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Chemical Safety Information - Glossary
Corrosive
A Corrosive material is one which causes damage to skin, eyes or other parts on the body on contact. The technical definition is written in terms of
"... destruction, or irreversible damage to living tissue at the site of contact".
Often this damage is caused directly by the chemical, but the action of some corrosive materials is a consequence of inflammation which they may cause. Concentrated acids are obvious examples of corrosive materials, but even dilute solutions of bases such as sodium or ammonium hydroxide may also be very corrosive, particularly in contact with the eyes.
