1. PROPERHANDLINGAND STORINGOF SODIUM-POTASSIUMALLOY-NAK
REV.2-1-18-99
(OPEN ON ANNCR.TALKINGTO WORKER IN INDUSTRIALSETTING. ENTER DRIVER).
Driver:
AnotherNAKshipment.Justneedyoursignature,thenI'll pickupthe empties.
Anncr:
Sure, there yougo.
(DRIVERTAKESCLIPBOARDANDEXITS. ANNCRTURNS ANDFACESCAMERA).
Sodium-potassiumalloy,chemical name,NA,K-NAK.It'smade byCalleryChemical,adivisionof MSA.
We use NAKas a catalystfor makingibuprofen.Youmayuse NAKdifferently.Afterall,NAKdoeshave
quite a fewapplications.Infact,quite afew companiesare usingNAKsafely,onacommercial scale.I
shouldknow,because we're one of them.
It's importanttounderstandthatNAKis a veryreactive chemical,especiallyif youdon'tuse itproperly.
But, as longas you're careful andtake certainprecautions,workingwithNAKisbotheasyandsafe.

2. But whatexactlyisthe properway to handle NAK?Well,that'swhatwe're goingtocoverintoday's
program.In fact, we'll notonlyshowyouthe rightway to handle NAK,we'llalsoshow how totransfer
NAKfromthe shippingcylindertoyourstorage tank, detail special precautionsyoushouldtake,and
showhowto cleanup a NAKspill.
Now,let'sstart bylearningalittle more aboutthissubstance we call NAK.
(ANNCR.EXITSTO LAB AREA. THERE ARE TWO CONTAINERSON TABLE, ONEHOLDS SOLID SODIUM, THE
OTHER SOLID POTASSIUM).
Here we have two samples,one holdingsodium-chemical symbol NA-the otherpotassium-chemical
symbol K.Individually,bothsubstancesare solidatroomtemperature.Sodiumhasameltingpointof
208 degreesFahrenheit,potassium,147degreesFahrenheit.
But, if youheatthese twoelementstoliquid,andcombine appropriate quantitiesof them, theyform
the substance we call sodium-potassiumalloy-NAK.Normally,NAKis78 percentpotassiumand22
percentsodium.
NAKisan alloythat's liquidatroomtemperature.Infact,ithas a verywide liquidrange-from10degrees
to over1400 degreesFahrenheit.
NAKisalso an elemental material thatwon'tdecompose.
Silveryincolor,NAKhasa specificgravityof 0.855-whichmakesitlighterthanwater.Also,this low
densityalloyisnonvolatile atnormal andelevatedtemperatures,haslow vaporpressure,andbecause
it isa metal,ithas highthermal andelectrical conductivity.It'seasytosee whyNAKisideal formany
differentapplications.
Remember,too,thatNAKcan be veryreactive whenhandledimproperly.Forexample,NAKreacts
violentlywithwaterbyliberatingandignitingthe hydrogen.

3. (CUT TO LAB EXPERIMENTS).
Watch. A small amountof NAKispouredintoa stainlesssteelpan. A few dropsof water. . .
(CONTROLLEDEXPLOSIVEREACTION).
NAKhas otherhazards,too.
(ANNCR.DROPSA SMALL PIECE OF TEFLON INTONAK).
Whenit comesincontact withTeflon,averycommongasketand seal material,itreacts.
In additiontoproducinghydrogenandalarge amountof heat,whenyouexpose NAKtomoisture,it
producespotassiumhydroxideandsodiumhydroxide.Bothof these materialscancause causticburns
to eyesandskin,andare extremelycorrosive tocertainmetals,mostnotably,aluminum.Youshould
neveruse aluminumwhenworkingwithNAK.
NAK'sreactionwithmoisture generateshydrogengas.Andif the reactionisslow enough-asaresultof
dampair or steam-the hydrogenmayaccumulate athighspotsina buildingandpose a potential
hydrogenexplosive hazard.
In addition,cautionmustbe takenwhenexposingNAKtoair,because NAKwill reactwithoxygento
formoxidesandhydroxides.So,itmayignite spontaneously.
However,evenif the initial reactionwithNAKismild,youmuststill be careful, becauseafterprolonged
exposure toair,NAKcan formoxide,whichmaybe shocksensitive.
(CUT BACKTO ANNCR).

4. As you've justseen,the specifichazardsassociatedwithNAKare veryreal,butwiththe proper
precautions,theyare alsoverycontrollable!
For example,youshouldstore NAKinaroom or buildingthat'sdry,fire resistant,andconstructedwith
cementandsteel.
Also,nosprinklersystem, water,orsteampipesshouldeverbe insideaNAKstorage area.
The storage areashouldbe well ventilated,especiallyatthe highspots.Thisway,any hydrogenreleased
by the accidental contactof NAKwithmoisture,will notaccumulate.
Also,youshouldneverstore othercombustiblematerialswithNAK,suchassolvents,paper,wood
products,or otherchemicals,especiallyoxidizers.However,itisgoodpractice,tostore bothemptyand
full NAKcylindersinthe same place.
We alsorecommendforyouto have a supervisedsmokedetectionsysteminthe NAKstorage area.
In addition,it'simportanttomake sure thatany tanks or vesselsyouuse toprocessorstore NAKare dry
inside.
Don't store NAKcontainersinareaswithfloordrains,whichcontainwaterinthe trap.
Anddike anycontainmentareawhere it'spossible foraNAKspill orleaktooccur.
(DISSOLVEASANNCR.EXITS. BACKUP AS HE ENTERS WAREHOUSE FILLED WITH NAKCYLINDERS).
NAKisshippedinone of three differentsize cylinders.The twostandardsizesare the 750-pound
cylinderandthe 200-poundcylinder.There'salsoa25-pound

5. cylinderthat'savailable fromCalleryChemical atspecial request.
Please note the cylinderweightreferstothe emptycylinder.Whenthe cylindersare full,the weightis
nearlydoubled.Forexample,afull 750-poundcylinderweighsbetween1100 to 1250 pounds. Anda full
200-pound cylinderisbetween400 to 450 pounds.
All NAKcylindersare constructedof carbonsteel andthe majorityisownedbyCallery Chemical.This
meansthat once youtransferNAKfromthe shippingcylindertoyourstorage tank, youmust returnthe
emptycylinderstoCalleryChemical.
Neveruse a NAKshippingcylinderasa feedtank,weightank,meteringtank,orotherprocessvessel.
Usingit as such couldresultinthe accidental mixingof yourraw materialswiththe residualNAKthat
remainsinthe cylinder.Thismayleadtoa dangerousandunexpectedreactionthatcouldjeopardize the
healthandsafetyof personnel handlingthese cylinders.
Generally,CalleryChemical doesnotcleanoutthe shippingcylinderseachtime they're returnedfor
refill.Cylindercleaningisdone withsteamandwaterandisconsequentlyaveryhazardousoperation.
So,if there'sevenaslightpossibilitythataforeignmaterial-otherthannitrogenorargon-hasflowed
back intothe shippingcylinder,it'scrucial thatyoucontact and advise the CalleryChemical salesand
marketingdepartment.Thisway,contaminatedcylinderscanbe properlycleanedbefore theyare
refilled.
Notice thatthe cylindershave liftinglugsontopand forkliftopeningsonthe bottomforeasy
movement.
Once we openthe dome cover,you'll see twopipe connectorsorvalves-onehalf-inch,andanother,
eitherthree-eighthsorone-quarterof aninch.We'll refertothissmallervalve asthe ventvalve.The
half-inchvalve isattachedtoa dip/eductortube thatextendstothe bottomof the cylinder,andisthe
connectionthroughwhichthe NAKwill flow.

6. The smallervalve isconnectedtoa ventspace onthe threadof the cylinder.Youuse thisvalve for
ventingandintroducingpressurizedgasintothe cylinder.
We're now readyto transferNAKfromthe shippingcylindertoourdedicatedstorage tank.
(DISSOLVEASANNCR.CROSSESOFF, THEN BACKUP TO ANNCR.ENTERINGTRANSFERAREA. A 200-
POUND CYLINDERIS USED).
First,if there'severa possibilitythatyouoranotherworkermaycome indirectcontact withNAK,which
can happenduringtransfer,youmustwearthe appropriate personal protective equipment.This
includes...
(DISSOLVETO WORKERDRESSED IN NOMEX CLOTHING).
At leasttwolayersof fire-resistantNomex clothingorequivalent,withnocuffs...
(BUILDINGDISSOLVETO WORKERIN GLOVES).
Eitherleatherglovesormoleskin mitts...
(BUILDINGDISSOLVETO WORKERIN PROTECTIVEEYEGLASSES WITH SIDE SHIELDS).
Protective eyewearwithside shields...
(BUILDINGDISSOLVETO WORKERW/HARDHAT).

7. A hardhat.. .
(BUILDINGDISSOLVETO WORKERW/FACESHIELD).
Anda face shield.
(CUT BACKTO ANNCR.ASDRESSED WORKER(S) ENTERSTRANSFERAREA).
Our systemisalreadyhookedup.Let'swalkthroughthe variousconnections.Remember,youwill find
detailedhookupinstructionsinthe NAKtechnical andhandlingbulletinsuppliedbyCalleryChemical.
First,we placedthe NAKshippingcylinder-here,it'sa200 poundcylinder-insideadry steel pantocatch
any leaks.Youshouldalsoplace asteel panunderall hose and pipe connections,andanyotherareas
that may leak.
Also,sowe can keeptrack of the transfer,we placedthe NAKcylinderona scale.
A source of dry nitrogen-youcanalsouse dryargon-attachestothe ventvalve onthe NAKcylinder.A
pressure gauge isalsoinline.The inertgaspressure neededtopushNAKupthe diptube andintoyour
storage tank isbetweenfiveand15 psig.AlthoughNAKshippingcylindersare designedtowithstand
pressuresupto240 psig,D.O.T.regulationslimitthemtoa maximumpressure of 15psig.
Note too,that we alsohave a separate vent line-controlledbyavalve feedingoff ourdrynitrogenline.
Thisventline leadstoa dry trap downstreamof ourstorage tank.It's usedto back ventthe NAK
shippingcylinderafterthe NAKhasbeenremoved.

8. The NAKtransferline attachestothe cylinder'shalf-inchvalve.
A cautionhere...NAKreactsvigorouslywithTeflon.Forthisreason,donotuse Teflontape withanyof
the transferline connections.
The transferline,whichisseparatedbyapair of valves,leadstoyourNAKstorage tank.A secondsource
of nitrogen-orargon-leadstoa purge
Line that alsoattachesto the NAKtransferline.
As a precaution,the NAKstorage tankventsfirsttoa dry trap, thento a bubblerfilledwithmineral oil.
Nowthat you're familiarwiththe hookup,let'sbeginthe transfer.Yourfirststepisto purge the transfer
line.
Openthe purge valve,andadjustthe pressure tobetweenfive and15 psig.Then,openthe valve closest
to the storage tank. Letthe gas runa few minutestocompletelypurge the line.
Whenyou're finished,closethe purge valve,andopenthe transfervalve closesttothe NAKcylinder.
Fullyopenbothvalvesonthe cylinder.
Now,start feedingnitrogentothe cylinder.Remember,the pressure mustbe betweenfive and15 psig.
(ANNCR.POINTSOUTVIEWINGAREA IN TRANSFERLINE).
As youcan see,NAKisnowbeingtransferredfromthe shippingcylindertothe storage tank.

9. The scale helpsusmonitorthe weightasthe NAKcylinderempties.
(DISSOLVEINDICATINGPASSAGEOFTIME).
Once the cylinderweightstabilizesandthe NAKline beginstoshake,the transferiscomplete.
At thispoint,keepthe nitrogenline openandflowingforafew more minutes.Thisclearsthe transfer
line all the wayto the storage tank.Once clear,close the valve toshutoff the nitrogen.
Then,close the valve onthe transferline closesttothe storage tank.
Next,youwantto clearthe transferline backto the NAK cylinder.Todo this,youopenthe valve onthe
ventline andthenopenthe purge valve.
The purge gas will nowbackflowthroughthe transferline,cylinder,upthroughthe ventvalve,tothe
ventline,andintothe drytrap.
Let the nitrogenruna few minutestoclearout the lines.Thenclose the purge andventvalves.
Remove the nitrogenlinefromventvalve,andthreadinthe pipe plug.
Now,close the half-inchvalve.
Before youdisconnectthe transferline,place asteel catchpan below all the breakpoints.Then,
carefullydisconnectthe piping.If there'sanyresidual NAKstill trappedinthe line,the panswill collectit.

10. Replace the half-inchpipeplug.Double-checkthatthe cylindervalvesare closedandthe pipe plugsare
securelyinplace.Then,close andsecure the dome cover.
That's it,the standardprocedure fortransferringNAKfromitsshippingcylindertoyourstorage tank.
(ANNCR.CROSSESTOOTHER AREA).
A problemthatmayoccur fromtime to time isnotreceivingsufficientflow tomake the transfer.
To solve thisproblem,youshouldfirstcheckthe pressure onthe gauge.If needed,setitatthe
maximumpressure of 15 psig.
A special note here.If alarge liftisrequired,orif you're transferringNAKintoapressurizedtank,15psig
may notbe enoughpressure.Here,youmayneedapumpto make the transfer.However,if the
pressure issufficient,the problemmaybe acloggedventvalve.
Close the ventvalve tostopthe flowof nitrogen.Then,reopenthe ventvalvetodepressurize the NAK
cylinder.
Unscrewthe valve fromthe cylinderandlookcloselyforanyobstructionsinthe pipe nipple.
To check if the valve isopen,tryto blowsome nitrogenthroughit.Rememberthatthe pressure hasto
be enoughto allowaflow.Make sure you aimthe nitrogenflow inasafe direction.
If the valve'sclogged,youcaneithercleanitout,or replace itwithanothervalve tounloadthe NAK.
However,once the transferiscomplete,reinstall the pluggedvalve,tagitas
defective,andreturnit,alongwiththe emptyNAKcylindertoCalleryChemical.

11. If the blockage isinthe nipple,youcanclearit witha small diameterstiff wire-suchasacoat hanger.
While you're clearingthe blockage,make sure you're wearingthe properprotective equipment-which
includesgoggles,face shield,clothing,andgloves.
Whenthe obstructioniscleared,youmustbe careful,because asthe cylinderdepressurizes,gas,mixed
withNAKparticlescanescape.
Withthe cylinderdepressurized,use alargerdiameterrod,measuringone quartertothree-eighthsinch,
to fullyopenthe pipe.
If you can't finda blockage inthe ventvalve,thencall CalleryChemical forreturnauthorizationand
instructionsforreturningthe full,pluggedcylinder.
(DISSOLVEBACKTO ANNCR.BESIDEEMPTY 200-POUND NAKCYLINDER).
Once the NAKtransferis complete,thereisstill one tofive poundsof residual NAKremaininginthe
cylinder.Because of this,youmustfollow special DOTandIMO regulationswhenyoureturnthe
cylindersto CalleryChemical.
For example,the cylindersmustnotbe shippeddouble-stacked.Youmustcautionthe shipperagainst
double stacking.Inaddition,all placardsandshippingpapersmustbe inorder.
If you're notclear of your responsibilityregarding shippingrequirementsforreturningyourNAK
cylinders,contactCalleryChemical'ssalesandmarketingdepartment.
(ANNCR.CROSSESOFFTO AREA THAT CONTAINSA SMALL NAKSPILL).
Ok,you've takeneveryprecautionwithNAK,yetaspill still occurred.So,whatdoyoudo?

12. Well,before aspill orleakoccurs,youshouldfirstrealize thatthe cleanupof NAKmust be coordinated
withyourenvironmentalhealthandsafetyspecialist.Specificcleanupprocedureswill varydepending
on suchfactors as. . .
Electrical classificationof the areawhere the spill occurred...
Whetherthe spill occurredinsideoroutside...
Your companypolicy...
The availabilityof scrubbingequipmentforsmoke abatement...
Andthe quantityof the spill-whetherit'sasmall spill,ora majorone.
Here are a fewguidelinestocleanaNAKspill...
(CUT TO PERSONNELCLEANINGUP SPILL).
First,personnel respondingtothe spill mustwearthe recommendedpersonal protective equipment.
Thiscan vary,dependingonthe size of the spill.A self-containedbreathingapparatusshouldbe readily
available inthe eventof afire.
Your firstjobis to try andstop the flowof the NAK.Then,dike itto keepitfromspreading.Use
absorbentmaterials,suchasdrypotassiumchloride,drysodiumchloride,drysodaash,or dry sand to
builda dike aroundthe material.

13. Completelycoverthe NAKspill withthe absorbent.Thisnotonlyhelpspreventfires,butitalsomakes
the NAKeasiertocleanup.
Witha shovel,thoroughlymix the absorbentwiththe NAK-addingmore absorbentasneeded-then
shovel the mixture intodrums,andseal them.
Be aware,if the spilledNAKcomesincontactwithorganicmaterialsanditscolorchangesto gold,
orange,or yellow,asuperoxide formationmayhave occurred.If thishappens,youmusttreatitas shock
sensitivematerial.
(DISSOLVEBACKTO ANNCR.ASHE WALKS TOWARDLAB SETUP ANDPICKSUP NAKCONTAINER).
Well,there youhave it,a complete rundownonhow touse,transfer,andcleanupthis substance we
call NAK- sodium-potassiumalloy.
NAKcan be a greatassetto your operation.Iknow itis forours. Sure,itcan be reactive.Butaslong as
youunderstandwhatNAKis,howto handle it,you're careful,andtake certainprecautions,working
withNAKisboth easyandsafe.We'dneveruse it if itweren't.
FADE TO BLACK.