CHEMICALS - SHELF LIVES (DRAFT)
The following information on the shelf life of the chemicals required for Leaving
Certificate Chemistry has been compiled from one particular source. This information
should only be taken as indicative of the general nature of the chemicals listed. Other
sources of information may differ somewhat from this. The number of categories used
has been reduced slightly for the sake of simplicity.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the data on storage, class and shelf lives is
accurate at the time of compilation. However, changes in these categories occur
from time to time as (i) more information becomes available and (ii) regulations
change.
The categories of shelf life are:
Indefinite: A term used frequently to communicate the fact that the substance has no
fixed or definable life expectancy.
Indefinite*: A term used frequently to communicate the fact that the substance has no
fixed or definable life expectancy – as long as the substance is stored correctly.
Good: If stored under reasonable conditions of temperature and humidity (25°C at 50%
or less humidity) the substance should have a long and useful life.
Fair: If stored under reasonable conditions, the products useful life may be three years
or less.
Poor: The substance does not store well under reasonable conditions.
Chemical Name
Absolute Alcohol
Aluminium foil
Aluminium Metal Sheets
(20 pack)
Aluminium Oxide
Aluminium Powder
Aluminium Sulfate
Ammonia 0.88
Ammonium Chloride
Ammonium dihydrogen
phosphate
Ammonium Iron(II) Sulfate
Ammonium Metavanadate
Ammonium Molybdate
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium Phosphate
Ammonium Sulfate
9 December 2002
Hazard
Symbol
flammable
------------
Red
Grey
Grey
Good*
Indefinite
Indefinite
------flammable
-----------corrosive
harmful
------
Red
Red
Grey
Green
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Fair to poor
Indefinite
--------toxic
harmful
oxidising
------------------
Grey
Blue
Grey
Yellow
Grey
Grey
Fair to poor
Indefinite
Indefinite
Good*
Indefinite
Indefinite
Storage Group
Shelf Life
1
Hazard
Symbol
Ammonium Thiocyanate
harmful
Anti-bumping granules
------Barium Chloride
harmful
Barium Hydroxide
corrosive
Benzaldehyde
harmful
Benzoic Acid
harmful
Bismuth (III) Chloride
corrosive
Bleach (liquid)
corrosive,
oxidising
Bleaching Powder
corrosive,
oxidising
Bromine
corrosive,
toxic
Bromothymol Blue
---------Buffer Solutions, pH 4,7,10 ----------Butan-1-ol
harmful
Butanal
flammable
Butanoic Acid
corrosive
Butanone
flammable,
irritant
Calcium Carbide(calcium
flammable
dicarbide)
Calcium Carbonate
-------Calcium Carbonate --------Marble Chips
Calcium Chloride
irritant
Calcium Granules
flammable
Calcium Hydroxide
irritant,
corrosive
Calcium Oxide
corrosive
Candles
------Carbon Electrodes (packet) ------Charcoal
flammable
Citric Acid
irritant
Cloves
-------Cobalt Chloride
toxic
Cobalt(II) Nitrate
toxic
Copper (I) Oxide
harmful
Copper (II) Carbonate
harmful
Copper (II) Chloride
toxic
Copper (II) Oxide
harmful
Copper (II) Sulfate
harmful
Copper (II) Sulfate
harmful
Anhydrous
Chemical Name
9 December 2002
Storage Group
Shelf Life
Grey
Grey
Blue
Green
Red
Grey
Grey
Yellow
Poor
Indefinite
Indefinite
Poor
Fair
Indefinite
Poor
Good
Yellow
Fair to poor
White
Good*
Grey
Grey
Red
Red
White
Red
Indefinite
Poor
Poor
Poor
Indefinite*
Good*
Red
Good*
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
Grey
Red
Grey
Fair to poor
Good*
Fair to poor
Blue
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
yellow
Grey
Grey
Blue
Grey
Grey
Grey
Fair to poor
Indefinite
Indefinite
Good*
Poor
Indefinite
Good*
Poor
Poor
Indefinite
Poor
Indefinite
Fair
Fair
2
Hazard
Symbol
Copper Electrodes
--------Copper Turnings
--------Copper wire (bare 22 swg) --------Cyclohexane
flammable
Decon 90
irritant
Detergent
------Disodium hydrogen
-----phosphate
Dyes, Water Soluble, Red ------& Blue
EDTA Disodium Salt
harmful
Ethanal
flammable,
irritant
Ethanedioic Acid (Oxalic
harmful
Acid)
Ethanoic Acid
corrosive
Ethanol 95%
flammable
Ethyl Benzoate
harmful
Ethyl Ethanoate
flammable
Fehling's Solution No. 1
---------Fehling's Solution No. 2
corrosive
Glass Wool
--------Glucose - Anhydrous
--------Glycerol
-------Heptane
flammable
Hexane
flammable,
harmful
Hydrochloric Acid
corrosive
Hydrochloric acidcorrosive
Ampoules (box)
Hydrogen Peroxide - 100
corrosive,
vol
oxidising
Indicator paper box
--------(selection)
Iodine
harmful
Iron (II) Sulfate
harmful
Iron (III) Chloride
irritant
Iron metal filings
----Iron tablets (packet)
------Lard
------Lauroyl Peroxide
oxidising,
irritant
Lead Bromide
toxic
Lead Electrodes
toxic
Chemical Name
9 December 2002
Storage Group
Shelf Life
Grey
Grey
Grey
Red
Grey
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Indefinite
Indefinite
Good*
Grey
Indefinite
Grey
Red
Indefinite
Poor
White
Indefinite
Red
Red
Red
Red
Grey
Green
Grey
Grey
Grey
Red
Red
Indefinite*
Indefinite*
Good*
Good*
Fair
Fair
Indefinite
Good*
Indefinite
Good*
Indefinite*
White
White
Good*
Good*
Yellow
Fair to poor
Grey
Good*
Yellow
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Yellow
Fair
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Indefinite
Good
Good*
Fair to poor
Blue
Grey
Fair to poor
Indefinite
3
Chemical Name
Lead Ethanoate
Lime Water (Calcium
Hydroxide)
Lithium
Lithium Chloride
Litmus Powder
Lycopodium Powder
Magnesium Carbonate
Magnesium Powder
Magnesium Ribbon
Magnesium Sulfate
Manganese Dioxide
Manganese Sulfate
Dihydrate
Methanal (Formaldehyde
Solution)
Methanoic Acid (Formic
Acid 90%)
Methanol
Hazard
Symbol
toxic
irritant
Shelf Life
Blue
Green
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
flammable,
corrosive
harmful
--------flammable
-------flammable
flammable
--------harmful
harmful
Red
Indefinite*
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Red
Red
Grey
Grey
Grey
Fair to poor
Indefinite*
Indefinite*
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Indefinite*
Poor
Indefinite*
Poor
toxic,
corrosive
corrosive
Blue
Fair
White
Poor
Red
Good*
Grey
Red
Indefinite
Fair
Grey
Red
Red
Indefinite
Fair to poor
Indefinite*
Red
Good*
Grey
Yellow
Indefinite
Fair to poor
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Good*
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Red
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
flammable,
toxic
methyl orange powder
toxic
Methyl orange solution
flammable,
harmful
Methyl Red powder
-------Methyl Red solution
flammable
Methylated Spirits
flammable,
harmful
Methylbenzene (toluene)
flammable,
harmful
Nichrome Wire
----------Nitric Acid
corrosive,
oxidising
Octane
flammable
Paraffin - liquid
------Paraffin - Light
------Pentane
flammable
Petroleum Ether (40/60)
flammable,
harmful
Petroleum Jelly
--------Phenolphthalein solid
-------Platinum Wire
-------Poly(chloroethene) -PVC
------Poly(ethene) (low density) ------Poly(ethene)(high density) ------
9 December 2002
Storage Group
4
Chemical Name
Polypropene
Polystyrene
(Poly(phenylethene)
Polytetrafluoroethene
(PTFE)
Potassium Bromide
Potassium Chloride
Potassium Chromate
Potassium Dichromate,
crystalline
Potassium Hydroxide
Potassium Iodate
Potassium Iodide
Potassium Metal
Hazard
Symbol
--------------
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
--------
Grey
Indefinite
---------------irritant
toxic
Grey
Grey
Blue
Blue
Fair to poor
Poor
Indefinite
Indefinite
Green
Yellow
Grey
Red
Indefinite
Indefinite
Poor
Poor
Yellow
Grey
Good*
Indefinite
Grey
Good*
Grey
Grey
Red
Red
Red
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Indefinite*
Poor
Poor
Red
Yellow
Grey
Grey
Good*
Indefinite
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Grey
Fair to poor
Grey
Blue
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Grey
Grey
Fair to poor
Good*
Green
Green
Good*
Good*
Yellow
Good
Grey
Poor
corrosive
oxidising
------flammable,
corrosive
Potassium Nitrate
oxidising
Potassium Permanganate oxidising,
harmful
Potassium Permanganate - oxidising,
Ampoules (box)
harmful
Potassium Sodium Tartrate ------Potassium Thiocyanate
harmful
Propan - 1 - ol
flammable
Propan - 2 - ol
flammable
Propanal (propionaldehyde) flammable,
irritant
Propanone
flammable
Silver Nitrate
corrosive
Sodium Bromide
------Sodium Carbonate irritant
Anhydrous
Sodium Carbonate irritant
Hydrated
Sodium Chloride
-----Sodium Dichromate toxic
Crystalline
Sodium Ethanoate
------Sodium
-----Hydrogencarbonate
Sodium Hydroxide
corrosive
Sodium Hydroxide corrosive
Ampoules
Sodium Hypochlorite
corrosive
Solution
Sodium metabisulfite
harmful
9 December 2002
Storage Group
Shelf Life
5
Hazard
Symbol
Sodium Metal in paraffin
flammable,
corrosive
Sodium Sulfate
-------Sodium sulfate anhydrous ----Sodium Sulfite
------Sodium Thiosulfate
-----Solochrome Black
irritant
Sphere poly:pk/100 25mm -------Starch - soluble
------StrontiumChloride
-----Styrene (Phenylethene)
irritant
Sugar
-----Sulfur - Fine Powder
-----Sulfuric Acid
corrosive
Tin Plate or Foil (25 mm2) ------Trimethylpentane, 2, 2, 4, flammable
(iso-octane)
Universal Indicator Solution flammable
Urea
------Vegetable oil
-----Vinegar
-----Wooden Splints (100 Pack) -----Zinc Carbonate
irritant
Zinc Electrodes
------Zinc Granulated
------Zinc Powder
flammable
Chemical Name
9 December 2002
Storage Group
Shelf Life
Red
Good*
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Red
Grey
Grey
White
Grey
Red
Indefinite
Indefinite
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite*
Fair to poor
Fair to poor
Indefinite*
Indefinite
Good*
Indefinite
Good*
Red
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
Blue
Grey
Grey
Grey
Indefinite
Indefinite
Fair
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Indefinite
Good*
6