Environmental Health & Safety

Peroxide-forming Chemicals

These peroxide-forming chemicals require special attention. When peroxides appear in large quantities they can make the material shock sensitive or explosive. All materials able to form peroxides over time must be inspected on a quarterly basis. Peroxide test strips can be purchased for this purpose. If an old, un-dated bottle of any of these materials is found please contact EH&S immediately. These containers can be very dangerous.

The following materials form peroxides over time:

Acetal
Acrylic acid
Acrylonitrile
Butadiene
Chloroprene
Chlorotrifluoroethylene
Cyclohexene
Decahydronapthalene (Decalin)
Diacetylene
Dicylcopentadiene
Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (uninhibited)
Dioxane
Divinyl acetylene
Ethyl ether (Diethyl ether)
Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (uninhibited)
Glycol ether acetates (uninhibited)
Glycol monoethers (uninhibited)
Isopropyl ether (Diisopropyl ether)
Methyl acetylene
Methyl cylcopentane
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Methyl methacrylate (uninhibited)
Styrene
Tetrafluoroethylene
Tetrahydrofuran, aka THF (uninhibited)
Tetrahydronapthalene (Tetralin)
Vinyl acetylene
Vinyl chloride
Vinyl ethers
Vinylidene chloride