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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Organic Chemistry Forum for Graduate Students and Professionals => Topic started by: Babcock_Hall on June 28, 2018, 05:56:08 PM

Title: disposal of an old container of methyl lithium
Post by: Babcock_Hall on June 28, 2018, 05:56:08 PM
When cleaning out a cold room, we found an old container of methyl lithium in solution.  It looks as if all of the ether has evaporated.  What special precautions should be taken in disposing of it?  We are concerned about the possibility of peroxides having been formed.
Title: Re: disposal of an old container of methyl lithium
Post by: TheUnassuming on June 28, 2018, 09:26:44 PM
I'm not 100% sure if peroxide formation is likely in the presence of organolithium species.

Either way, if you think/see you have peroxide formation I'd hire a hazardous chem disposal contractor to take care of it. 

If its not much solid there, you could always throw up a blast shield and try to do a reductive quench.
Title: Re: disposal of an old container of methyl lithium
Post by: wildfyr on June 28, 2018, 09:44:42 PM
It's probably all lithium hydroxide at this point. It would be worth doing a peroxide test strip to see if it needs to be treated any differently.