How do you store your chemicals?

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Fragum

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Nov 23, 2007
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Location
NW Arkansas
I could just ask for a generic answer, but I would like to know how most of you maintain your chemical inventory?

Do you:
- Keep in enclosed?
- Well ventilated?
- Do you make any special markings on them?

I am a best-practices kind of guy and with kids and pets in the house, I would prefer not to learn any lessons the hard way.

Thanks in advance.
 
All my chemicals are tightly closed in a garage.
NEVER close tightly any containers containing Aqua Regia.
 
I keep my chemicals in a locked cabinet in a locked room.

The room is climate controlled.

All the containers are properly labeled and stored.

Don't leave your chemicals out where kids and pets can get near them.

The refining area should be off limits to anyone unless you are present and even then access should be limited a few individuals and to very short visits.

Chemical hazards are very real and kids and pets don't comprehend the associated dangers. The curiosity of children (and cats) makes them especially susceptible to accidents.

Colored liquids and powders tend to make children think of fruit flavored drinks and candies and that's a very bad thing when the items are acids and/or poisonous.

Steve
 
Safe storage is very easy if you understand a few basic rules.

Number one most important rule is to separate oxidizing agents and reducing agents. If you know what an oxidizer and a reducer is this is very simple.
If you store these two incompatible families together, if an accident were to occur you could have a fire or even an explosion.

Keep flammables away from oxidizing agents and store them separate from all else. Metals go with metals, non-oxidizing metal salts (like chlorides, bromides, sulfates) stay with each other, oxidizers like nitrate, persulfate, permanganate, dichromate (high valence, +4 to +7) stay with each other. Also remember to store nitric acid separately from other acids, as it is an oxidizer as well.
 
Keep cyanides and acids in separate buildings, or, at least, rooms.

I used to keep a jug of a fumey acid in a plastic bucket with the lid snapped down. Also, I kept those white bleach jugs in buckets. They leak and stink.

For drum quantities (more or less) of certain chemicals, most states require a catch vessel, underneath, big enough to catch everything in case the drum leaks out. This could be a berm surrounding the drum(s) or a commercial push cart with a spill reservoir.
 
The moderators would like to thank all of the members who contributed to the original thread that this post was based on, as well as those who asked questions showing what was missing. Because of the extra length and interest in this thread we have created the above, consolidated version making for an easier read. We encourage all members to read the original thread, How do you store your chemicals?.

The moderators have edited some posts in this thread that made reference to posts that were deleted. We strive to make these Library threads as concise as possible by deleting posts that do not add information to the original topic. All of the original posts are still preserved in the thread listed above.

The Library threads should not be considered to constitute a complete education. Instead, they're more like reading a single book on the subject of recovery and refining. There is so much more information on the forum, and it is impossible to include it all in these condensed threads. Members are strongly encouraged to read the rest of the forum to round out their education.

For those who prefer a printed copy, a pdf file of this thread is provided below.
 

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