Chemical
Incompatibility Table
The
following are chemical incompatibilities that all people who work
in laboratories should be familiar with. The list is from Prudent
Practices for Handling Chemicals in Laboratories. The list should
not be considered complete. Questions as to the compatibility of
chemicals not listed should be referred to MSDS databases, the chemical
manufacturer or current literature.
CHEMICAL |
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
| Acetic Acid |
Chromic acid, nitric
acid, hydroxyl compounds, ethylene glycol, perchloric acid, peroxide and permanganates |
| Acetylene |
Chlorine, bromine,
copper, fluorine, silver, mercury |
| Acetone |
Concentrated nitric
and sulfuric acid mixtures |
| Alkali and Alkaline
Earth Metals (such as powdered aluminum or magnesium, calcium, lithium, sodium,
potassium,) |
Water, carbon
tetrachloride or other chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and halogens |
| Ammonia (anhydrous) |
Elemental mercury
(in manometers for example), chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric
acid (anhydrous) |
| Ammonium Nitrate |
Acids, powdered
metals, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrites, sulfur, finely divided organic combustible
materials |
| Aniline |
Nitric acid,
hydrogen peroxide |
| Arsenical Metals |
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 |
| Chromic Acid and
chromium trioxide |
Acetic acid,
napthelene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol, flammable liquids in general |
| 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 |
| Copper |
Acetylene, hydrogen
peroxide |
| Cumene hydroperoxide |
Acids (organic and
inorganic) |
| Cyanides |
Acids |
| Flammable liquids |
Ammonium nitrate,
chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens |
| Fluorine |
All other chemicals |
| Hydrocarbons(such as
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 |
Acids |
| 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 |
| Phosphorous (white) |
Air, oxygen,
alkalies, reducing agents |
| Potassium |
Carbon
tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
| Potassium chlorate |
Sulfuric and other
acids |
| Potassium
perchlorate (see also chlorates) |
Sulfuric and other
acids |
| 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 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 |
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