Partial List of Chemical Incompatibilities
Revised January 2023
| Chemical | Incompatible With |
|---|---|
| Acetic Acid | Chromic acid, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds, ethylene glycol, perchloric acid, peroxides, permanganates |
| Acetone | Concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid, and other strong oxidizing agents; very strong bases such as potassium t-butoxide |
| Acetylene | Chlorine, bromine, copper, silver, fluorine, mercury |
| Alkali and alkaline earth metals (such as powdered aluminum or magnesium, calcium, lithium, sodium, potassium) | Water, carbon tetrachloride or other halogenated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, halogens |
| Ammonia (anhydrous) | Mercury (e.g., in manometers), chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) |
| Ammonium nitrate | Acids, powdered metals, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrates, sulfur, finely divided organic combustible materials |
| Aniline | Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide |
| Arsenic compounds | Any reducing agent |
| Azides | Acids. Store azide salts (e.g., sodium and potassium azide) by themselves. |
| Bromine | See chlorine |
| Calcium oxide | Water |
| Carbon (activated) | Calcium hypochlorite, all oxidizing agents |
| Carbon tetrachloride | Sodium |
| Chlorine | Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, other petroleum gases, hydrogen, sodium carbide, turpentine, benzene, finely divided metals |
| Chlorates | Ammonium salts, acids, powdered metals, sulfur, finely divided organic, combustible materials |
| Chromic acid and chromium trioxide | Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol, flammable liquids in general |
| Chlorine dioxide | Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide |
| Copper | Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide |
| Cumene hydroperoxide | Acids (organic or inorganic) |
| Cyanides | Acids |
| Flammable liquids | Ammonium nitrate, chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens |
| Fluorine | All other chemicals |
| Hydrocarbons (such as butane, propane, benzene) | Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium peroxide |
| Hydrocyanic acid | Nitric acid, alkali |
| Hydrogen peroxide | Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, combustible materials |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases |
| Hypochlorites | Acids, activated carbon |
| Iodine | Acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous) |
| Mercury | Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia |
| Nitrates | Acids |
| Nitric acid (concentrated) | Acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids and gases, copper, brass, any heavy metals |
| Nitrites | Acids |
| Nitroparaffins | Inorganic bases, amines |
| Oxalic acid | Silver, mercury |
| Oxygen | Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable liquids, solids and gases |
| Perchloric acid | Acetic anhydride bismuth and its alcohol, paper, wood, grease, oils |
| Peroxides, organic | Acids (organic or mineral), avoid friction, store cold |
| Phosphorus (white) | Air, oxygen, alkalies, reducing agents |
| Potassium | Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
| Potassium chlorate | Sulfuric and other acids |
| Potassium perchlorate – see also chlorates | Sulfuric and other acids |
| Potassium permanganate | Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid |
| Selenides | Reducing agents |
| Silver | Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, ammonium compounds, fulminic acid |
| Sodium | Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
| Sodium nitrate | Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts |
| Sodium peroxide | Ethyl or methyl alcohol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural |
| Sulfides | Acids |
| Sulfuric acid | Potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium permanganate (similar compounds of light metals, such as sodium lithium) |
| Tellurides | Reducing agents |