Chemical management and purchase of chemicals
In order to avoid purchase of chemicals we already have in stock (about 10.000 compounds) you should check the presence of these compounds in our chemical database. Compounds that are not available can be ordered using the request form. After arrival of a compound, we will register it in the chemical database and deliver it to the lab in which your fume hood is situated. When a compound is stored at room temperature, the compound can be found at the delivery table in your lab. If cold temperatures are required, it will be put in the fridge or freezer (4 °C, -20 °C ) in the storage room. In the latter cases we will send you an e-mail upon arrival.
Silanes will be stored in the fridge in the near vicinity of the silane-glovebox, which is situated in lab 4.052
Undergraduate students should coordinate their orders with their coach. Please be aware of the costs of all chemicals we use and also consider other options than ordering a new compound. However, in general it is better to buy a more expensive compound than to spend days in the lab synthesizing it yourself.
Loan and registration of chemicals
In order to have an actual overview of the stock of chemicals and their use, return chemicals as soon as possible when you are finished with them by putting them into the transfer box in your lab. Notify us when the chemical is finished. By doing it this way, we can keep the database up to date.
Compounds from the freezer must be put back directly after use, to avoid degradation and moisturization of the compound. Due to the relatively low costs of buffers, acids and bases no entry has to be made in these cases.
Every year we spent in our laboratories for about € 50.000 on solvents. Use the cheapest quality possible for your purpose (technical, PA, SPS), as the price difference is often quite large.
The SPS solvent system is placed in the washing room. When a canister is empty, please notify one of the technicians. Only they can replace them. Use appropriate buckets (available in every lab) to carry flasks for transport.
Dangerous chemicals, transport and use
Transport of dangerous chemicals and liquids is only allowed in special carrying racks, containers or rubber baskets. It is strongly recommended to use these means of transportation for all chemicals. Don’t walk the stairs with these chemicals, put it preferably in the elevator (and walk the stairs yourself). Use chemicals only in a fume hood and storage of chemicals in the lab should always be in the fireproof cupboard. Each lab will have a copy of the book ‘Chemiekaarten, MSDS sheets’ to consult safety issues of chemicals. Each lab will have a poster with H/P sentences.
A series of strong smelling chemicals is stored in a locked cupboard, in the stench closet in the washing room. Borrowing these chemicals is only allowed for 24 hours.
Chemical and glass waste
- All glass waste should be put in buckets, specially meant for this purpose (metal containers in lab or orange bin in corridor across from office CR4.209).
- All empty bottles (chemicals and solvents) have to go back to Marcel via the transfer box, which is available in each lab.
- Temporary glass waste (Pasteur pipettes etc) can be stored in the fume hood in the labs.
- All chemical waste is categorized according to the “WCA”-code (see figure below).
Each lab has a waste cupboard where 5L jerry cans are present for categories I, II, III and IV. Full jerry cans will be picked up by technicians every 2-3 weeks and disposed off. When in doubt how to dispose chemical waste, consult one of the technicians. In our lab, we mostly deal with category III, halogen-poor organic compounds, and category IV, halogen-rich organic compounds (including water phases from extractions that are polluted with chlorinated hydrocarbons).
- Solid waste (silica, filters etc) has to be deposited in the white buckets in the general fume hood in your own lab. When these buckets are full they can be deposited in the black containers, which are available in each lab.
- Gloves, tissues etc that are contaminated with chemicals can be deposited in the black containers.
- Sharp materials (needles etc) can be disposed of in the yellow needle container.
- Solid biological waste can be disposed of in the blue containers with yellow lid (for more information see Appendix C)
- Liquid biological waste needs to be collected in a flask containing bleach (for more information see Appendix C).
- Waste from cleaning with piraña needs to be handled with care (Appendix G).
Empty containers
- All empty containers (glass or plastic) have to be considered as chemical waste materials and have to be returned to the technicians (will be picked up from the transfer box in the labs).
- All (new) chemicals are entered in the database, and have a label with a barcode. These containers are registered per location, and must be checked out when empty. When you do not dispose of these containers in the proper way, they will remain registered as in stock. Empty bottles etc. will be collected by technicians on a daily basis; never put them in the glass waste buckets.
Locations
Storage room | Carré 4222: Storage of organic and inorganic chemicals, glassware, lab consumables and office supplies |
Washing room | Carré 4317: Stock of acids and bases, full waste buckets. Dish washer, freezer, storage fridges, technical solvents, solvent purification system (SPS), autoclave, sonicators, MilliQ water |
General fume hood | Each lab: balance, solid waste, rotavap |
Stench closet | Closet in waste room contains stinking chemicals |
Freezer | -20 °C (Washing room), -80 °C in Biolab (Cr4218) |