Orange lead

Flammability

Description of key information

Waiving for flammability in contact with water and pyrophoric properties; read-across used for flammable solids, from lead metal powder (testing according to EU Methods A.10).

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Flammability:

not classified

Justification for classification or non-classification

No classification required.

Flammable solids - read-across: the source substance, lead metal powder, could not be ignited with a flame and was thus deemed "not classified" under Regulation 1272/2008. Since lead tetroxide represents a further oxidised form of lead and is thus intrinsically less combustible than lead itself, a test conducted according to the same method can not reasonably be expected to yield any result other than "not flammable". Testing of lead tetroxide is not required in accordance with REACH Annex XI, Section 1.5 (read-across). Furthermore, during several decades of manufacture, marketing and downstream use, the substance has never been reported to exhibit flammability.

Pyrophoricity - waiver: Lead tetroxide does not contain any components that might lead to spontaneous ignition a short time after coming in contact with air at room temperature (circa 20°C), and long-term industrial handling of the substance has not yielded any pyrophoric behaviour.

The study can be waived (scientifically not necessary / other information available) because the substance is known to be stable in contact with air at room temperature for long periods of time.

Flammability in contact with water - waiver: Lead tetroxide does not contain groups that might lead to a reaction with water or damp air, leading to the development of dangerous amounts of gas or gases which may be highly flammable. Furthermore, experience in practical handling of the substance shows that it does not react with water, and experimental testing for water solubility has not reported formation of any gas.