Why Zinc Metal Pigment should not need to be classified as dangerous good ?

* From Zinc powder/dust to Zinc Metal Pigment

Zinc powder is manufactured by air, water or centrifugal atomisation, or by a combination of these processes, of a stream of molten zinc metal. Subsequent operations are screening and packing.

The very fine zinc powder (also called zinc dust) is normally produced by condensation of zinc vapour in an inert atmosphere. If produced under these conditions, zinc powders would be pyrophoric and would have very bad flowing behaviour due to electrostatic loading of the particles.

UMICORE produces fine zinc powders by condensation as well as by atomisation processes during which a controlled oxidation of the powder is induced to ensure that it is non-pyrophoric and that it

allows for safe handling once cooled off. A free-flowing additive is added to improve the handling properties. The additive is one that is commonly used in the Coating industry while the brand names are considered proprietary.

Powders and zinc dusts, representative for the full product range, have been tested according to the test methods A.10, A.12 and A.13 of annex V of EU directive 67/548/EC and according to the test methods of chapter 14 of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. All test results were negative and the conclusions were thatnone of thezinc powder and zinc dust grades tested needed classification as flammable within the meaning of EU Directive 67/548/EC nor under classes 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 of the UN Transport Regulation. The results referred to are reported in the test reports BAM-II.2-916/04 of 15, 17, 18 and 22 February 2005.