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| Environmental
Management > Information
& List of Peroxide-Formers |
Peroxides
are very unstable and some chemicals that can
form them are commonly used in laboratories. This
makes peroxide-forming materials some of the most
hazardous substances found in a lab. Peroxide-forming
materials are chemicals that react with air, moisture,
or impurities to form peroxides. The tendency
to form peroxides by most of these materials is
greatly increased by evaporation or distillation.
Organic peroxides are extremely sensitive to shock,
sparks, heat, friction, impact, and light. Many
peroxides formed from materials used in laboratories
are more shock sensitive than TNT. Just the friction
from unscrewing the cap of a container of an ether
that has peroxides in it can provide enough energy
to cause a severe explosion.
Use and Storage of Peroxide-Formers
1. Do not open the chemical container
if peroxide formation is suspected.
The act of opening
the container could be sufficient to
cause a severe
explosion. Visually
inspect liquid peroxide-forming materials
for crystals or
unusual viscosity
before opening. Pay special attention
to the area around
the cap. Peroxides
usually form upon evaporation, so they
will most likely be
formed on the
threads under the cap.
2. Date all peroxide forming materials
with the date received, and the expected
shelf life. Chemicals
such as diisopropyl ether, divinyl acetylene,
sodium amide,
and vinylidene
chloride should be discarded after three
months.
3. Store all peroxide-forming materials
away from heat, sunlight, and sources
of
ignition. Sunlight
accelerates the formation of peroxides.
4. Secure the lids and caps on these
containers to discourage the evaporation
and concentration
of these chemicals.
5. Never store peroxide-forming materials
in glass containers with screw cap lids
or glass stoppers.
Friction and grinding must be avoided.
Also, never store
these chemicals
in a clear glass bottle where they would
be exposed to light.
6. Contamination of an ether by peroxides
or hydroperoxides can be detected
simply by mixing
the ether with 10% (wt/wt) aqueous potassium
iodide
solution - a
yellow color change due to the
oxidation of iodide to iodine
confirms the
presence of peroxides. Small amounts
of peroxides can be
removed from
contaminated ethers via distillation
from lithium aluminum
hydride (LiAlH-4-),
which both reduces the peroxide and
removes
contaminating water
and alcohols. If you notice crystal
formation in the
container or
around the cap, do not attempt to open
or move the container.
Call the Department
of Environmental Health and Safety at
274-4351
for proper disposal.
7. Never distill an ether unless it
is known to be free of peroxides. |
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COMMON PEROXIDE-FORMING
CHEMICALS
SEVERE PEROXIDE
HAZARD ON STORAGE WITH EXPOSURE TO AIR
DISCARD WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF OPENING
| Diisopropyl
ether (isopropyl ether) |
|
Potassium
amide |
| Divinylacetylene
(DVA) |
|
Sodium
amide (sodamide) |
| Potassium
metal |
|
Vinylidene
chloride (1, 1-dichloroehtylene) |
PEROXIDE HAZARD ON CONCENTRATION:
DO NOT DISTILL OR EVAPORATE
WITHOUT FIRST TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF
PEROXIDES
DISCARD OR TEST FOR PEROXIDES AFTER 6 MONTHS
HAZARD OF RAPID POLYMERIZATION INITIATED
BY INTERNALLY FORM
| Acetaldehyde
diethyl acetal (acetal) |
|
Ethylene
glycol ether acetates |
| Cumene
(isopropylbenzene) |
|
Ethylene
glycol monoethers (cello-solve) |
| Cyclohexane |
|
Furan |
| Decalin
(decahydronaphthalene) |
|
Methylacetylene |
| Diacetylene
(butadiene) |
|
Methylecyclopentane |
| Dicyclopentadiene |
|
Methyl
isobutyl ketone |
| Diethyle
ether (ether) |
|
Tetrahydrofuran
(THF) |
| Diethylene
glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme) |
|
Tetralin
(tetrahydronaphthalene) |
| Dioxane |
|
Vinyl
ethers |
Ethylene
glycol dimethyl ether (glyme)
|
|
|
HAZARD OF RAPID POLYMERIZATION INITIATED
BY
INTERNALLY FORMED PEROXIDES
Liquids:
DISCARD OR TEST FOR PEROIDES AFTER 6 MONTHS
| Chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene) |
|
Vinyl acetate |
| Styrene |
|
Vinylpyridine |
Gases:
DISCARD AFTER 12 MONTHS
| Butadiene |
|
Vinylacetylene (MVA) |
| Tetraflouroethylene (TFE) |
|
Vinyl chloride |
Reference: Prudent Practices
for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories,
1983 edition.
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If you have any questions about this site, please contact Colleen
McCormick at 278-1308, or by email at cjmccorm@iupui.edu.
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This document was last modified
December 2007
Copyright
© 2002-2004 The Trustees of Indiana University 
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