I received a question about storage of ethylene glycol and noticed that a lot of sources specifically mention that ethylene glycol and glacial acetic acid are incompatible. Can anyone explain why? I ran this question past our synthesis group and they were of the opinion that in order to get a reaction even with lighter alcohols, the mixture would need to be heated. Is this an error that has crept into the literature? I also found a recommendation to store away from xylene. That has me really puzzled.
My recommendations were to store with other organic acids or to store in secondary containment away from bases and
oxidizers.
The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org. The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.
