Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:31:30 -0400
Reply-To: "Lazarski, Peter M." <Peter.Lazarski**At_Symbol_Here**US.NGRID.COM>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Lazarski, Peter M." <Peter.Lazarski**At_Symbol_Here**US.NGRID.COM>
Subject: Re: Toluene? A peroxide former?!
Comments: To: Elizabeth Gregory
In-Reply-To: A<002e01c7c264$42d12770$d0d71589**At_Symbol_Here**EGregoryLaptop>

A quick check of the Merck Index for benzaldehyde says its made synthetically "... by oxidation of toluene"; benzyl alcohol "by the Cannizzaro reaction from benzaldehyde + KOH". Was the toluene supposed to have been reagent grade or another purity? Any possibility it was left over or recovered from work performed 6 to 20 years ago? Also, how was it stored? The information contained in this e-mail message and any attachments may be confidential. It is intended only for the use of the individual or entities named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail at the originating address. Peter Lazarski National Grid USA Lab. & Testing Svcs., Bldg. 1 7437 Henry Clay Blvd. Liverpool, NY 13088 (315)460-2114 -----Original Message----- From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Gregory Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 4:04 PM To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: [DCHAS-L] Toluene? A peroxide former?! Hi everyone, Our department finally opened up a 5 gallon metal drum of toluene earlier this summer. The drum is somewhere between 6 and 20 years old (you can imagine why I wanted to see it used up...). After a couple of days of "what the %**At_Symbol_Here**&# is this reaction by-product?!", we've finally figured out that the toluene itself has the following impurities: benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, and benzyl hydroperoxide(!!!). The total concentration of these impurities is about 240 mg/L of solution. Has anyone ever heard of toluene forming these products while it's left sitting around unopened? This is a new one, both to me and our resident organic chemist. Elizabeth Gregory Laboratory Manager Department of Chemistry SUNY College at Brockport Room 230 Smith Hall Brockport, NY 14420 (585) 395-2210 Fax: (585) 395-5805 Email: egregory**At_Symbol_Here**brockport.edu ******************************************************************************** This e-mail and any files transmitted with it, are confidential to National Grid and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error, please reply to this message and let the sender know.

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