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Chemical Name: Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Peroxydicarbonate
Chemical Family: Organic Peroxides
Common Synonyms: DEHPDC, Perkadox 16, Peroxycarbonate, dioctyl dicarbonate
Supplier Use: Most folks use this chemical in polymerization, mainly for plastics and resins. It's not uncommon to find it in industrial plants that make PVC or similar compounds. In my experience, chemical handlers easily recognize its sharp, somewhat sweet odor.
Hazard Class: Organic Peroxide, Class 5.2
Major Risk: Strong oxidizer, heat sensitivity, explosive above specified percentages, harmful by inhalation and skin contact, harmful if swallowed, causes irritation
Signal Word: Danger
Precautionary Statements: Store cool, ventilate area, keep separate from incompatible materials, avoid friction, ground equipment, no smoking in storage or handling areas
Pictogram: Flame over circle (oxidizer), exclamation mark (irritant), exploding bomb (explosion risk)
Long-Term Effects: Skin and respiratory system sensitization, potential liver and kidney stress with chronic exposure, risk of burns, potential central nervous system effects on high exposure.
Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Peroxydicarbonate: up to 77%
Type B Diluent (Hydrocarbon mixture): at least 23%
Other minor ingredients: Stabilizers can be present to control reactivity, but usually not above 1%. Chemical handlers should expect possible additives, but open-label documentation often skips specifics.
Inhalation: Move individual to fresh air, keep comfortable, monitor breathing, consult medical attention for breathing difficulty.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing, wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Have witnessed contact causing redness and sometimes skin peeling after repeated exposure. Seek medical attention for persistent irritation.
Eye Contact: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes, remove contact lenses if present and easy to do, continue rinsing, get medical attention if irritation persists.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth out. Do not induce vomiting due to reactivity risk; get immediate medical attention. Laboratory training always stressed quick response in case of ingestion, given organic peroxides’ effect on blood chemistry.
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Foam, dry powder, CO2, water spray, but avoid direct water stream as it can spread contaminated liquid.
Specific Hazards: Decomposes rapidly under fire conditions, generates toxic gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, other organic compounds; explosion risk if confined.
Protective Equipment: Full turnout gear, self-contained breathing apparatus. At several fire brigade drills, responders always stayed upwind, used remote application of extinguishing materials.
Firefighting Precautions: Evacuate area, fight fire from safe distance, keep containers cool with water mist, avoid breathing fumes.
Personal Protection: Evacuate unprotected people, ventilate area, use chemical splash goggles, rubber gloves, long sleeves, protective apron.
Clean-Up Process: Collect with non-sparking tools and inert absorbent (like vermiculite), then transfer to proper waste container, prevent spills from reaching drains or surface water
Environmental Impact: Washings or run-off present contamination risks for nearby wetlands or municipal treatment plants, sometimes prompting emergency response depending on volume.
Handling: Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, static discharge, friction sources; ground transfer equipment; avoid skin/eye contact. Training sessions in chemical facilities drove home the need to avoid even minor spills, since peroxide residues present lingering fire risk.
Storage Conditions: Refrigerated or at least under 25ºC (77ºF), away from incompatible chemicals (acids, bases, reducing agents), tightly closed, labeled clearly, explosion-proof refrigeration ideal for bulk quantities.
Storage Life: Limited by shelf-stability, ideally checked monthly for crystal formation, thickening, discoloration—these signs warn of decomposition risk. Small amounts best used quickly, bulk kept for as short a period as possible.
Special Considerations: No smoking, eating, or drinking in storage or handling area. Emergency wash stations always recommended within 20 feet for industrial scale sites.
Engineering Controls: Use chemical fume hood or local exhaust ventilation. My own lab experience always put high value on airflow direction, since heavy vapors tend to pool at low points.
Personal Protection: Splash goggles, chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or butyl best), lab coat, long pants, closed footwear.
Respiratory Protection: NIOSH-approved filter masks or air-supplied respirator if ventilation inadequate, particularly important near storage drums, open vessels, or cleanup sites.
Monitoring: Routine air monitoring for peroxides and hydrocarbon vapors.
Appearance: Clear, colorless to slightly pale liquid
Odor: Sweet, sharp, noticeable even in small concentrations
Boiling Point: Decomposes before boiling
Melting Point: Below zero Celsius
Vapor Pressure: Moderate—chemical easily becomes airborne in warm conditions
Solubility: Insoluble in water, mixes with most organic solvents
Density: Around 0.95 g/cm³
pH: Not applicable due to organic peroxide structure
Decomposition Temperature: Roughly 35-40°C for pure form, safer mixes steady up to about 25°C
Notable Traits: Readily decomposes with heat or sunlight, sometimes generating visible vapor and pressure in closed containers. In industrial work, chemical's physical instability makes it high-maintenance, sometimes inviting costly refrigeration or custom dispensers.
Stability: Stable only under recommended storage conditions, decomposes rapidly in heat, light, or contamination by metals/acids/bases/reducing agents
Reactivity: Violent decomposition can occur in presence of incompatible materials, by physical shock, or on heating
Incompatible Materials: Strong acids, reducing agents, combustibles, metal powders, amines. Many colleagues reported accidental reactions with poorly cleaned equipment or residue-harboring containers, leading to near-misses
Hazardous Decomposition: Generates CO, CO2, volatile organic compounds on decomposition, risk of pressure buildup in sealed drums.
Possible Exposure Routes: Skin contact, inhalation, ingestion, eye contact
Acute Effects: Eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness in enclosed space exposure
Chronic Effects: Skin sensitization with repeated contact, respiratory system stress; animal studies suggest possible reproductive toxicity, though evidence in humans limited
Other Risks: No known safe exposure limit; for industrial application, always treat as potentially harmful on contact. Labs and plant sites typically use personnel tracking and medical surveillance for frequent handlers.
Toxicity to Aquatic Life: Harmful to aquatic organisms, risk of long-term adverse effects to aquatic environments
Persistence and Degradability: Organic peroxides hydrolyze eventually, but intermediate breakdown products may persist or linger in water supplies
Bioaccumulation: Components may accumulate in fatty tissue of aquatic organisms, though quantitative assessment often lacking
Environmental Impact: Proper containment critical—at one point, a small spill migrating into a drainage ditch caused a fish kill due to quick hydrocarbon runoff
Advice: Use secondary containment for storage, develop emergency spill response protocols, maintain records for regulatory inspections.
Recommended Method: Incinerate at high temperature in licensed facility, do not put in landfill or municipal sewage
Container Disposal: Decontaminate containers fully prior to recycling or discarding, often by triple rinsing with solvent then removing volatile residues
Caution: Never allow to dry out in confined space, as peroxide materials concentrate on evaporation, raising risk of explosive decomposition. Staff training must cover waste pickup, compatible containers, and emergency shutdown.
Classification: UN 3108, Organic Peroxide Type D, liquid, temperature controlled
Packing Group: II or III depending on concentration
Labeling: Explosive (5.2), keep away from heat sources, temperature regulation required during transit, no mixed loads with foodstuffs
Precautions: Ensure packaging rated for pressure relief, use specialized temperature-controlled carriers, transport manifests need accurate dating and content identification
History: More than one transportation accident with organics like this led to tight regulations—most major carriers refuse shipment unless advance arrangements are made, drivers receive supplementary hazmat training.
Workplace Exposure Limits: No established OSHA PEL or ACGIH TLV, hence companies rely on stringent internal exposure control plans
Chemical Inventory: Listed in TSCA Chemical Inventory, regulated under the Clean Air Act for process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals
SARA Title III: Subject to Section 311/312 reporting as immediate (acute) and delayed (chronic) health hazard; fire hazard noted on site inventories
International Guidelines: Subject to IATA, IMDG, ADR for air, sea, and road transit. Many regions—EU REACH, Australian Dangerous Goods Code—treat higher concentrations as restricted.
Worker Training: Legal requirement in many countries for annual hazardous material safety training, spill drills, documented SOPs within reach of all personnel. Lapses in training or documentation have led to major fines and public scrutiny.
