NOAEL (rat, oral): 141 - 302 mg/kg diet [4, 5]

NOAEL (dog, oral): 1 034 - 1 087 mg/kg bw/day [4, 5]

NOAEL (dog, oral): 90 mg/kg diet [4, 5]

NOAEC (rat, inhalation): 70 mg/m³ air [4, 5]

ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS

Warning! According to the classification provided by companies to ECHA in REACH registrations this substance is harmful if swallowed and is harmful if inhaled.

According to the majority of notifications provided by companies to ECHA in CLP notifications no hazards have been classified.[4]

According to REACH registrations:

H332: Harmful if inhaled. H302: Harmful if swallowed. 

According to CLP notifications:

H335: May cause respiratory irritation.  H370: Causes damage to organs. H372: Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.

EINECS regulation

̵listed by EINECS (European INventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances) List [4]

OSHA regulations etc.

OTHER INFORMATION, SPECIAL REMARKS

Classification and proposed labelling with regard to toxicological data

CREATED, LAST UPDATE

Created

2019. 08. 26

Last update

2020. 06. 18

REFERENCES

 [1] PubChem, Aluminium oxide, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aluminum-oxide#section=CAS, Accessed 2019.08.26

[2] ILO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC), http://www.ilo.org/dyn/icsc/showcard.display?p_version=2&p_card_id=0351,  Accessed 2019.08.26

[3] Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),  α-ALUMINA (ALUNDUM), http://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/chemResult.html?RecNo=242,  Accessed 2019.08.26

[4] ECHA, https://echa.europa.eu/hu/registration-dossier/-/registered-dossier/16039/1, https://echa.europa.eu/hu/brief-profile/-/briefprofile/100.014.265,  Accessed 2019.08.30

[5] European Commission, ESIS; IUCLID Dataset, Aluminum oxide (1344-28-1) p.61 (2000 CD-ROM edition). Available from, as of April 26, 2010: http://esis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/  Accessed 2019.08.26

[6] IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) (1987) Overall Evaluation of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs (Volumes 1 to 42). Lyon, France: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer.