Incompatible Chemicals

A wide variety of chemicals react dangerously when mixed with certain other materials. Some of the more widely-used incompatible chemicals are given below, but the absence of a chemical from this list should not be taken to indicate that it is safe to mix it with any other chemical!

• acetic acid: chromic acid, ethylene glycol, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds, perchloric acid, peroxides, permanganates
• acetone: concentrated sulphuric and nitric acid mixtures
• acetylene: chlorine, bromine, copper, fluorine, silver, mercury
• alkali and alkaline earth metals: water, chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, halogens, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids
• aluminium (powdered): chlorinated hydrocarbons, halogens, carbon dioxide, organic acids.
• anhydrous ammonia: mercury, chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric acid
• ammonium nitrate: acids, metal powders, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrites, sulphur, finely divided organic combustible materials
• aniline: nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide
• arsenic compounds: reducing agents
• azides: acids
• bromine: ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, sodium, finely-divided metals, turpentine, other hydrocarbons
• calcium carbide: water, alcohol
• calcium oxide: water
• carbon, activated: calcium hypochlorite, oxidizing agents
• chlorates: ammonium salts, acids, metal powders, sulphur, finely divided organic or combustible materials
• chromic acid: acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerin, turpentine, alcohols, flammable liquids in general
• chlorine: see bromine
• chlorine dioxide: ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulphide
• 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
• hydrocarbons: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium peroxide
• hydrocyanic acid: nitric acid, alkali
• hydrofluoric acid: aqueous or anhydrous ammonia
• hydrogen peroxide: copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, flammable liquids, oxidizing gases
• hydrogen sulphide: fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases
• hypochlorites: acids, activated carbon
• iodine: acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous), hydrogen
• mercury: acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia
• mercuric oxide: sulphur
• nitrates: sulphuric acid
• nitric acid (conc.): acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulphide, flammable liquids, flammable gases
• oxalic acid: silver, mercury
• perchloric acid: acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, ethanol, paper, wood
• peroxides (organic): acids, avoid friction or shock
• phosphorus (white): air, alkalies, reducing agents, oxygen
• potassium: carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water
• potassium chlorate: acids
• potassium perchlorate: acids
• potassium permanganate: glycerin, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulphuric acid
• selenides: reducing agents
• silver: acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, ammonium compounds, fulminic acid
• sodium: carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water
• sodium nitrate: ammonium salts
• sodium peroxide: ethanol, methanol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulphide, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural
• sulphides: acids
• sulphuric acid: potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium permanganate (or compounds with similar light metals, such as sodium, lithium, etc.)
• tellurides: reducing agents
• zinc powder: sulphur

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