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Highly Reactive Materials

Water-Reactives

When water-reactive chemicals come into contact with water, one or more of the following reactions can occur:

These materials must be stored away from any source of water or moisture. Some examples include: alkali metals (lithium, potassium, sodium), silanes, magnesium, phosphorous, aluminum chloride, acetyl chloride.

Air-Reactives (Pyrophorics)

Pyrophoric chemicals will ignite spontaneously upon contact with air due to the extreme rate of oxidation. These must be stored under inert gas or mineral oil or other hydrocarbon liquids. Metals, when finely divided are pyrophoric. Some examples of pyrophoric materials are: manganese, phophorous, chromium, nickel, titanium, iron, calcium, cobalt, boron, cadmium and phosphine.

Organic Peroxides

See section on Organic Peroxides on Oxidizers page.

Explosives

An explosive is any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that, when subjected to heat, impact, friction, detonation, or other suitable initiation, undergoes rapid chemical change, evolving large volumes of highly heated gases that exert pressure on the surrounding medium. This term applies to materials that either detonate or deflagrate.

Explosives are regulated by the Canadian Explosives Act and Ontario Fire Code regulations, and any use, handling or storage must conform to these regulations.

Picric Acid

Picric Acid is a common reagent used mainly in biological laboratories. The hazard related to picric acid is dehydration - when it dries, it becomes a dangerous explosive. In addition, when in contact with metal, picrate salts can be formed, which are highly shock-sensitive. The following safety precautions must be adhered to:

**If dehydrated picric acid is discovered, contact the Safety Office at x36268 for disposal.

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