MolaKule
Staff member
I will quote KSCHACHN's post again: He used to write MSDS and SDS's. Please pay special attention - it is only those chemical compounds that might be hazardous or toxic in which disclosure is required.Therefore, why is section 3 labelled 'Composition/information on ingredients' while giving percentages and substance registry numbers (CAS), in the case of VW, with the mixture concentrations adding up to approx 100%.
Young British Sarcasm it was.
"An SDS is solely designed to document hazardous components in a substance to warn first reponders, users, and other entities that may come into contact with the substance. It in no way is a complete documentation of the composition, especially if the constituent is non-toxic. In addition, for the compounds it does list they can be quite vague ranges of percentages and a manufacturer can exclude some things (proprietary) under some conditions.
Also if a manufacturer is trying to protect trade secrets don't underestimate the degree of obfuscation that may be going on. The SDS will still be accurate for LD50 or flammability or other toxicity statements but I can tell you that if you can mislead your competitors then you might take the opportunity to do so. No manufacturer will ever give away a trade secret on an SDS, ever.
SDS are and should be used for safety purposes and nothing else. Maybe you can read the tea leaves and come up with some conclusions but maybe not. So for some things like comparing base stocks on some oils it may be indicative. However it is not and is never is a "chemical composition" as you stated."