(Benzothiazol-2-ylthio)methyl thiocyanate (TCMTB) is a chemical compound classified as a benzothiazole.

Properties

TCMTB is an oily, flammable, red to brown liquid with a pungent odor that is very slightly soluble in water. It decomposes on heating producing hydrogen cyanide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.[2] The degradation products are 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT) and 2-benzothiazolesulfonic acid.[3]

Uses

TCMTB is used as wideband microbicide, paint fungicide, and paint gallicide.[2] The active substance approved in 1980 in the United States.[3] It is used, for example, in leather preservation,[4] for the protection of paper products, in wood preservatives, and against germs in industrial water.[3]

In the US, TCMTB is used as a fungicide for seed dressing in cereals, safflower, cotton and sugar beet.

It is also used when dealing with fungal problems when extracting hydrocarbons via fracking.[5]

Approval

TCMTB is not an authorized plant protection product in the European Union.[6] In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, no plant protection products containing this active substance are authorized.[7]

TCMTB contributes to health problems in tannery workers as it is a potential carcinogen, and is a hepatotoxin. It is also a skin sensitizer, and may cause contact dermatitis in those exposed to the poisonous compound. [8] Hence, it is mainly used in developing countries.

References

  1. ^ Thomas Swan: Coating Additives & Leather Fungicides
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Record of CAS RN 21564-17-0 in the GESTIS Substance Database of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, accessed on 3. August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c EPA: Reregistration Eligibility Decision for 2- (thiocyanomethylthio) benzothiazoles (TCMTB) (PDF; 2.7 MB), August 2006.
  4. ^ Engin Bagda (2000). Biocides in Building Coatings. expert publisher. p. 59. ISBN 3-81691861-1.
  5. ^ Levant, Ezra (2014). Groundswell: The Case for Fracking. McClelland & Stewart. p. 192.
  6. ^ Commission Regulation (EC) No 2076/2002 of 20 November 2002. EUR-Lex Act 319, pp. 3–11 (PDF) "On the extension of the deadline laid down in Article 8 (2) of Council Directive 91/414 / EEC and on the non-inclusion of certain active substances in Annex I to this Directive and the withdrawal of the Authorizations for plant protection products containing these active substances"
  7. ^ PSM-del, EU- 2- (dithiocyanomethylthio) -benzothiazole | CH = DB | A = DB | D = DB | 8 March 2016
  8. ^ "TCMTB - Hazardous Agents | Haz-Map".