Use Care When Handling Reactive Peroxides

Q. What do fish from the market and peroxide-forming chemicals have in common?

A. Both are fine while fresh, but when past their prime can present real problems.

Most of us are familiar with hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, which is a powerful oxidant that can interact explosively with organic chemicals. Organic peroxides have the same "O=O" double bond as H2O2, but organic groups substitute for one or both of the hydrogen atoms. The resulting compounds, which have an oxidant attached to an organic, are generally explosive in nature.

Chemists know how to work with these peroxides safely in their pure form. However, when organic peroxides form adventitiously in other chemicals, there is the possibility of unanticipated detonation if they are subjected to friction, heat, shock, or -- under certain circumstances -- even light.

Certain classes of compounds are prone to forming peroxides over time: ethers, halogenated alkenes, vinyl halides, secondary alcohols, to name a few. The danger is most profound when these chemicals are concentrated or distilled, but even moving or opening old containers of these chemicals can result in explosions due to frictional detonation of peroxide crystals in cap threads. If crystals, discoloration, stratification or filaments are present, don't touch the bottle! It is a potential bomb.

Safe management of these chemicals -- by buying only quantities that can be used up within a year (or less for some chemicals) or setting up a rigorous testing schedule -- can avoid a costly appointment with the bomb squad.

Contact Us  |  Back to Articles

Safety Partners efficiently and cost-effectively implements hands-on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs at emerging life sciences companies. Safety Partners tailors its programs to each client's unique science, processes, procedures, and facilities, while reducing program implementation burdens. Its expertise is unmatched, clocking over 85,000 hours at over 120 New England life sciences firms.