Sodium amide (CAS 7782-92-5): storage and disposal

It arrives in a sealed container, usually under a dry atmosphere, because air and moisture both attack it, and everything about its storage follows from keeping that seal good. The part used bottle at the back of a research cupboard is the classic problem, opened a few times and then forgotten by the person who bought it. Write the receipt date and opening date on the label, since its review interval is 3 months after opening. Keep it dry in a fire-resistant cabinet, with oxidisers and acid fumes away from it, and well clear of water based stock. Old or suspect sodium amide must not be opened or sampled for peroxide testing. Its condition requires specialist assessment. If the review date has passed, or the bottle is undated, do not open or move it.

Air and moisture slowly convert it, on the shelf, into products that can explode. Yellow or brown colour can indicate dangerous peroxide formation, but colour cannot establish how far deterioration has progressed or whether an apparently unchanged sample is safe. Fresh stock is off-white to grey. Yellow or brown discolouration signals an explosion risk, and even a faint yellow tinge at the surface of the solid should be taken seriously. A smell of ammonia near the bottle means moisture has reached the solid, though nobody should sniff it to find out. Caked solid, a crust at the thread and a damaged seal are the other things to look for. Do not open discoloured stock or any bottle whose age is unknown, do not move it, and get a specialist assessment. Colour seen through the glass is all you need to report.

Severe peroxide former: can form explosive peroxides in storage.

This can form peroxides as it ages, especially after opening. Age and the opened date matter more than appearance, so a container with no opened date should be treated as old.

Review after 3 months: Review interval after opening from the cited peroxide former lists, not an expiry date from a manufacturer. Class C and all other chemicals are left null.

This does not go through our standard collection route. It is arranged by manual enquiry, and never goes down the drain or into general waste.

How it leaves depends on what a competent chemist finds in person, so the route starts with a manual enquiry. It is not quoted online and the online quote path does not accept it. A store assessment is recommended, and yellow or brown stock may need an explosives or emergency specialist. Tell them the dates on the label, whether the bottle has been opened, and any colour you can see without handling it. Do not open it, move it or try to make it safe, and do not attempt any treatment on the bench, even with a small remainder. It must never go into a sink, a drain, a bin or a skip. University stock normally takes code 16 05 06*.

Usually held as: solid.

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.