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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 (25C 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 Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Absolute Alcohol flammable Red Good* Aluminium foil ------ Grey Indefinite Aluminium Metal Sheets (20 pack) ------- Grey Indefinite Aluminium Oxide ------- Red Indefinite Aluminium Powder flammable Red Indefinite Aluminium Sulfate ------------ Grey Indefinite Ammonia 0.88 corrosive Green Indefinite* Ammonium Chloride harmful Grey Fair to poor Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate ------ Grey Indefinite Ammonium Iron(II) Sulfate --------- Grey Fair to poor Ammonium Metavanadate toxic Blue Indefinite Ammonium Molybdate harmful Grey Indefinite Ammonium Nitrate oxidising Yellow Good* Ammonium Phosphate --------- Grey Indefinite Ammonium Sulfate ---------- Grey Indefinite

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Chemical Name Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Ammonium Thiocyanate harmful Grey Poor Anti-bumping granules ------- Grey Indefinite Barium Chloride harmful Blue Indefinite Barium Hydroxide corrosive Green Poor Benzaldehyde harmful Red Fair Benzoic Acid harmful Grey Indefinite Bismuth (III) Chloride corrosive Grey Poor Bleach (liquid) corrosive,

oxidising Yellow Good Bleaching Powder corrosive,

oxidising Yellow Fair to poor Bromine corrosive,

toxic White Good* Bromothymol Blue ---------- Grey Indefinite Buffer Solutions, pH 4,7,10 ----------- Grey Poor Butan-1-ol harmful Red Poor Butanal flammable Red Poor Butanoic Acid corrosive White Indefinite* Butanone flammable,

irritant Red Good* Calcium Carbide(calcium dicarbide) flammable Red Good* Calcium Carbonate -------- Grey Indefinite Calcium Carbonate - Marble Chips --------- Grey Indefinite Calcium Chloride irritant Grey Fair to poor Calcium Granules flammable Red Good* Calcium Hydroxide irritant,

corrosive Grey Fair to poor Calcium Oxide corrosive Blue Fair to poor Candles ------- Grey Indefinite Carbon Electrodes (packet) ------- Grey Indefinite Charcoal flammable Grey Good* Citric Acid irritant Grey Poor Cloves -------- Grey Indefinite Cobalt Chloride toxic Grey Good* Cobalt(II) Nitrate toxic yellow Poor Copper (I) Oxide harmful Grey Poor Copper (II) Carbonate harmful Grey Indefinite Copper (II) Chloride toxic Blue Poor Copper (II) Oxide harmful Grey Indefinite Copper (II) Sulfate harmful Grey Fair Copper (II) Sulfate Anhydrous harmful Grey Fair

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Chemical Name Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Copper Electrodes --------- Grey Indefinite Copper Turnings --------- Grey Indefinite Copper wire (bare 22 swg) --------- Grey Indefinite Cyclohexane flammable Red Indefinite* Decon 90 irritant Grey Indefinite Detergent ------- Grey Indefinite Disodium hydrogen phosphate ------ Grey Good* Dyes, Water Soluble, Red & Blue ------- Grey Indefinite EDTA Disodium Salt harmful Grey Indefinite Ethanal flammable,

irritant Red Poor Ethanedioic Acid (Oxalic Acid) harmful White Indefinite Ethanoic Acid corrosive Red Indefinite* Ethanol 95% flammable Red Indefinite* Ethyl Benzoate harmful Red Good* Ethyl Ethanoate flammable Red Good* Fehling's Solution No. 1 ---------- Grey Fair Fehling's Solution No. 2 corrosive Green Fair Glass Wool --------- Grey Indefinite Glucose - Anhydrous --------- Grey Good* Glycerol -------- Grey Indefinite Heptane flammable Red Good* Hexane flammable,

harmful Red Indefinite* Hydrochloric Acid corrosive White Good* Hydrochloric acid-Ampoules (box) corrosive White Good* Hydrogen Peroxide - 100 vol corrosive, oxidising Yellow Fair to poor Indicator paper box (selection) --------- Grey Good* Iodine harmful Yellow Fair Iron (II) Sulfate harmful Grey Fair to poor Iron (III) Chloride irritant Grey Fair to poor Iron metal filings ----- Grey Indefinite Iron tablets (packet) ------- Grey Good Lard ------- Grey Good* Lauroyl Peroxide oxidising,

irritant Yellow Fair to poor Lead Bromide toxic Blue Fair to poor Lead Electrodes toxic Grey Indefinite

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Chemical Name Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Lead Ethanoate toxic Blue Fair to poor Lime Water (Calcium Hydroxide) irritant Green Fair to poor Lithium flammable,

corrosive Red Indefinite* Lithium Chloride harmful Grey Fair to poor Litmus Powder --------- Grey Indefinite* Lycopodium Powder flammable Grey Indefinite* Magnesium Carbonate -------- Grey Indefinite Magnesium Powder flammable Red Indefinite* Magnesium Ribbon flammable Red Indefinite* Magnesium Sulfate --------- Grey Poor Manganese Dioxide harmful Grey Indefinite* Manganese Sulfate Dihydrate harmful Grey Poor Methanal (Formaldehyde Solution) toxic, corrosive Blue Fair Methanoic Acid (Formic Acid 90%) corrosive White Poor Methanol flammable,

toxic Red Good* methyl orange powder toxic Grey Indefinite Methyl orange solution flammable,

harmful Red Fair Methyl Red powder -------- Grey Indefinite Methyl Red solution flammable Red Fair to poor Methylated Spirits flammable,

harmful Red Indefinite* Methylbenzene (toluene) flammable,

harmful Red Good* Nichrome Wire ----------- Grey Indefinite Nitric Acid corrosive,

oxidising Yellow Fair to poor Octane flammable Red Good* Paraffin - liquid ------- Red Indefinite Paraffin - Light ------- Red Indefinite* Pentane flammable Red Indefinite Petroleum Ether (40/60) flammable,

harmful Red Indefinite* Petroleum Jelly --------- Red Indefinite Phenolphthalein solid -------- Grey Indefinite Platinum Wire -------- Grey Indefinite Poly(chloroethene) -PVC ------- Grey Indefinite Poly(ethene) (low density) ------- Grey Indefinite Poly(ethene)(high density) ------ Grey Indefinite

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Chemical Name Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Polypropene -------- Grey Indefinite Polystyrene (Poly(phenylethene) ------- Grey Indefinite Polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) -------- Grey Indefinite Potassium Bromide --------- Grey Fair to poor Potassium Chloride -------- Grey Poor Potassium Chromate irritant Blue Indefinite Potassium Dichromate, crystalline toxic Blue Indefinite Potassium Hydroxide corrosive Green Indefinite Potassium Iodate oxidising Yellow Indefinite Potassium Iodide ------- Grey Poor Potassium Metal flammable,

corrosive Red Poor Potassium Nitrate oxidising Yellow Good* Potassium Permanganate oxidising,

harmful Grey Indefinite Potassium Permanganate -Ampoules (box) oxidising, harmful Grey Good* Potassium Sodium Tartrate ------- Grey Fair to poor Potassium Thiocyanate harmful Grey Fair to poor Propan - 1 - ol flammable Red Indefinite* Propan - 2 - ol flammable Red Poor Propanal (propionaldehyde) flammable,

irritant Red Poor Propanone flammable Red Good* Silver Nitrate corrosive Yellow Indefinite Sodium Bromide ------- Grey Fair to poor Sodium Carbonate - Anhydrous irritant Grey Fair to poor Sodium Carbonate - Hydrated irritant Grey Fair to poor Sodium Chloride ------ Grey Fair to poor Sodium Dichromate - Crystalline toxic Blue Fair to poor Sodium Ethanoate ------- Grey Fair to poor Sodium Hydrogencarbonate ------ Grey Good* Sodium Hydroxide corrosive Green Good* Sodium Hydroxide - Ampoules corrosive Green Good* Sodium Hypochlorite Solution corrosive Yellow Good Sodium metabisulfite harmful Grey Poor

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Chemical Name Hazard Symbol Storage Group Shelf Life Sodium Metal in paraffin flammable,

corrosive Red Good* Sodium Sulfate -------- Grey Indefinite Sodium sulfate anhydrous ----- Grey Indefinite Sodium Sulfite ------- Grey Fair to poor Sodium Thiosulfate ------ Grey Fair to poor Solochrome Black irritant Grey Indefinite Sphere poly:pk/100 25mm -------- Grey Indefinite Starch - soluble ------- Grey Indefinite* StrontiumChloride ------ Grey Fair to poor Styrene (Phenylethene) irritant Red Fair to poor Sugar ------ Grey Indefinite* Sulfur - Fine Powder ------ Grey Indefinite Sulfuric Acid corrosive White Good* Tin Plate or Foil (25 mm2) ------- Grey Indefinite Trimethylpentane, 2, 2, 4, (iso-octane) flammable Red Good* Universal Indicator Solution flammable Red Indefinite Urea ------- Grey Indefinite Vegetable oil ------ Grey Fair Vinegar ------ Grey Indefinite Wooden Splints (100 Pack) ------ Grey Indefinite Zinc Carbonate irritant Blue Indefinite Zinc Electrodes ------- Grey Indefinite Zinc Granulated ------- Grey Indefinite Zinc Powder flammable Grey Good*