Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Disposal of ethylenediamine
I am a fish
undersea enforcer
****




Posts: 600
Registered: 16-1-2003
Location: Bath, United Kingdom
Member Is Offline

Mood: Ichthyoidal

[*] posted on 15-4-2010 at 01:23
Disposal of ethylenediamine


I have a a sample of ethylenediamine which has eaten its way out of one container, and is coming close to eating its way out of a second. I have therefore made the sad decision to dispose of it. Unfortunately, it can't just be thrown into a sewer.

According to this source:
Quote:

Quantities of reagents are given for 1mL of ethylenediamine. Dissolve the ethylenediamine in 100mL of 3M sulfuric acid (17 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid added to 83 mL of water). While stirring, add 10 g of potassium permanganate in small portions to avoid foaming. Stir the mixture overnight. Add solid sodium bisulfite until the solution is colorless. Neutralize with 5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and wash the liquid into the drain. Discard any small quantity of brown solid (manganese dioxide) as normal refuse.


Whilst I can in principle do this, it seems very wasteful (requiring 10x as much potassium permanganate, and 17x as much sulfuric acid). Are there better ways of doing this?




1f `/0u (4|\\| |234d 7|-|15, `/0u |234||`/ |\\|33d 70 937 0u7 /\\/\\0|23.
View user's profile Visit user's homepage View All Posts By User
woelen
Super Administrator
*********




Posts: 7976
Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
Member Is Offline

Mood: interested

[*] posted on 15-4-2010 at 04:19


Instead of disposing of it, it might be interesting to make the salt ethylene diamine dihydrochloride or the sulfate from it by adding the right amount of acid. This salt can be stored easily without any problems (no bad fumes, not more corrosive than e.g. ammonium chloride or ammonium sulfate). You can make the salt by mixing the liquid with dilute acid (do this slowly, dropwise) and then simply let the liquid evaporate on a dustfree warm dry place. Just let it stand for a few days or a week. Assure that there is no excess of acid, otherwise you'll end up with a terribly hygroscopic salt, which is not easy to dry. Just to be sure it probably is best to have a tiny excess of ethylene diamine.

I have a few hundreds of grams of ethylene diamine sulfate and this compound is no problem at all in storage and it still allows me to do interesting experiments with this compound, simply by adding some NaOH to a solution of it.


[Edited on 15-4-10 by woelen]




The art of wondering makes life worth living...
Want to wonder? Look at https://woelen.homescience.net
View user's profile Visit user's homepage View All Posts By User
Sedit
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1939
Registered: 23-11-2008
Member Is Offline

Mood: Manic Expressive

[*] posted on 15-4-2010 at 05:38


I suggest looking into the Lithium Complex thread I started and performing a simular experiment by dissolving the EDA in Et2O and adding Lithium to see if it complexes the same way thats what I would surely do with it before tossing it out.

BTW, Why can't you just dump it in the sewer? It is after all just a simple amine and if one made the HCl salt of it and flushed it what harm could come from it? As soon as it enters the ecosystem of the sewer I would think that bacteria would eat this in a heartbeat.





Knowledge is useless to useless people...

"I see a lot of patterns in our behavior as a nation that parallel a lot of other historical processes. The fall of Rome, the fall of Germany — the fall of the ruling country, the people who think they can do whatever they want without anybody else's consent. I've seen this story before."~Maynard James Keenan
View user's profile View All Posts By User
franklyn
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 3026
Registered: 30-5-2006
Location: Da Big Apple
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 15-4-2010 at 09:42


1. Should that not be stored in glass ?

2. Combustibles are best disposed of by burning outdoors.

3. What's the big deal , find a spot of vegetation when it's rained that
appears in need of nitrogen and pour it out there , it hydrolyzes easily.

4. Packed properly you can always dispose of it to me. pm me.

5. Do what woelen suggests you never know when it might be needed.

6. What's next , you'll be posting in beginnings ?


PS

For some ideas see _

http://www.dow.com/amines/pdfs/108-01347.pdf

.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
The WiZard is In
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1617
Registered: 3-4-2010
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 15-4-2010 at 12:53


Quote: Originally posted by I am a fish  
I have a a sample of ethylenediamine which has eaten its way out of one container, and is coming close to eating its way out of a second. I have therefore made the sad decision to dispose of it. Unfortunately, it can't just be thrown into a sewer.



Sell it on eBay.

You would be surprised what has been sold e.g., 10-lbs of arsenic
oxide, 12-lbs of barium peroxide, paris green (copper acetoarensite).
I sold 3 of my children for medical experiments there.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
I am a fish
undersea enforcer
****




Posts: 600
Registered: 16-1-2003
Location: Bath, United Kingdom
Member Is Offline

Mood: Ichthyoidal

[*] posted on 16-4-2010 at 01:57


Quote:
Sell it on eBay.


I don't want to sell chemicals to people I don't know. Furthermore, mailing a corrosive liquid would be an absolute nightmare from a health and safety point of view.

Quote:
Why can't you just dump it in the sewer?


According to the US OSHA the vapour is an explosion hazard.

Quote:
Instead of disposing of it, it might be interesting to make the salt ethylene diamine dihydrochloride or the sulfate from it by adding the right amount of acid.


I like that idea. I'll probably do that. Thanks.





1f `/0u (4|\\| |234d 7|-|15, `/0u |234||`/ |\\|33d 70 937 0u7 /\\/\\0|23.
View user's profile Visit user's homepage View All Posts By User

  Go To Top