From:
Debbie Decker <debbie.m.decker**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L] Storing ACS-grade acetic acid with ACS grade hydrochloric acid
Date:
Feb 29, 2024 20:17 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
In-Reply-To:
[DCHAS-L] Storing ACS-grade acetic acid with ACS grade hydrochloric acid
Hi Margaret
Secondary containment is your friend to segregate the relatively small quantities you have of inorganic acids from organic acids and from oxidizing acids (nitric) within a corrosives cabinet.
Another commented that acetic acid is considered flammable. But there's some nuance in that recommendation. Glacial acetic acid is combustible and probably should be in a flam cabinet (in a secondary container). But dilute acetic acid is probably not combustible and can be stored with corrosives - in a secondary container.
Hope this helps.
Best
Debbie
Good evening--
The chemical compatibility charts I've reviewed indicate inorganic acids should be stored separately from organic acids. This makes sense if a lab is storing a variety of both types. We all know what happens with nitric acid and organic acids..
However, we're renovating a geology lab that uses mostly hydrochloric acid and occasionally uses acetic acid, both ACS grade (which are further diluted before using to digest rock or soil samples). I have reviewed both Sigma and Fisher SDS's for these two materials, and it does not seem to me that storing several 500mL-1 Liter bottles of each together in a corrosives cabinet would be incompatible storage or create a safety risk. Storing them with caustics, permanganates, oxidizing acids, metals--that would be a concern, but this lab doesn't use any of these incompatible reagents.
Thoughts? Am I missing something?
Many thanks as always-
Margaret
-- Margaret A. Rakas, Ph.D.
Lab Safety & Compliance Director
Clark Science Center
Smith College
413-585-3877 (p)
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