Appendix E - Chemical Compatibility Guide
Chemical |
Incompatible with |
Acetic acid |
Chromic acid, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds, ethylene glycol, perchloric acid, peroxides, 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, halogens |
Ammonia (anhydrous) |
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 materials |
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 combustibles |
Chromic acid and chromium trioxide |
Acetic acid, naphthalene, 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 |
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's |
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 |
Phosphorus (white) |
Air, oxygen, alkali's, 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 |