Sciencemadness Discussion Board

How to determine storage groups for various reagents

SuperOxide - 20-11-2022 at 20:19

I'm working on creating a working inventory of all the reagents I own while also grouping them properly. I'm using some storage guidelines like this and this. The problem I'm having is determining which groups some reagents go to. For most of them I can probably determine which group, but I was hoping to find some online list/database that would definitively tell me which group.

The only thing I found that helps is this PDF which contains quite a few reagents listed, but it's far from comprehensive. I have a bunch that aren't on there.

Does anyone know of any online tool or resource that can help? I don't see these types of groups listed on websites like Pubchem or any of the MSDS/SDS documents.

Thanks.

Pumukli - 21-11-2022 at 02:31

Few weeks ago I finished the cleaning/repurposing of a separate room for chemical storage purposes. At first I wanted something elaborate as "logic behind the placements" of the various bottles but soon abandoned the idea.

I thought that the easier and faster finding of something I was looking for was more important for me than fiddling with obscure groups and sub-groups of reagents. So I went with this ordering power: inorganics (in alphabetical order from top of the shelves to the bottom) to the left, organics to the right. Organics that can be considered "solvents" in a reaction go to the bottom (ground level) under the inorganics, bulk methanol in a "big" drum to the bottom, under the organics' side.
Liquid acids into a separate container, on plastic trays. (Regardless whether they are inorganic or organic.) The container is an old, broken lying-type refrigerator (200 l or so), of which insides were covered with a few mm thick layer of slacked lime and dried for a few days before I put those acids there. (Unfortunately some of these acid bottles are emitting fumes and I have to rethink this storage method.)

Another thing I want to install is a secure (all metal) box for the nastiest beasts (strongly poisonous, carcinogenic, etc. things. I don't have too many of these at the moment - fortunately.)

PirateDocBrown - 21-11-2022 at 03:31

I group mine for storage, and color code them, based on Baker storage color code. I put a small bit of electrical tape of the given color.

Green = safe
Blue = toxic
Red = flammable
Yellow = oxidizers or reactive
White = corrosive
Black = store separately

Each has its own shelf, with flammables kept in a separate building, and blacks given consideration on a case-by-case basis.

SuperOxide - 21-11-2022 at 15:50

Quote: Originally posted by Pumukli  
Few weeks ago I finished the cleaning/repurposing of a separate room for chemical storage purposes. At first I wanted something elaborate as "logic behind the placements" of the various bottles but soon abandoned the idea.

I thought that the easier and faster finding of something I was looking for was more important for me than fiddling with obscure groups and sub-groups of reagents. So I went with this ordering power: inorganics (in alphabetical order from top of the shelves to the bottom) to the left, organics to the right. Organics that can be considered "solvents" in a reaction go to the bottom (ground level) under the inorganics, bulk methanol in a "big" drum to the bottom, under the organics' side.
Liquid acids into a separate container, on plastic trays. (Regardless whether they are inorganic or organic.) The container is an old, broken lying-type refrigerator (200 l or so), of which insides were covered with a few mm thick layer of slacked lime and dried for a few days before I put those acids there. (Unfortunately some of these acid bottles are emitting fumes and I have to rethink this storage method.)


Eh, I think the obscure groups are actually pretty logical though. And if the reagents are stored properly, they shouldn't be that hard to find.

Quote: Originally posted by Pumukli  
Another thing I want to install is a secure (all metal) box for the nastiest beasts (strongly poisonous, carcinogenic, etc. things. I don't have too many of these at the moment - fortunately.)

I plan on doing the same thing. I think I'll just get a cheap-o safe off of ebay or something. Doesn't need to be amazing, just decent enough to deter anyone that may want to poke around (would hold things like cyanide, mercury salts/compounds, etc).



Quote: Originally posted by PirateDocBrown  
I group mine for storage, and color code them, based on Baker storage color code. I put a small bit of electrical tape of the given color.

Green = safe
Blue = toxic
Red = flammable
Yellow = oxidizers or reactive
White = corrosive
Black = store separately

Each has its own shelf, with flammables kept in a separate building, and blacks given consideration on a case-by-case basis.


I've seen some storage groups pretty similar to that. But what I'm looking for is any resource that I can use to look up what group a reagent may be in.

I feel silly asking because initially I figured that it should be easy to tell what groups each reagent goes in, but I've ran into a couple instances where I would have been wrong if I went with my gut. For example - Aniline apparently goes in group X (Incompatible With All Other Storage Groups), which is usually for very nasty chemicals like phosphorus, hydrazine and hydrogen cyanide.

[Edited on 22-11-2022 by SuperOxide]

CharlieA - 22-11-2022 at 13:31

You could look up the compound's properties in a handbook: e.g. Chemical Rubber Handbook, the Merck Index, Lange's Handbook of Chemistry; or even Wikipedia.

You could also look at the MSDS/SDS (Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet).