[Bendzo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_oxide

Ok, so here is the deal. Our laboratory is moving to a new location, which means we have to dispose of all useless, toxic or for transportation hazardous chemicals. No big deal. Until we found a skeleton in a closet. Safely hidden away for 2-3 decades in a freezer was a sealed GLASS VIAL of ethylene oxide. The glass is molted so there is no way to open the vial except by breaking it. So: What do we want? We want to dispose of the chemical in our laboratory. Where is the problem? There are manyt: The quantity of EtO is 100 mL, it is in the freezer but boils at 10 °C, to open the vial we must break it, so there is no way back when and if we do it. If we would react it with water, hotspots could form and a possible explosion scenario can occur. If we were to break the vial and let it evaporate (even in a fume hood), we would most certainly cause a serious health hazard. If we take it outside and throw it against the wall, the vapour could seriously damage anyone who would come in to contact with it (Let's be clear: this last scenario will not happen, I just wrote it to avoid possible such answers as a solution).

So what can we do? Any suggestions? Advice? Procedure of disposal? Keep in mind, though, that the vial is molted and 30 years old!

Thanks for your opinion!

[curiouscat]

I'd say breaking it in a large barrel of water (to be safe say 100-200 Litres) while submerged should work. I'd try to break it as remotely as I can. But I may be wrong. Wait for wiser souls to comment.

100-200 L may be overkill but better safe than sorry.


Or else find a Hazmat incinerator.

[Bendzo]

Even with that amount of water, an explosion hazard exists. Plus, EtO evaporates from water and is not so quickly transformed to glycol. And flamable mixture with air is from 2%-100%. Not bad, a? 

[discodermolide]

Then you do it under nitrogen with stirring, this will avoid hot spots. You could always use dilute sulphuric acid instead of water.
You only have about 2 mol of the stuff, so not a large amount. I would let it evaporate slowly into the atmosphere, it won't harm anyone.

[opsomath]

Do you actually have to deal with it yourself? Because if you don't, I wouldn't.

If I had, had, had to deal with this situation myself, I would do the following in the best fume hood in the lab:

1. Immerse the whole stupid 100 mL vial into a good strong ice/salt bath, with the tip sticking up. Clamp a clamp on the vial so that it has a handle.

2. Make at least 1L of strong potassium hydroxide solution in ethanol or methanol. Put it in a 2L flask or beaker, and chill the whole thing in another ice bath. Get the stuff stirring vigorously; use a mechanical stirrer if you have to.

3. While wearing gloves, a coat, and goggles, use a pair of pliers and the clamp to snap the top off the vial. You can crush the tip with pliers if it's not snapping readily. Keep it cold.

4. Using the clamp-handle, pour the nasty volatile crap into your stirring base bath. I would do it in several portions, not dumping it all in at once. . Don't attempt to pipet it out of the stupid vial. Remove the vial from its cooling bath, quickly but carefully pour a small portion into the base, put it back in the cold bath. Repeat until it's all added to the base.

5. Pull the sash down. Go to lunch. Do not screw with the reaction for 24 hours. The next day, label your crude reaction mixture as an alkaline solution of polyethylene glycol in alcohol, and dispose of it properly.

[408]

Wrap a piece of nichrome wire around part of the vial that is above the liquid level of the ethylene oxide.  Take outside and light a candle right next to it.  Pass current through the wire at a distance, rupturing the glass.  The ethylene oxide will then ignite and burn away safely. 

[baum0372]

Is there another lab nearby that may want the chemical?  Pass the torch?