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

Heptane (CAS 142-82-5): storage and disposal

Heptane is a clear, highly flammable liquid used in school and college work on alkanes and in university teaching labs. The classified hazards are aspiration, skin irritation, drowsiness and dizziness, and very toxic effects on aquatic life with long lasting effects. Most stock is neat, in small bottles, and it behaves much like its neighbours on the hydrocarbon shelf, so labels matter more than appearance.

CAS number
142-82-5
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Danger
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant
  • Serious health hazard pictogramSerious health hazard
  • Hazardous to the environment pictogramHazardous to the environment

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

Oxidisers and oxidising acids are what heptane must be kept apart from, because they can ignite a flammable liquid or make a fire far more intense. A leak from corrosive stock can also break down the container and feed a fire. It belongs in the ventilated flammables cabinet, on a tray, with a clear label naming heptane rather than just alkane. Prep rooms that run homologous series demonstrations often hold several similar clear liquids in matching bottles, and a mislabelled bottle is the real storage risk, so keep each one in its own marked place.

How to tell it has deteriorated

On a prep room shelf, the first thing a technician sees is a low level and a clean, dry label that still reads correctly. Heptane itself shows no colour or crystal change as it ages, so the faults are in the bottle: a cap liner that has dried or shrunk, a ring of residue at the neck, a label smudged by drips and a bottle left half full for years. Several identical clear liquids in similar bottles are the usual cause of mix-ups. Any bulging or sucked-in container should stay upright on its tray until the collector arrives.

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.

Record the size of each heptane bottle and roughly how much remains, and note whether any other liquid has been added. Specialist collection is the only route, and it is grouped with compatible flammable organics in a lab pack. It must not go into a sink or drain, particularly as it is very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, and it should not be left open to evaporate. A school pack uses 16 05 06*, while a loose bottle of discarded organic chemical not in a pack can use 16 05 08*.

Waste codes and transport details for Heptane
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

  • H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
  • H304 May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
  • H315 Causes skin irritation.
  • H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
  • H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
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.
  • P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
  • P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • P273 Avoid release to the environment.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
  • P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
  • 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.
  • P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
  • P331 Do NOT induce vomiting.
  • P332+P317 If skin irritation occurs: Get medical help.
  • P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • P391 Collect spillage.
  • 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 heptane the same as the other alkane liquids in our prep room?

They are similar in appearance but are different substances with their own classification, so never rely on look or smell. Check each label against the stock record, and keep each liquid in a separate marked place on a tray in the flammables cabinet.

Does old heptane become more dangerous?

It shows few changes with age. The risk is mainly lost labels, failed caps and evaporation from a part-filled bottle. Check closures at each stock check and list any bottle that is no longer used for collection.

Can we store heptane with ethanol in the same cabinet?

Both are flammable liquids, so a flammables cabinet suits them. Keep both away from oxidisers and acids, label every bottle clearly, and use spill trays so a leak from one does not reach the other.

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 C7H16. EC number 205-563-8.

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