Material Safety Data Sheets contain information under the following specific headings:
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The relevant safety data sheets must be read before you carry out your experiments. It is advisable to keep a hardcopy at hand when you are carrying out your experiment, in case of any emergencies. Check for incompatible chemicals at Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards available as an e-book at the Library.
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CHEMICAL |
INCOMPATIBILITIES: SHOULD NOT BE STORED OR MIXED WITH
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| Acetic acid | Chromic acid, nitric acid, peroxides, permanganates |
| Acetic anhydride | Hydroxyl-containing compounds such as ethylene glycol, perchloric acid |
| Acetone | Concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid mixtures, hydrogen peroxide |
| Acetylene | Chlorine, bromine, copper, silver, fluorine, mercury |
| Alkali and alkaline earth metals, such as sodium, potassium, lithium, magnesium, calcium, powdered aluminum | Carbon dioxide, carbon tetrachloride, other chlorinated hydrocarbons (also prohibit the use of water, foam, and dry chemical extinguishers on fires involving these metals – dry sand should be employed) |
| Ammonia (anhydrous) | Mercury, chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrogen fluoride |
| Ammonium nitrate | Acids, metal powders, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrites, sulfur, finely divided organics, combustibles |
| Aniline | Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide |
| Bromine | Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, other petroleum gases, sodium carbide, turpentine, benzene, finely divided metals |
| Calcium oxide | Water |
| Carbon, activated | Calcium hypochlorite, other oxidants |
| Chlorates | Ammonium salts, acids, metal powders, sulfur, finely divided organics, combustibles |
| Chromic acid and chromium trioxide | Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, turpentine, alcohol, other flammable liquids |
| Chlorine | Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, other petroleum gases, hydrogen, sodium carbide, turpentine, benzene, finely divided metals |
| Chlorine dioxide | Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide |
| Copper | Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide |
| Fluorine | Isolate from everything |
| Hydrazine | Hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, any other oxidant |
| Hydrocarbons (benzene, butane, propane, gasoline, turpentine, etc.) | Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, peroxides |
| Hydrocyanic acid | Nitric acid, alkalis |
| Hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous), Hydrogen Fluoride | Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous) |
| Hydrogen peroxide | Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, any flammable liquid, combustible materials, aniline, nitromethane |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases |
| Iodine | Acetylene, ammonia (anhydrous or aqueous) |
| Mercury | Acetylene, fulminic acid*, ammonia |
| Nitric acid (concentrated) | Acetic acid, acetone, alcohol, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids, flammable gases, nitratable substances |
| Nitroparaffins | Inorganic bases, amines |
| Oxalic acid | Silver and mercury and their salts |
| Oxygen | Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable liquids, solids, gases |
| Perchloric acid | Acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, alcohol, paper, wood, grease, oils (all organics) |
| Peroxides, organic | Acids (organic or mineral), (also avoid friction, store cold) |
| Phosphorus (white) | Air, oxygen |
| Phosphorus pentoxide | Alcohols, strong bases, water |
| Potassium chlorate | Acids (see also chlorates) |
| Potassium perchlorate | Acids (see also perchloric acid) |
| Potassium permanganate | Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid |
| Silver and silver salts | Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, fulminic acid*, ammonium compounds |
| Sodium | See alkali metals (above) |
| Sodium nitrite | Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts |
| Sodium peroxide | Any oxidizable substance, such as ethanol, methanol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerol, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural |
| Sulfuric acid | Chlorates, perchlorates, permanganates |
Potentially Explosive Combinations of Common Reagents