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Chemical Appendix 4
Appendix 4 - Examples of Incompatible Chemicals
When transporting, storing, using, or disposing of any substance, utmost care must be exercised to ensure that the substance cannot accidentally come in contact with another with which it is incompatible. Such contact could result in a serious explosion or the formation of substances that are highly toxic or flammable or both. The following Table is a guide to avoiding accidents involving incompatible substances.
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Examples of Incompatible Chemicals |
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| CHEMICAL | IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH |
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Acetic acid |
Chromic acid, nitric acid, perchloric acid, peroxides, permanganates |
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Acetylene |
Chlorine, bromine, copper, fluorine, silver, mercury |
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Acetone |
Concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid mixtures |
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Alkali and alkaline earth metals (such as powdered aluminum or magnesium, calcium, lithium, sodium, potassium) |
Water, carbon tetrachloride or other chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, halogens |
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Ammonia (anhydrous) |
Mercury (in manometers, for example), chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) |
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Ammonium nitrate |
Acids, powdered metals, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrites, sulfur, finely divided organic or combustible materials |
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Aniline |
Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide |
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Arsenical materials |
Any reducing agent |
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Azides |
Acids |
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Bromine |
See Chlorine |
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Calcium oxide |
Water |
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Carbon (activated) |
Calcium hypochlorite, all oxidizing agents |
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Carbon tetrachloride |
Sodium |
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Chlorates |
Ammonium salts, acids, powdered metals, sulfur, finely divided organic or combustible materials |
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Chromic acid and chromium trioxide |
Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol, flammable liquids in general |
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Chlorine |
Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, methane, propane (or other petroleum gases), hydrogen, sodium carbide, benzene, finely divided metals, turpentine |
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Chlorine dioxide |
Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide |
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Copper |
Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide |
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Cumene hydroperoxide |
Acids (organic or inorganic) |
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Cyanides |
Acids |
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Decaborane |
Carbon tetrachloride and some other halogenated hydrocarbons |
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Flammable liquids |
Ammonium nitrate, chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens |
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Fluorine |
Everything |
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Hydrocarbons ( such as butane, propane, benzene) |
Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium peroxide |
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Hydrocyanic acid |
Nitric acid, alkali |
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Hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) |
Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous) |
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Hydrogen peroxide |
Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, nitromethane, combustible materials |
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Hydrogen sulfide |
Fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases |
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Hypochlorites |
Acids, activated carbon |
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Iodine |
Acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous), hydrogen |
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Mercury |
Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia |
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Nitrates |
Sulfuric acid |
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Nitric acid (concentrated) |
Acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids, flammable gases, copper, brass, any heavy metals |
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Nitrites |
Acids |
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Nitroparaffins |
Inorganic bases, amines |
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Oxalic acid |
Silver, mercury |
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Oxygen |
Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable liquids, solids, or gases |
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Perchloric acid |
Acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, alcohol, paper, wood, grease, oils |
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Peroxides, organic |
Acids (organic or mineral), avoid friction, store cold |
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Phosphorous (white) |
Air, oxygen, alkalis, reducing agents |
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Potassium |
Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
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Potassium chlorate |
Sulfuric and other acids |
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Potassium perchlorate (see also chlorates) |
Sulfuric and other acids |
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Potassium permanganate |
Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid |
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Selenides |
Reducing agents |
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Silver |
Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, ammonium compounds, fulminic acid |
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Sodium |
Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
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Sodium nitrite |
Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts |
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Sodium peroxide |
Ethyl or methyl alcohol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerine, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural |
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Sulfides |
Acids |
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Sulfuric acid |
Potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium permanganate, (similar compounds of light metals such as sodium, lithium) |
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Tellurides |
Reducing agents |