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Chemical collection and stock control for UK schools, universities and hospitals

Butyl acetate (CAS 123-86-4): storage and disposal

Butyl acetate is the heavier cousin of the common acetate solvents, held as a neat liquid in school, college and university stores. It is a flammable liquid and vapour that may cause drowsiness or dizziness. It evaporates more slowly than the lighter esters, which means a spill or a wet bench can linger, and old bottles tend to show leaks at the cap rather than gradual loss from the liquid.

CAS number
123-86-4
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant

What to do this week

  1. Check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
  2. Check it is stored as flammable stock and apart from the items listed under "Do not store with".
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it goes on the next collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Slow evaporation changes the way problems appear. A small spill under a bottle takes a while to dry, so a ring of liquid or a tacky tray is common, and the first job on a stock check is to lift each bottle and look underneath it. Keep it in a ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources, oxidisers and oxidising acids. Leaks from corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire, so keep the two in separate stores. Only a spark-free refrigerator should hold it if cooling is needed. Keep the cap on tightly and write the full name on the label.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Bottles that have been knocked often show a damp ring on the shelf and a film around the neck, which points to a seal that no longer holds. A fruity smell hanging around a cabinet suggests a leak. Look for peeling labels, a swollen cap liner, a lower level than the record shows and cracked glass or plastic. Some plastics soften in contact with ester solvents, so a tacky or distorted container is a warning of a different kind. Otherwise the liquid gives few visible signs of age. A clear liquid that has gone cloudy or coloured is noted on the waste record.

How it must be disposed of

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a flammable laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

The bottle is never emptied into a sink, a drain or a skip, and nobody should try to evaporate it off in a fume cupboard. Waste code 16 05 06* describes it in a lab pack with compatible organic solvents, and 16 05 08* applies where it is a discarded organic chemical outside a pack. The record the collector needs is the container size, fill level, any alternative name on the label such as n-butyl ethanoate, and whether the bottle has leaked onto its tray. A registered carrier takes it to a permitted facility.

Waste codes and transport details for Butyl acetate
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Hazardous wasteYes

20 01 13* (solvents) belongs to municipal collections and is shown for reference only. It is not the normal code for a laboratory collection.

The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Do not store with

  • OxidiserOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • AcidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • CorrosiveA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Named chemicals to keep apart

  • Acetic acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Calcium hypochloriteOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Hydrochloric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Hydrogen peroxideOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Nitric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Potassium nitrateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Potassium permanganateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Sulfuric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
Show 2 more
  • Thionyl chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
  • Zinc chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: neat.

Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H226 Flammable liquid and vapour.
  • H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Precautionary statements
  • P210 Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
  • P233 Keep container tightly closed.
  • P240 Ground and bond container and receiving equipment.
  • P241 Use explosion-proof electrical, ventilating and lighting equipment.
  • P242 Use non-sparking tools.
  • P243 Take action to prevent static discharges.
  • P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
  • P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P303+P361+P353 IF ON SKIN (or hair): Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water or shower.
  • P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
  • P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
  • P403+P235 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool.
  • P405 Store locked up.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Is butyl acetate the same hazard as ethyl acetate?

Not quite. Butyl acetate is a flammable liquid, not a highly flammable one, and it may cause drowsiness or dizziness. Both are organic solvents kept away from oxidisers and acids, but record each by its own label.

There is a sticky ring under our butyl acetate bottle. What does it mean?

Liquid has been creeping past the cap or has dripped from the neck, and it evaporates slowly enough to leave a wet or tacky ring. Stand the bottle in a tray, check the closure and note the leak on the waste record.

What other names might be printed on the bottle?

Older labels may say n-butyl ethanoate or acetic acid n-butyl ester. List every name printed on the label so the waste description matches the bottle in the store.

Should butyl acetate be kept with other acetates?

They can share the fire-resistant cabinet, but keep each bottle upright with its own label and a tray under it. Do not combine acetates into one container, as that changes what the waste is.

Guidance only. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.

Hazard data source: PubChem GHS Classification, retrieved 31 Oct 2026. Formula C6H12O2. EC number 204-658-1.

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