I've seen several MSDSs that say that the heat generated by hydration of anhydrous NaOH is sufficient to start fires. I know that NaOH gets hot
when hydrated, but this seems fairly extreme! Is the reaction likely to ignite combustible materials, or is this just health and safety paranoia?
(Note: This topic is on the borderline between General Chemistry and Energetic Materials. I wasn't sure which forum to place it in.)guaguanco - 8-1-2004 at 13:45
Quote:
Originally posted by I am a fish
I've seen several MSDSs that say that the heat generated by hydration of anhydrous NaOH is sufficient to start fires. I know that NaOH gets hot
when hydrated, but this seems fairly extreme!
It generates a lot of heat. Would 100 gms of NaOH cause a fire? Probably not. Would a mixture of 2 Kg NaOH in 40 liters of Toluene cause a fire if
water was dumped in? Quite possibly. There is a certain amount of CYA in the MSDNs, but in this case there is cause for caution.
