Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments

Chapter 4: Chemicals for the Home Chemistry Lab 53

DADLYCE HEMICALS

All of that said, there are chemicals that scare any sane

chemist silly. Some chemicals are so toxic that literally one

drop contacting your skin may be lethal, as may inhaling

even a slight amount. (Dimethyl mercury comes to mind.)

That’s why it’s so important not to mix chemicals

randomly or to use them other than as recommended.

For example, potassium ferricyanide is used in some

experiments in this book. Despite the presence of

“cyanide” in the name, that chemical is of relatively low

toxicity and is relatively safe to store and handle. However,

if you heat potassium ferricyanide to decomposition or

expose it to strong mineral acids, it produces extremely

toxic hydrogen cyanide gas.

z

and water reactive compounds as incompatible with oxidizers,
but there are many other substances that react violently
with some or most oxidizers. Similarly, not every chemical in
a particular category reacts badly with every chemical in an
incompatible category. For example, many inorganic poisons
do not react at all with many organic poisons. Still, within its
limitations, this matrix provides useful guidance.

Although it is by no means exhaustive in either column, Table
4-2 lists some of the specific chemical incompatibilities that are
most likely to be encountered in a home chem lab. The nature of
the hazard varies. For example, acetone and hydrogen peroxide
in the presence of an acid catalyst react to form the hideously
dangerous acetone peroxide, an explosive that has been used by
terrorists. Glycerol bursts into flame in contact with potassium
permanganate. Cyanides (including complexes like ferricyanides
and ferrocyanides) react with strong mineral acids to form toxic
hydrogen cyanide gas. And so on.

Acids (Inorganic)Acids (Organic)Acids (Oxidizing)Bases (Alkalis)o

xidiz

ers

pois

ons

(Inorganic)pois

ons

(Organic)Solvents (Organic)w

at

er

Reactives

Acids

(Inorganic)

STOP! STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!

Acids

(Organic) STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP! STOP!

Acids

(Oxidizing)

STOP! STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!

Bases

(Alkalis) STOP!STOP!STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!

oxidizers STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!

poisons

(Inorganic)

STOP!STOP!STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!

poisons

(Organic) STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!

Solvents

(Organic)

STOP! STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!

water

Reactives STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!STOP!

TABLE 4-1: Chemical incompatibility matrix