Skip to content

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

Propan-1-ol (CAS 71-23-8): storage and disposal

Propan-1-ol, also called n-propanol, is a highly flammable solvent kept neat in school, college and university stores and occasionally in clinics. It causes serious eye damage and may cause drowsiness or dizziness. Its main trouble on the shelf is the name: plain propanol on an old label can mean this isomer or isopropanol, and the two are not interchangeable stock.

CAS number
71-23-8
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Danger
Usual EWC code, laboratory stock
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Corrosive pictogramCorrosive
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant

What to do this week

  1. Without moving anything that looks damaged, 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 anything listed under "Do not store with" on this page. If nothing is listed, that does not prove it is safe with everything.
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it can be included in a collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Read the label twice before shelving. Propanol, propan-1-ol and isopropanol are all in circulation, and a label that just says propanol needs checking against the supplier's wording. After that it goes in the ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources, oxidisers, acids and strong alkalis. Because it causes serious eye damage, goggles should be to hand wherever bottles are decanted, and since the vapour may cause drowsiness, a small unventilated store cupboard is a poor place to open it. A clinic holding a single bottle still keeps it in a cabinet, and in a fridge only if the fridge is spark-free.

How to tell it has deteriorated

A technician usually sees the level first: a bottle lower than the record has lost solvent through the cap. Next come sucked in or bulging sides, tacky rings under the bottle and labels stained by drips. The liquid is clear and colourless, and it shows no distinctive sign of ageing, so colour change or thickening is more likely to mean contamination or a mixed up bottle than age. Old closures may have perished liners that let vapour escape. Handwritten relabelling is the other thing to look for, since an overwritten label is how the wrong isomer ends up in the wrong place.

How it is disposed of

We arrange this by specialist collection. We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical. It is normally packed in a flammable laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Do not pour it away, leave it to evaporate or burn it off, and do not combine leftovers into a larger solvent bottle to save space, because mixing makes the description harder for the packer. Propan-1-ol goes by specialist collection, packed with compatible solvents in a lab pack, usually under 16 05 06*, or under 16 05 08* as a discarded organic chemical outside one. A clinic is a human healthcare setting and usually uses 18 01 06*. The producer confirms the classification. Record the exact label wording so that the correct isomer is named on the paperwork.

Waste codes for Propan-1-ol
Usual EWC code, laboratory stock16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Human healthcare setting18 01 06*
Usually classed as 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 contains, and classifying it is the producer's duty. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Do not store with

  • OxidiserOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • AcidSome acids, especially oxidising 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

Usually held as: neat.

Tell us the container size and how many you hold. An estimate is enough to start with, and some items cannot be priced until someone has looked at them.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
  • H318 Causes serious eye damage.
  • 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.
  • P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
  • 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.
  • P305+P354+P338 IF IN EYES: Immediately rinse with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
  • P317 Get medical help.
  • 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 propan-1-ol the same thing as isopropanol?

No. Isopropanol is a neighbouring isomer with a different structure. They are separate stock lines, and the collection record should name the one actually on the label, so copy the wording across exactly when you book.

Can half empty bottles be topped into one container before collection?

No. Combining bottles changes the description and can mix different isomers or contaminants. Leave each bottle as it is, closed and labelled, and list them separately.

Why does eye protection matter when handling it?

It causes serious eye damage, which is a more severe classification than simple irritation. Splashes while decanting are the usual risk, so goggles belong beside the cabinet, and bottles should be handled low and with both hands.

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 C3H8O. EC number 200-746-9.

Request collection Add to register
Search the chemical database