Shock-Sensitive Chemicals
Materials classified as explosives and chemicals that can act as explosives. If the material is maintained in inventory for its explosive properties, it must be treated as an explosive, and Administrative Requirement (AR) 6-6, "Explosives" and the U.S. DOE Explosive Safety Manual apply.
Further details may also be found in the CRC "Handbook of Chemical Safety." The following list of potentially shock-sensitive compounds was obtained from "Prudent Practices for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories, Appendix F." National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1983.
Potentially Shock-Sensitive Compounds
- Acetylenic compounds
- Acyl nitrates
- Alkyl nitrates
- Alkyl and acyl nitrates
- Alkyl perchlorates
- Amine metal oxosalts
- Azides
- Chlorite salts of metals
- Diazo compounds
- Diazonium salts, when dry
- Fulminates
- Hyrdogen peroxide in concentrations above 30%
- N-Halogen compounds
- N-nitro compounds
- Oxo salts of nitrogenous bases
- Perchlorate salts
- Peroxides and hyroperoxides
- Picrates, especially picric acid when dry [creanine picric reagent or trinitrile phenol]
- Polynitroalkyl compounds
- Polynitroaromatic compounds
The following list of highly reactive/heat sensitive materials was obtained from "CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety."
Highly Reactive or Heat-Sensitive Materials (Name and CAS Number):
- Ammonium perchlorate 7790-98-9
- Ammonium permanganate 13446-10-1
- Anhydrous perchloric acid 7601-90-3
- Butyl hyrdoperoxide 75-91-2
- Butyl perbenzoate 614-45-9
- tert-Butyl peroxyacetate 107-71-1
- tert-Butyl peroxypivalate 927-07-1
- Cumeme hryoperoxide 80-15-9
- Diacetyl peroxide 110-22-5
- Dibenzoyl peroxide 94-36-0
- Diisopropyl peroxydicarbonate 105-64-6
- ortho-Dinitrobenzene 25154-54-5
- Ethyl methyl ketone peroxide 1338-23-4
- Ethyl nitrate 625-58-1
- Peroxyacetic acid 79-21-0
- Picric acid 88-89-1
- Trinitrobenzene 99-35-4 25377-32-6
- Trinitrotoluene [TNT] 118-96-7
- Hydroxylamine 7803-49-8
- 1-Chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene 97-00-7
Storage and Handling Quantities of Shock-Sensitive Materials:
Should be kept to a minimum by maintaining proper inventory consistent with the rate of use. Inventory control is also important in order to dispose of chemicals that tend to form unstable materials with age, such as ethers, or materials that become dangerous when they become dehydrated, such as perchloric and picric acids. Shock-sensitive materials should be stored in a cool, dry area, protected from heat and shock. During storage, the materials should be segregated from incompatible materials including flammables and corrosives. Materials that are used specifically because of their explosive properties should be treated as an explosive of the appropriate class and kept in a magazine or the equivalent.
Revised: 10/2003, Reviewed: 2/1/2006 sh