[Che-student-staff-list] Safety Update: Peroxide Formation in Laboratory Solutions and Reagents

[Davis, Linda S]

ChE Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students,
Peroxide formation in chemical solutions and reagents poses a significant hazard in our laboratories.  Peroxides are unstable and can explode spontaneously.
Common organic chemicals such as tetrahydrofuran and diethyl ether have the propensity to form peroxides when stored over time. Peroxides are formed by the reaction of the chemical with oxygen in the head space of the chemical container after the container is opened.
Adam Krajicek from REM has shared this document:  http://www.uta.edu/campus-ops/ehs/chemical/docs/peroxide-forming-chemical.pdf  which explains the hazards, classification, and guidelines for safe use and disposal of peroxide-forming chemicals.
The ChE Safety Committee recommends that all laboratories review their chemical inventories to check for the presence of peroxide-forming chemicals and take the necessary actions described in the attached document.
Thank you to Vinod Kumar for proposing this update.
Please contact me or any member of the ChE Safety Committee if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Linda

Linda S. Davis
Industrial Education Director
Chair, ChE Safety Committee (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/AboutUs/Safety.html)
School of Chemical Engineering
Purdue University
lsdavis at purdue.edu<mailto:lsdavis at purdue.edu>
(765)496-1710

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