STORING CHEMICALS IN THE LABORATORY

Each time you bring a chemical into the laboratory:

Some of the most common "exceptions" (things falling into the same category that should not be stored together) are tabulated here:

CHEMICAL INCOMPATIBILITY
Acetic acid Chromic acid, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds, ethylene glycol, perchloricacid, peroxides, permanganates
Acetone Concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid mixtures
Acetylene Chlorine, bromine, copper, fluorine, silver, mercury
Alkali and alkaline earth metals (lithium, sodium, potassium) Water, carbon tetrachloride or other chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, halogens, powdered metals (e.g.,aluminum or magnesium)
Ammonia(anhydrous) Mercury (e.g., in manometers), chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous)
Ammonium nitrate Acids, powdered metals, flammable liquids,chlorates, nitrates, sulfur, finely divided organic or combustible materials
Aniline Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide
Arsenical materials Any reducing agent
Azides Acids
Bromine See Chlorine
Calcium oxide Water
Carbon (activated) Calcium hypochlorite, all oxidizing agents
Carbon tetrachloride Sodium, Chlorates, Ammonium salts, acids, powdered metals, sulfur, finely divided organic or combustible materials
Chlorine Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, methane, propane (or other petroleum gases), hydrogen, sodium carbide, benzene, finely divided metals, turpentine
Chlorine dioxide Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide
Chromic acid and chromium Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol, flammable liquids in general
Copper Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide
Cumene hydroperoxide Acids (organic or inorganic)
Cyanides Acids
Flammable liquids Ammonium nitrate, chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens
Fluorine Isolate from everything
Hydrocarbons (e.g.,butane,propane, benzene) Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium peroxide
Hydrocyanic acid Nitric acid, alkali
Hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous)
Hydrogen peroxide Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, combustible materials
Hydrogen sulfide Fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases
Hypochlorites Acids, activated carbon
Iodine Acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous), hydrogen
Mercury Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia
Nitrates Sulfuric acid
Nitric acid (concentrated) Acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids, flammable gases, copper, brass, any heavy metals
Nitrites Potassium or sodium cyanide.
Nitroparaffins Inorganic bases, amines
Oxalic acid Silver, mercury
Oxygen Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable: liquids, solids, or gases
Perchloric acid Acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, alcohol, paper, wood, grease, oils
Peroxides, Organic Acids (organic or mineral), avoid friction, store cold
Phosphorus (white) Air, oxygen, alkalis, reducing agents
Phosphorus pentoxide Water
Potassium Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water
Potassium chlorate Sulfuric and other acids
Potassium perchlorate (see Sulfuric and other acids also chlorates)
Potassium permanganate Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid
Selenides Reducing agents
Silver Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid,  ammonium compounds, fulminic acid
Sodium Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water
Sodium Chlorate Acids, ammonium salts, oxidizable materials, sulfur
Sodium nitrite Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts
Sodium peroxide Ethyl or methyl alcohol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural
Sulfides Acids
Sulfuric acid Potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium permanganate (similar compounds of light metals, such as sodium, lithium)
Tellurides Reducing agents
Water Acetyl chloride, alkaline and alkaline earth metals, their hydrides and oxides, barium peroxide, carbides, chromic acid, phosphorous oxychloride, phosphorous pentachloride, phosphorous pentoxide,sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide

 


This page last modified 11:26 AM on Monday October 10th, 2005.
Webmaster, Department of Chemistry, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469