Re: [DCHAS-L] Storing ACS-grade acetic acid with ACS grade hydrochloric acid

Hi Margaret,

Acetic acid is a flammable liquid and needs to be stored in a flammable cabinet and also should not be stored with inorganic acids. It is actually one of the most commonly incorrectly stored chemicals we come across when doing our lab inspections.

-Christa

On Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 11:11 AM Margaret Rakas <mrakas**At_Symbol_Here**smith.edu> wrote:

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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