Chemical compatibility is a measure of how stable a
substance
Substance may refer to:
* Matter, anything that has mass and takes up space
Chemistry
* Chemical substance, a material with a definite chemical composition
* Drug substance
** Substance abuse, drug-related healthcare and social policy diagnosis ...
is when mixed with another substance. If two substances can mix together and undergo a
chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the positions of electrons in the forming and breakin ...
, they are considered compatible. So, incompatible is vice versa.
Chemical compatibility is important when choosing materials for chemical storage or reactions, so that the vessel and other apparatus will not be damaged by its contents. For purposes of
chemical storage, chemicals that are incompatible should not be stored together so that any leak will not cause an even more dangerous situation by reacting after leaking. In addition, chemical compatibility refers to the container material being acceptable to store the chemical or for a tool or object that comes in contact with a chemical to not degrade. For example, when stirring a chemical the stirrer must be stable in the chemical that is being stirred. Because of this many companies publish
chemical resistance
The chemical resistance of a material or surface can be determined in compliance with ISO 2812 Paints and varnishes – Determination of resistance to liquids – Part 1: Immersion in liquids other than water (ISO 2812-1:2007); German Version EN I ...
charts. and databases to help chemical users use appropriate
material
Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geologica ...
s for handling chemicals. Such charts are particularly important for
polymer
A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part")
is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
s as they are often not compatible with common chemical reagents and will even depend on how the polymers are processed. For example,
3-D printing
3-D, 3D, or 3d may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Relating to three-dimensionality
* Three-dimensional space
** 3D computer graphics, computer graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data
** 3D film, a ...
polymer tools used for chemical experiments must be chosen to ensure chemical compatibility with care.
Chemical compatibility is also important when choosing among different chemicals that have similar purposes. For example,
bleach
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
and
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous w ...
, both commonly used as
cleaner
A cleaner or a cleaning operative is a type of industrial or domestic worker who cleans homes or commercial premises for payment. Cleaning operatives may specialise in cleaning particular things or places, such as window cleaners. Cleaning op ...
s, can undergo a dangerous chemical reaction when combined with each other. Even though each of them has a similar use, care must be taken not to allows these chemicals to mix.
References
External links
Chemical compatibility database
Chemical safety
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