Forum Discussion
agesilaus
Jun 01, 2019Explorer III
OK all stop here, you do NOT want to store THF in your home. It is a peroxide forming solvent and you under no circumstances want a can of peroxides near your home. They explode. This is something that Chemists worry about and they keep careful track of the conditions of THF, Ethers and other like chemicals in their lab. An example:
"LESSON LEARNED Peroxide Explosion Injures Campus Researcher. Hazardous peroxide contaminants formed in old solvent and exploded after concentration. What happened? An undergraduate student researcher was working at the laboratory bench when the apparatus she was using exploded, sending glass fragments into her face and upper torso. The researcher was using a rotary evaporator (rotovap) to remove organic solvents from an azobenzene precipitate. She adjusted the bottom flask which then exploded sending glass towards her face, hitting her safety goggles and forehead. Lab personnel helped her to the safety shower and called 911. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she received stitches above her eyes and other treatment for her injuries. She was released from the hospital the same day. What was the cause of the explosion? Most likely, the explosion was caused by peroxide contaminants in the solvents that had concentrated to the point of being unstable. Both tetrahydrofuran (THF) and diethyl ether were used in the reaction, and both of these solvents form peroxides over time. In this case, the THF used did not contain a stabilizer (such as BHT) to slow the rate of peroxide formation and the four-liter bottle was nearly empty. A sample from the THF bottle was later analyzed with a simple test and found to contain excessive peroxides (more than 100 mg/l). The evaporation in the rotovap concentrated the peroxides in the bottom of the glass reaction vessel and any movement of the vessel could cause the now dry and shock sensitive peroxides crystals to explode."
"LESSON LEARNED Peroxide Explosion Injures Campus Researcher. Hazardous peroxide contaminants formed in old solvent and exploded after concentration. What happened? An undergraduate student researcher was working at the laboratory bench when the apparatus she was using exploded, sending glass fragments into her face and upper torso. The researcher was using a rotary evaporator (rotovap) to remove organic solvents from an azobenzene precipitate. She adjusted the bottom flask which then exploded sending glass towards her face, hitting her safety goggles and forehead. Lab personnel helped her to the safety shower and called 911. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she received stitches above her eyes and other treatment for her injuries. She was released from the hospital the same day. What was the cause of the explosion? Most likely, the explosion was caused by peroxide contaminants in the solvents that had concentrated to the point of being unstable. Both tetrahydrofuran (THF) and diethyl ether were used in the reaction, and both of these solvents form peroxides over time. In this case, the THF used did not contain a stabilizer (such as BHT) to slow the rate of peroxide formation and the four-liter bottle was nearly empty. A sample from the THF bottle was later analyzed with a simple test and found to contain excessive peroxides (more than 100 mg/l). The evaporation in the rotovap concentrated the peroxides in the bottom of the glass reaction vessel and any movement of the vessel could cause the now dry and shock sensitive peroxides crystals to explode."
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