Peroxide-Forming Chemicals
The following tables list common peroxide-forming chemicals.
List A: Chemicals that may form explosive levels of peroxides without concentration by evaporation or distillation. These materials are particularly dangerous because they can be hazardous even if never opened.
Butadiene |
Divinylacetylene |
Tetrafluoroethylene |
Chloroprene |
Isopropyl ether |
Vinylidene Chloride |
List B: Chemicals that form explosive levels of peroxides on concentration. They typically accumulate hazardous levels of peroxides only when evaporated, distilled or otherwise treated to concentrate the peroxides (e.g. deactivation or removal of peroxide inhibitors). Therefore, they have the potential of becoming far more hazardous after they are opened.
Acetal |
Dicyclopentadiene |
Methyl isobutyl ketone |
Acetaldehyde |
Diethyl ether |
4-Methyl-2-pentanol |
Benzyl alcohol |
Diglyme |
2-Pentanol |
2-Butanol |
Dioxanes |
4-Penten-1-ol |
Cumene |
Glyme |
1-Phenylethanol |
Cyclohexanol |
4-Heptanol |
2-Phenylethanol |
2-Cyclohexen-1-ol |
2-Hexanol |
2-Propanol |
Cyclohexene |
Methylacetylene |
Tetrahydrofuran |
Decahydronaphthalene |
3-Methyl-1-butanol |
Tetrahydronaphthalene |
Diacetylene |
Methylcyclopentane |
Vinyl ethers |
List C: Chemicals that may autopolymerize as a result of peroxide accumulation.These chemicals have been associated with hazardous polymerization reactions that are initiated by peroxides which have accumulated in solution. These materials are typically stored with polymerization inhibitors to prevent these dangerous reactions.
Acrylic acid |
Methyl methacrylate |
Vinyl chloride |
Acrylonitrile |
Styrene |
Vinylpyridine |
Butadiene |
Tetrafluoroethylene |
Vinyladiene chloride |
Chloroprene |
Vinyl acetate |
|
Chlorotrifluoroethylene |
Vinylacetylene |
List D: represents additional peroxide-forming chemicals which cannot be placed into the other categories but nevertheless require handling with precautions.
Acrolein |
p-Chlorophenetole |
Furan |
Allyl ether |
Cyclooctene |
2,5-Hexadiyn-1-ol |
Allyl ethyl ether |
Cyclopropyl methyl ether |
4,5-Hexadien-2-yn-1-ol |
Allyl phenyl ether |
Diallyl ether |
n-Hexyl ether |
p-(n-Amyloxy)benzoyl chloride |
p-Di-n-butoxybenzene |
o.p-Iodophenetole |
n-Amyl ether |
1,2-Dibenzyloxyethane |
Isoamyl benzyl ether |
Benzyl n-butyl ether |
p-Dibenzyloxybenzene |
Isoamyl ether |
Benzyl ether |
1,2-Dichloroethyl ethyl ether |
Isobutyl vinyl ether |
Benzyl ethyl ether |
2,4-Dichlorophenetole |
Isophorone |
Benzyl methyl ether |
Diethoxymethane |
b-Isopropoxypropionitrile |
Benzyl-1-napthyl ether |
2,2-Diethoxypropane |
Isopropyl-2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetate |
1,2-Bis(2-chloroethoxyl)ethane |
Diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate |
Limonene |
Bis(2-ethoxyethyl)ether |
Diethyl fumarate |
1,5-p-Methadiene |
Bis(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl) ether |
Diethyl acetal |
Methyl-p-(n-amyloxy)benzoate |
Bis(2-chloroethyl) ether |
Diethylketene |
4-Methyl-2-pentanone |
Bis(2-ethoxyethyl) adipate |
m,o,p-Diethoxybenzene |
n-Methylphenetole |
Bis(2-methoxyethyl) carbonate |
1,2-Diethoxyethane |
2-Methyltetrahydrofuran |
Bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether |
Dimethoxymethane |
3-Methoxy-1-butyl acetate |
Bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate |
1,1-Dimethoxyethane |
2-Methoxyethanol |
Bis(2-methoxymethyl) adipate |
Dimethylketene |
3-Methoxyethyl acetate |
Bis(2-n-butoxyethyl) phthalate |
3,3-Dimethoxypropene |
Methoxy-1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene |
Bis(2-phenoxyethyl) ether |
2,4-Dinitrophenetole |
b-Methoxypropionitrile |
Bis(4-chlorobutyl) ether |
1,3-Dioxepane |
m-Nitrophenetole |
Bis(chloromethyl) ether |
Di(1-propynl) ether |
1-Octene |
2-Bromomethyl ethyl ether |
Di(2-propynl) ether |
Oxybis(2-ethyl acetate) |
β-Bromophenetole |
Di-n-propoxymethane |
Oxybis(2-ethyl benzoate) |
o-Bromophenetole |
1,2-Epoxy-3-isopropoxypropane |
b,b-Oxydipropionitrile |
p-Bromophenetole |
1,2-Epoxy-3-phenoxypropane |
1-Pentene |
3-Bromopropyl phenyl ether |
p-Ethoxyacetophenone |
Phenoxyacetyl chloride |
1,3-Butadiene |
2-Methoxyethyl vinyl ether |
a-Phenoxypropionyl chloride |
Buten-3-yne |
1-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acetate |
Phenyl-o-propyl ether |
t-Butyl ethyl ether |
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate |
p-Phenylphenetone |
t-Butyl methyl ether |
(2-Ethoxyethyl)-a-benzoyl benzoate |
n-Propyl ether |
n-Butyl phenyl ether |
1-Ethoxynaphthalene |
n-Propyl isopropyl ether |
n-Butyl vinyl ether |
o,p-Ethoxyphenyl isocyanate |
Sodium 8-11-14-eicosatetraenoate |
Chloroacetaldehyde diethylacetal |
1-Ethoxy-2-propyne |
Sodium ethoxyacetylide |
2-Chlorobutadiene |
3-Ethoxypropionitrile |
Tetrahydropyran |
1-(2-Chloroethoxy)-2-phenoxyethane |
2-Ethylacrylaldehyde oxime |
Triethylene glycol diacetate |
Chloroethylene |
2-Ethylbutanol |
Triethylene glycol dipropionate |
Chloromethyl methyl ether |
Ethyl-b-ethoxypropionate |
1,3,3-Trimethoxypropene |
b-Chlorophenetole |
2-Ethylhexanal |
1,1,2,3-Tetrachloro-1,3-butadiene |
o-Chorophenetole |
Ethyl vinyl ether |
4-Vinyl cyclohexene |
List E: Chemicals That May Explode Due To Over-pressurized Container
(From M.J. Pitt and E. Pitt, Handbook of Laboratory Waste Disposal, Ellis Horwood Publisher, UK, 1985. Formic acid and phenol has been added to the list).
Aluminum chloride |
Chromic acid |
Phosphorus trichloride |
Aluminum lithium hydride |
Cumene hydroperoxide |
Potassium Persulfate |
Ammonia solution |
Cyclohexne |
Silicon tetrachloride |
Ammonium hydroxide |
Diethyl pyrocarbonate |
Sodium borohydride |
Ammonium persulfate |
Dimethylamine |
Sodium dithionite |
Anisyl chloride |
Formic Acid |
Sodium hydride |
Aqua regia |
Hydrogen peroxide |
Sodium hydrosulfite |
Benzenesulphonyl chloride |
Lauroyl peroxide |
Sodium hypochlorite |
Bleach |
Lithium aluminum hydride |
Sodium peroxide |
Bleaching powder |
Lithium hydride |
Sodium persulphate |
Calcium carbide |
Nitric acid |
Thionyl chloride |
Calcium hydride |
Nitrosoguanidine |
Urea peroxide |
Calcium hypochlorite |
Peracetic acid |
Zinc |
