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

Manganese(IV) oxide (CAS 1313-13-9): storage and disposal

Manganese(IV) oxide is the black powder kept in school, college and university prep rooms for catalysing hydrogen peroxide and for battery chemistry. It is classified as harmful if swallowed and harmful if inhaled, and it is a fine powder that spreads easily. It carries no aquatic classification. Used jars, dusty lids and black fingerprints on the shelf are the usual signs of its history.

CAS number
1313-13-9
Form
Solid
Storage class
General
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • 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 general 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

Keep hydrogen peroxide off the shelf above, beside and beneath it. The powder makes peroxide break down rapidly, so a drip of peroxide into an open jar, or a spoon moved from one bottle to the other, can start a vigorous reaction. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is another partner to avoid, since the two give off a corrosive gas. A general shelf is fine for storage class, but a tray helps contain fine black dust, and a tight lid matters because the harmful-if-inhaled statement concerns airborne powder. Label the jar with the date and keep a spoon dedicated to it.

How to tell it has deteriorated

The powder is black and stays black, so colour is a poor guide. What a technician does see is the container: black dust ringed around the neck and thread, a lid that sticks, grains in the cap lining and black smudges on the shelf or label. A jar used with a damp spoon will clump into hard black lumps. Oxide that has been in a jar with a peroxide splash may have a dull crust at the top. The oxide gives few signs of age, so a missing label, a lost date or a refilled jar of unknown black powder is the main thing to 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 non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Because it is harmful if inhaled, dust is the concern when a jar is packed. Keep the lid taped, the jar upright and the outside wiped dry of black powder before collection, and do not sweep spilt powder into the bin or wash it into a sink. A laboratory pack uses 16 05 06*, and discarded inorganic stock outside a pack uses 16 05 07*. Describe whether the material is unused powder or residue from a lesson such as a peroxide experiment, and keep the two apart. Any hydrogen peroxide stays in its own container and is described separately. A specialist collection packs the powder away from peroxide stock.

Waste codes and transport details for Manganese(IV) oxide
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded inorganic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 07*
Hazardous wasteYes

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

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: powder.

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

  • H302 Harmful if swallowed.
  • H332 Harmful if inhaled.
Precautionary statements
  • 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.
  • P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
  • P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
  • P317 Get medical help.
  • P330 Rinse mouth.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Why keep manganese(IV) oxide away from hydrogen peroxide?

The powder makes peroxide break down quickly, so contact between them can cause a vigorous reaction. Keep the two bottles on different shelves and never share a spoon.

What do we do with the black residue left after a practical?

Do not rinse it away. Collect it in a labelled container, say that it came from a lesson, and keep it apart from unused powder when you request collection.

Is the powder dangerous if it is just a dusty jar?

It is classified as harmful if inhaled and harmful if swallowed, so dust matters. Keep the lid on, avoid brushing powder into the air, and tell the collector if the jar is dusty.

Which waste code applies?

A laboratory pack uses 16 05 06*. Discarded inorganic stock outside a laboratory pack uses 16 05 07*. Tell the collector which setting describes your stock.

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 MnO2. EC number 215-202-6.

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