Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Grignard SS compatibility?

testimento - 1-10-2013 at 03:20

I haven't been able to find any data about compatibility of 304 or 316 stainless steels with grignard reaction when used as a vessel for reaction. Does anyone have any data, are metallic vessels compatible or is glass vessel a mandatory?

eidolonicaurum - 9-1-2014 at 05:45

You could make a grignard on a small scale, and add a peice of relevant stainless steel. If the grignard decomposes, it is incompatible.

blogfast25 - 9-1-2014 at 09:05

Quote: Originally posted by eidolonicaurum  
You could make a grignard on a small scale, and add a peice of relevant stainless steel. If the grignard decomposes, it is incompatible.


Considering just how hard it is to set up a Grignard reaction, that's rather a difficult way of testing it. And it still not the same as having a reaction vessel made of SS.

If you can't do it with glass I would try an inert plastic like PP or HDPE.

JAVA - 9-1-2014 at 09:15

This is not the way of performing a experiment. You soon get corrosion of Mg to MgO and nothing will happen. Why you don't buy borosilicate glasswork like any other chemist?

PP or HDPE? = madscience :P

UnintentionalChaos - 9-1-2014 at 09:45

The original question was posed in October of last year and was only replied to today. I suspect the OP either doesn't care anymore or has found his answer.

As a serious answer, I'd avoid steels as both nickel and iron salts are known to catalyze various reactions involving grignard reagents (such as the Kumada coupling) that would be side products in the event you are running a normal grignard + carbonyl.

blogfast25 - 9-1-2014 at 11:14

Quote: Originally posted by JAVA  
PP or HDPE? = madscience :P


In what way? Both are very resistant to many organic chemicals and Grignards don't run at high temps. PP withstands 140 C easily.