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12 Potentially Explosive Chemicals Appendix 1 Representative Peroxide Forming Compounds The compounds subject to peroxide testing and/or disposal are ethers and olefins/alkynes. Ethers are generally more important sources of peroxides themselves. However, alkenes (olefins) and alkynes are subject to polymerization reactions that can be very exothermic and thus occasionally be explosive. Representative compounds are listed below, but THIS LIST IS NOTAND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED EXHAUSTIVE. Exceptions Despite its name “petroleum ether” is not an ether. Instead, it is a particular fraction of hydrocarbon distillate. It is thus NOT especially susceptible to peroxide formation. Ethers allyl ether dioxane anisole or derivatives methyl tert-butyl ether = MTBE diethyl ether = ethyl ether phenetol or derivatives diisopropyl ether = isopropyl ether tetrahydrofuran = THF Any compound with these word/prefixes: • methoxy • ethoxy • propoxy • butoxy Any other compound with the word “ether” in the name Olefins/Alkenes and Alkynes Compounds containing the following words/segments: acetylene enyne octene acrolein ethane octyne acrylate ethylene pentene allyl ethyne pentyne butene heptene propargyl butyne heptyne propylene decene hexane propyne decyne hexyne vinyl diene nonene diyne nonyne NOTE: It is the researcher’s responsibility to know whether a compound contains an ether or alkene functional group.