Chromium trioxide explosive

Precaution Flamm. dangerous fire hazard with heat, flame mod. explosive as vapor with heat, flame, oxidizers also Incompat. with chromium trIoxIde explosion potential with various chems. 

The chromium trioxide was of 97% purity. Cooling is necessary on dissolving chromium trioxide in acetic anhydride. Caution. Addition of acetic anhydride to solid chromium trioxide has resulted in explosive decompositions. The trioxide should be added in small portions to the cooled anhydride. 

Violence of reaction depends on concentration of acid and scale and proportion of reactants. The following observations were made with additions to 2-3 drops of ca. 90% acid. Nickel powder, becomes violent mercury, colloidal silver and thallium powder readily cause explosions zinc powder causes a violent explosion immediately. Iron powder is ineffective alone, but a trace of manganese dioxide promotes deflagration. Barium peroxide, copper(I) oxide, impure chromium trioxide, iridium dioxide, lead dioxide, manganese dioxide and vanadium pentoxide all cause violent decomposition, sometimes accelerating to explosion. Lead(II) oxide, lead(II),(IV) oxide and sodium peroxide all cause an immediate violent explosion. 

This complex, formerly called pyridine perchromate and now finding application as a powerful and selective oxidant, is violently explosive when dry [1], Use while moist on the day of preparation and destroy any surplus with dilute alkali [2], Preparation and use of the reagent have been detailed further [3], The analogous complexes with aniline, piperidine and quinoline may be similarly hazardous [4], The damage caused by a 1 g sample of the pyridine complex exploding during desiccation on a warm day was extensive. Desiccation of the aniline complex had to be at ice temperature to avoid violent explosion [4]. Pyridinium chlorochromate is commercially available as a safer alternative oxidant of alcohols to aldehydes [5], See Chromium trioxide Pyridine Dipyridinium dichromate See Other AMMINECHROMIUM PEROXOCOMPLEXES... 

It is known that preparation of the oxidant salt under anhydrous conditions is explosion-prone [1], but during repetition of a supposedly safe preparative method [2], recommended for large-scale use [3], ignition and a violent explosion occurred. Use of more water to dissolve completely the chromium trioxide, and a reaction temperature below 25°C, are recommended [4], During a study by TGA of the thermal degradation of the salt, too-rapid heating of the samples led to explosions with lire [5],... 

A wet-ashing technique used for dissolution of graphite in perchloric acid involved boiling a mixture of 70% perchloric acid and 1% of chromium trioxide as an aqueous solution. This method was later applied to 6-14 mesh charcoal, and after boiling for 30 min the reaction rate increased (foaming) and accelerated to explosion. The charcoal contained traces of extractable tar. 

A literature method for preparation of chromyl acetate by interaction of chromium trioxide and acetic anhydride was modified by omission of cooling and agitation. The warm mixture exploded violently when moved [1], A later publication emphasised the need for cooling, and summarised several such previous occurrences [2], An earlier reference attributes the cause of chromium trioxide-acetic anhydride oxidation mixtures going out of control to presence of nitric acid or nitrates in the chromium trioxide, and a simple test to check this point is given [3], Mixtures used as a reagent for the remote oxidation of carboxylic esters are potentially explosive, and must be made up and used at below 25 °C under controlled conditions [4], An attempt to purify the anhydride by warming with 2% w/v of trioxide led to an explosion at 30°C [5],... 

When methanol was used to rinse a pestle and mortar which had been used to grind coarse chromium trioxide, immediate ignition occurred due to vigorous oxidation of the solvent. The same occurred with ethanol, 2-propanol, butanol and cyclo-hexanol. Water is a suitable cleaning agent for the trioxide [1]. For oxidation of sec-alcohols in DMF, the oxide must be finely divided, as lumps cause violent local reaction on addition to the solution [2]. Use of methanol to reduce the Cr(VI) oxide to a Cr(III) derivative led to an explosion and fire [3], The ignitability of the butanols decreases from n -through sec- to iert-butanol [4],... 

Hydrogen sulfide is rapidly oxidised, and may ignite in contact with a range of metal oxides, including barium peroxide, chromium trioxide, copper oxide, lead dioxide, manganese dioxide, nickel oxide, silver(I) oxide, silver(II) oxide, sodium peroxide, and thallium(III) oxide. In the presence of air, contact with mixtures of calcium oxide or barium oxide with mercury oxide or nickel oxide may cause vivid incandescence or explosion. 

Hydroxylamine is a powerful reducant, particularly when anhydrous, and if exposed to air on a fibrous extended surface (filter paper) it rapidly heats by aerobic oxidation. It explodes in contact with air above 70°C [1]. Barium peroxide will ignite aqueous hydroxylamine, while the solid ignites in dry contact with barium oxide, barium peroxide, lead dioxide and potassium permanganate, but with chlorates, bromates and perchlorates only when moistened with sulfuric acid. Contact of the anhydrous base with potassium dichromate or sodium dichromate is violently explosive, but less so with ammonium dichromate or chromium trioxide. Ignition occurs in gaseous chlorine, and vigorous oxidation occurs with hypochlorites. 

Although I had been aware during most of my career as a preparative chemist of a general lack of information relevant to the reactive hazards associated with the use of chemicals, the realisation that this book needed to be compiled came soon after my reading Chemistry Industry for June 6th, 1964. This issue contained an account of an unexpected laboratory explosion involving chromium trioxide and acetic anhydride, a combination which I knew to be extremely hazardous from close personal experience 16 years previously. 

The mixture of chromium trioxide with one equivalent of trimethylsilyl chloride, with no solvent added, results in the formation of an explosive red liquid that is soluble in dichloromethane or tetrachloromethane.428 It is suggested, with no spectroscopic evidence, that it consists of trimethylsilyl chlorochromate [Me3Si-0-Cr(0)2-Cl]. This compound, which can safely be used in organic solvents, is able to oxidize alcohols to aldehydes or ketones, and interacts with r-butyldimethylsilyl ethers producing deprotection, followed by oxidation of the liberated alcohol.138 Compounds analogue to trimethylsilyl chlorochromate are also able to oxidize alcohols, although they possess lesser reactivity. They can be prepared by reaction of chromium trioxide with dimethyldichlorosilane and diphenyldichlorosilane.428b... 

Notes. (1) The solution is prepared by adding the chromium trioxide portionwise to the well-cooled acetic anhydride. Addition of the anhydride to the oxide in bulk may lead to explosive decomposition. 

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