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

Pentyl acetate (CAS 628-63-7): storage and disposal

Pentyl acetate, still widely called amyl acetate, is the banana-scented ester held as a neat liquid in school, college and university stores. It is a flammable liquid and vapour. The scent is a handy giveaway on the shelf, but the label confusion is the bigger problem: amyl acetate and isoamyl acetate are different bottles with the same UN number and the same hazard statement.

CAS number
628-63-7
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable

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

Take one practical check at the shelf: read each ester label and put pentyl acetate, amyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in separate, named positions in the cabinet. Older stock reads amyl acetate or n-amyl acetate, and a newer bottle may say pentyl ethanoate, so one cabinet can hold the same chemical under two names. Keep the bottles in a ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources and oxidisers. Oxidising acids can ignite flammable liquids, and acid fumes attack caps and seals, so acids stay in their own store. Keep caps tight and bottles upright.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Check the container and label before the liquid. A strong banana smell in a prep room means a cap is not sealing, even if the bottle looks full. Compare the level with the record, look for a damp neck, a swollen cap liner or a tacky film on the shelf, and read the label for fading, since the alternative names are what a collector needs. Cracks in glass or distorted plastic are further warnings. The liquid itself gives few visible signs of age, so a bottle that looks clear but has a faded label is still unknown stock until the name is readable.

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.

Specialist collection from the prep room takes it, with the bottle packed in a lab pack with compatible organic solvents. Waste code 16 05 06* is the usual description, and 16 05 08* applies for a discarded organic chemical outside a pack. Write down every name on the label, since amyl acetate and pentyl acetate are the same material and the isoamyl bottle beside it is not. The flammable liquid does not go into a sink, a drain or the ordinary bin, and nobody should try to burn it off.

Waste codes and transport details for Pentyl 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.
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.
  • 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.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • P403+P235 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Are pentyl acetate and amyl acetate the same thing?

Amyl acetate is an older name for pentyl acetate, and n-amyl acetate is another name for the same substance. Isoamyl acetate is a different isomer. Record the exact name and CAS number printed on each bottle.

Can we put the banana-smelling bottles together in one waste container?

No. Do not combine bottles yourself. Keep each bottle in its own labelled container, upright in the cabinet, so the collector can describe it correctly, list its size and fill, and pack compatible solvents together.

Why can we smell banana in the prep room?

Vapour is escaping from a bottle with a poor cap or liner. Find the bottle, check it is upright and tightly closed in the fire-resistant cabinet, and check the shelf for a leak.

Which waste code do we give?

For a school, college or university store the usual description is 16 05 06*. If it is a discarded organic chemical outside a lab pack, 16 05 08* may apply. The collector confirms the grouping.

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 C7H14O2. EC number 211-047-3.

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