Reactive Hazards
It can sometimes be dangerous to accidentally mix incompatible chemicals. This may, for example, cause an explosion or release a toxic or flammable chemical or both. It is particularly important to keep this in mind in a country like Iceland where earthquakes are common. It is best to store these chemicals in separate cabinets so that there is almost no chance that they could mix in case of an accident.
This information is included in Section 10 of the SDS, which describes the chemical's stability and reactivity and any incompatible chemicals.
Here is a list of common incompatible chemicals, taken from the book "Prudent Practices in the Laboratory" published in 1995. Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive.
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) |
Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous) Hydrogen fluoride |
Hydrogen peroxide |
Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, any flammable liquid, combustible materials, aniline, nitromethane |
Hydrogen sulfide |
Fuming nitric acid,a oxidizing gases |
Iodine |
Acetylene, ammonia (anhydrous or aqueous) |
Mercury |
Acetylene, fulminic acid,a 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,a 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 |