Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 16:03:47 -0400
Reply-To: Elizabeth Gregory <egregory**At_Symbol_Here**BROCKPORT.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Elizabeth Gregory <egregory**At_Symbol_Here**BROCKPORT.EDU>
Subject: Toluene? A peroxide former?!
Hi everyone,
 
Our department finally opened up a 5 gallon metal drum of toluene earlier
this summer. The drum is somewhere between 6 and 20 years old (you can
imagine why I wanted to see it used up...).
 
After a couple of days of "what the %**At_Symbol_Here**&# is this reaction by-product?!",
we've finally figured out that the toluene itself has the following
impurities: benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, and benzyl hydroperoxide(!!!). The
total concentration of these impurities is about 240 mg/L of solution.
 
Has anyone ever heard of toluene forming these products while it's left
sitting around unopened? This is a new one, both to me and our resident
organic chemist.
 
Elizabeth Gregory
Laboratory Manager
Department of Chemistry
SUNY College at Brockport
Room 230 Smith Hall
Brockport, NY 14420
(585) 395-2210
Fax: (585) 395-5805
Email: egregory**At_Symbol_Here**brockport.edu
 

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