Thionyl chloride (CAS 7719-09-7): storage and disposal
Thionyl chloride is held neat in college and university chemistry stores. The liquid is harmful if swallowed or inhaled, causes severe skin burns and eye damage and may irritate the airways. It reacts violently with water, giving off sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride, so the closure, the shelf and the neighbours of an old bottle all matter as much as the liquid.
- CAS number
- 7719-09-7
- Form
- Liquid
- Storage class
- Corrosive
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code, laboratory stock
- 16 05 06*
Corrosive
Harmful or irritant
What to do this week
- Without moving anything that looks damaged, check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
- Check it is stored as corrosive 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.
- 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
Water in any form is the thing to keep away. The liquid reacts violently with it, releasing sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride, so ammonia solution, formalin, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite and every other water based product sit in a different place. Use a ventilated corrosive store with a resistant tray low down and the cap tight, and keep it apart from oxidisers and from solvent cabinets. The vapour corrodes caps and shelf fittings, so spare bottles are better held in a lidded secondary container than loose on a metal shelf.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Begin with the closure, because the cap is where this liquid shows its age. It fumes in moist air and corrodes caps, so look for a pitted or crumbling cap, any crust around the neck and white mist at the opening. A bottle that has been open to damp air can darken to a yellowish tinge, and an empty looking bottle can still hold liquid that fumes. Labels stained or lifted by vapour, rust on nearby metal and a bottle that has swollen or cracked are further signs. Do not unscrew a doubtful cap to look inside. Say what you see and leave the bottle in its tray.
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 We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical.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 corrosive other laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.
Nobody should add water to this liquid, for any reason, including cleaning a spill, because it reacts violently and releases sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride. It does not go to a drain or a bin either, and no one on site should try to treat it. Specialist collection is the route, with the bottle packed in a lab pack under 16 05 06*, or described under 16 05 07* if it is a discarded inorganic chemical outside one. Record the volume left, the cap condition and whether it fumes.
| Usual EWC code, laboratory stock | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded inorganic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 07* |
| Usually classed as hazardous waste | Yes |
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
- FlammableA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
- OxidiserCorrosive stock can react with oxidisers, releasing heat or fumes.
Named chemicals to keep apart
- AcetoneA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
- Ammonia solutionReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
- Calcium hypochloriteCorrosive stock can react with oxidisers, releasing heat or fumes.
- EthanolA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
- FormalinReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
- HexaneA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
- Hydrochloric acidReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
- Hydrogen peroxideReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
Show 6 more
- MethanolA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
- Potassium nitrateCorrosive stock can react with oxidisers, releasing heat or fumes.
- Potassium permanganateCorrosive stock can react with oxidisers, releasing heat or fumes.
- Sodium hydroxideReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
- Sodium hypochloriteReacts with water, releasing heat and often a flammable or corrosive gas, so keep it away from all water based stock.
- TolueneA 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
- H302 Harmful if swallowed.
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- H332 Harmful if inhaled.
- H335 May cause respiratory irritation.
- EUH014 Reacts violently with water.
- EUH029 Contact with water liberates toxic gas.
Precautionary statements
- P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- 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.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
- P301+P330+P331 IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting.
- P302+P361+P354 IF ON SKIN: Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Immediately rinse with water for several minutes.
- 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.
- P316 Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P317 Get medical help.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- P363 Wash contaminated clothing before reuse.
- P405 Store locked up.
- P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.
- P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
- P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
- P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.
Questions
The cap of our thionyl chloride bottle is corroded. Is it safe to move it to the collection point?
Do not carry it around to find out. Leave it standing in a tray in the corrosive store, keep it away from water, and report the corroded cap when you book. The collection team plans how it is lifted and packed.
Why does the bottle fume when we open the cupboard door?
It reacts with moisture in the air, releasing hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide. Fuming at the cap means the seal is letting damp in, which is a reason to book a collection and keep the bottle closed meanwhile.
Can a nearly empty bottle go out with the ordinary bins?
No. Residue in a bottle carries the same reaction with water and the same hazards. A bottle that is nearly empty is still described as thionyl chloride and goes by specialist collection with the cap on.
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