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Subject: Common peroxide-forming chemicals

Common peroxide-forming chemicals

From: Doug Nishimura <dwnpph>
Date: Saturday, October 5, 1991
While I was flipping through my newest CRC Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics (75th ed) (looking for something else) I came across a good
table of solvents with peroxide forming problems.  I remember that this
came up several months ago due to some surprise chemicals found at HRC
(Karen Pavelka.) I noticed at least a few common solvents used in
conservation labs (and there are probably more) that I hadn't mentioned
when I wrote on this subject before.  Since I don't know what people are
using in conservation now, I thought that I would quote the whole list.

Common Peroxide-Forming Chemicals

List A

Severe Peroxide Hazard on Storage with Exposure to Air
                Discard within 3 months

Diisopropyl ether (isopropyl ether)
Divinylacetylene (DVA)
Potassium metal
Potassium amide 
Sodium amide (sodamide)
Vinylidene chloride (1,1-dichloroethylene)

List B

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.

Acetaldehyde diethyl acetal (acetal)
Cumene (isopropylbenzene)
Cyclohexene
Cyclopentene
Decalin (decahydronaphthalene)
Diacetylene
Dicyclopentadiene
Diethyl ether (ether)
Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme)
Dioxane
Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (glyme)
Ethylene glycol ether acetates
Ethylene glycol monethers (cellosolves)
Furan
Methylacetylene
Methylcyclopentane
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Tetrahydrofuran (THF)
Tetralin (tetrahydronaphthalene)
Vinyl ethers

List C

Hazard of Rapid Polymerization Initiated by Internally Formed Peroxides
a) Normal liquids; Discard or test for peroxides after 6 months

Chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene_
Styrene
Vinyl acetate
Vinylpyridine

b) Normal Gases; Discard after 12 months

Butadiene
Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE)
Vinylacetylene (MVA)
Vinyl chloride

--------------------------------
I don't think anyone has anything from list C, but I included it for 
completeness.  MIBK and cellosolves particularly caught my eye in list B.

-Doug

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 5:22
                  Distributed: Sunday, October 6, 1991
                        Message Id: cdl-5-22-002
                                  ***
Received on Saturday, 5 October, 1991

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