Trifluoroethanol

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5638152· OSTI ID:5638152

Silberstein, S

Fluorinol-50 and -85 (containing 50 and 85 mole % trifluoroethanol (TFE), respectively) are candidate working fluids for truck and power plant Diesel bottoming cycles, respectively. TFE is self-extinguishing and chemically stable at its proposed operating temperature. Toxic effects were not seen in production workers at Halocarbon Products Corp., the manufacturer, but are apparent in animal studies. The most obvious effects upon acute or chronic inhalation exposure are intoxication, narcosis, and death, but there is wide disagreement on concentrations producing nervous system effects. Ethanol is an antidote. Sterility and impaired spermatogenesis were first noted at 50 ppM in male rats. These changes may be reversible. Exposure of female rats to 10 ppM produced enlarged ovaries. Functional tests of reproductive ability were not done, but they should be, since the above concentrations are not much higher than the recommended threshold limit value, 2.5 ppM. Skin contact with TFE can cause nervous system effects and even death; eye contact produces corneal opacity. Because of TFE's ability to penetrate intact skin, the Toxic Materials Advisory Committee of the US Department of Energy strongly recommended that a less toxic working fluid be sought. We fully concur. It is unknown whether TFE will add to the danger of truck accidents, but leakage of the small amount of TFE used probably will not contaminate drinking water.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 5638152
• Report Number(s): BNL-50964
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DIESEL FUELS
FLUIDS
FUELS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INHALATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
RATS
REPRODUCTION
RODENTS
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
WORKING FLUIDS