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

Diethylamine (CAS 109-89-7): storage and disposal

Diethylamine is a volatile, strong smelling liquid, kept neat in college and university solvent cabinets. It is classified as highly flammable, harmful by swallowing, skin contact and inhalation, and causes severe skin burns and eye damage. Because it evaporates readily, an old bottle is more likely to show a loose cap or lost liquid than any change inside.

CAS number
109-89-7
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Danger
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Corrosive pictogramCorrosive
  • 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

Condition of the container and label comes first with a volatile amine, since a weak cap lets vapour into the cabinet. Diethylamine sits in the ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources and oxidisers. Keep it apart from hypochlorites such as sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite, and from chloramine T and sodium dichloroisocyanurate, because chloramine gases form if amines meet them. Nitromethane is a further bad neighbour. Also separate it from acids and from corrosive bottles whose leak could break down a flammable container. Many labs keep several amines on one shelf, which is sensible if the tray holds spills.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Level loss is the most telling change. A diethylamine bottle that is part empty with nothing recorded as used has been evaporating through a poor cap. The liquid can also darken from colourless towards yellow as it ages, and a fishy smell in the cabinet points at a leaking seal. White crust or haze around the neck suggests acid vapour from a neighbour. Look for bulging or sucked-in plastic, softened labels and stains on the tray. A bottle with any of these signs should stay closed and unmoved by anyone who is not trained to handle it.

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.

Begin with what to record: volume, bottle type, cap condition and label text. Describing it as a highly flammable, corrosive amine lets the carrier choose the right packaging. The discarded organic chemical code applies when it travels outside a lab pack. It is never poured away, left to evaporate in a fume cupboard or mixed with acid to make it milder, since each of those is a hazard in itself. The carrier packs it upright in a compatible group, apart from hypochlorites, acids and oxidisers.

Waste codes and transport details for Diethylamine
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 hypochloriteHypochlorites and ammonia or amines form toxic chloramine gases.
  • Chloramine THypochlorites and ammonia or amines form toxic chloramine gases.
  • 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.
  • NitromethaneAmines and alkalis sensitise nitromethane to detonation.
  • Potassium nitrateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
Show 6 more
  • Potassium permanganateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Sodium dichloroisocyanurateHypochlorites and ammonia or amines form toxic chloramine gases.
  • Sodium hypochloriteHypochlorites and ammonia or amines form toxic chloramine gases.
  • Sulfuric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • 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

  • H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
  • H302 Harmful if swallowed.
  • H312 Harmful in contact with skin.
  • H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
  • H332 Harmful if inhaled.
  • H335 May cause respiratory irritation.
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.
  • P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
  • P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
  • P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
  • P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
  • P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
  • P301+P330+P331 IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting.
  • P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
  • P302+P361+P354 IF ON SKIN: Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Immediately rinse with water for several minutes.
  • 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.
  • P305+P354+P338 IF IN EYES: Immediately rinse with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
  • P316 Get emergency medical help immediately.
  • P317 Get medical help.
  • P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
  • P330 Rinse mouth.
  • P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
  • P363 Wash contaminated clothing before reuse.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • 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.
  • P262 Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
  • P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
  • P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
  • P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
  • P361+P364 Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
  • P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

How do I tell if an old diethylamine bottle has leaked vapour?

Look for lost level, a fishy smell in the cabinet, white crust round the neck or a softened label. Do not open it to confirm. Record what you see and request collection.

Can it sit beside other amines?

Yes, as long as they all stay together in the flammable cabinet, upright, in a tray. The whole shelf must be kept away from hypochlorites, nitromethane, acids and oxidisers, and the amines need dated labels.

Is it acceptable to leave a bottle in the fume cupboard to evaporate?

No. Evaporating a flammable, corrosive amine is not a disposal route and puts vapour into the room and extract system. It goes by specialist collection.

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 C4H11N. EC number 203-716-3.

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