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Can someone tell me where they store sodium metal? I am aware that it is classified as a flammable solid. I can't find any info in CSIS and I've had a look on the internet. Can you store it in a flammable cabinet with liquid flammables? I do not dare tell you where it's currently being stored.

Thanks, Vicki

At one worksite we have a dedicated flammable solids cabinet where we store it and at another I store it in the flammables cupboard: solids on top shelf, liquids on bottom.

I am curious as to where it is stored now? Under the sink???

No linotas - in the fridge!!

Ours is stored on its own area away from every thing else. Its stored with Parffin liquid in it.

Stored under paraffin and in flammable solids container

The last thing I would be doing is storing sodium metal in a fridge. Every time you pull it out of the fridge you would be exposing the paraffin oil it is stored in to added moisture. Store at room temperature preferably in a flammables cupboard for flammable solids only. I do have a small quantity of sodium metal stored on separate shelving in a locked cabinet in the middle school prep room but the main container is now held in locked storage on the senior campus. I do have separate cabinets for solid flammables and flammable liquids.

I am cutting up small pieces of Sodium Metal and storing in a small jar for use in Lab pracs. I don't have any paraffin oil to put it in, Google tells me that it can be stored in Kerosene? Any thoughts on this?

Have a look on Scienceassist. Do a search on storage of sodium and there is a really good answer about storage. They do recommend paraffin not kerosene (I can't remember the reason). Maybe hold off cutting it until you have some paraffin? I don't touch sodium - I leave it for the teacher to cut as needed. I have a gut feel that it is better left uncut until needed - maybe something I read somewhere, sometime? I'm sure there are other people around who can answer that.

Don't cut it up until you have liquid to store it under. Kerosene will work if you don't have any paraffin oil for storage. Once it is cut and exposed to air any moisture will make it burn violently. I would probably advise never to cut sodium into smaller pieces without storing straight away into the liquid it came from. Sodium is a teacher only demonstration and since a lot of teachers have had no experience using sodium metal I usually do the demonstration for them. Back in the late eighties I prepared the sodium demonstration for a teacher. Fortunately they came into the prep room and asked what they were supposed to do. I felt physically sick because I had assumed that the teacher knew how to handle sodium metal. I had given her the bottle with the large cubes expecting her to know that you cut it to grain size before using and to make sure that the larger cut pieces went straight back into the liquid in the storage container. Since then I have mostly been the demonstrator for sodium metal.

Found the instructions on Scienceassist regarding storing in kerosene:

"Purchase sodium that is under paraffin oil, rather than kerosene. The use of kerosene introduces additional hazards due to it being an aspiration hazard as well as being a flammable liquid. Kerosene also has a much lower boiling point than paraffin oil and is more prone to loss of liquid by evaporation."

Yes I did check Science Assist for that information. I would probably use kerosene as a last resort if there was no other option until such time as a supply of paraffin was available.

Question: I have paraffin (heavy) and paraffin (light). Does anyone know what the difference is? Have been reluctant to use the paraffin (light) with the sodium in case it isn't enough to keep the sodium metal secure. Am I being overly concerned?

Ah! I actually emailed Teresa at Scienceassist about this - she said the light oil was the preference for storing sodium and lithium, mostly because the lithium could float. So it seems that either would be fine but I will be ordering the light. I questioned whether the oil had to be replaced when decanting from the plastic container (as suggested on their website) and Teresa said if the oil was clean and not discoloured it would be okay to use, but otherwise to replace the oil.
I've also found the glass jars they recommend using can be purchased from Labtek. You can buy individual jars, don't have to buy in bulk, but you need to order the lids separately.

Thanks for all the replies. I cut a few pieces and stored them in Kerosene for now but will purchase light paraffin oil for the next lot. I had some stored in paraffin oil and when it was used it released a lot of gas. The pieces stored in Kerosene reacted the way they are supposed too.

I am going through our chemstore... and our sodium metal is stored in its original plastic container. The container is starting to suck in on itself. I came here to ask "What should I do??!!" and found this thread. At my old school it was stored in a metal screw top tin. Should I put paraffin oil on the shopping list ASAP? Is there anywhere I could potentially look locally or is it more of a science supplier type product? Once I have oil on hand and a new container I might be brave enough to open the lid...

Hi Rosalie - hope you read the info on Science Assist. Really helpful. Buy paraffin oil from your science supplier (think it was light paraffin oil - but Science Assist details). I have some wide mouth glass jars with plastic lids SA recommended - small one to go out to classes, and large one for storage.
I haven't been brave enough to cut any yet. I still leave that for the chem teacher.

Thanks Merilyn. I have not actually used the Science Assist page very much. I don't have a subscription but might see if our budget can fit one in. The few times I have looked for info it has been subscriber only (which I totally understand - not having a go at the page!). I have just had a look and found the SOP for the demo but nothing for the storage. I will come back and have another look later.

Store in a separate spot to 3, 4.1 and 4.2. Quite safe while it is under paraffin, and will not readily react until it is in water. Safe to transfer into more paraffin using tongs or forceps. Always insist on a small amount for reactions in a trough in a fume hood. I have one teacher who uses too much because she likes a big reaction to impress the yr 8's. It goes bang but sometimes spits. Really annoying. I do a very small bit into a trough of water with phenolphthalein.

mtg wrote: ↑16 May 2022, 13:12 It goes bang but sometimes spits.

Turns into concentrated sodium Hydroxide solution ........Like you need that splattering around the place .Glasses on Kids .

RosalieL wrote: ↑16 May 2022, 09:53 Thanks Merilyn. I have not actually used the Science Assist page very much. I don't have a subscription but might see if our budget can fit one in. The few times I have looked for info it has been subscriber only (which I totally understand - not having a go at the page!). I have just had a look and found the SOP for the demo but nothing for the storage. I will come back and have another look later.

Try and find the subscription fee out of your budget. It was discounted for this year. Science Assist now relies on subscriptions to operate. It has been shut down a couple of times due to lack of funding. I can't rate it more highly. Apart from a great pool of resources, not just for labbies but also for teaching Kindergarten to Year 12, they will answer any questions with a well researched response. Teresa has really helped me out of a pickle more than once!

bigmack wrote: ↑16 May 2022, 13:29

mtg wrote: ↑16 May 2022, 13:12 It goes bang but sometimes spits.

Turns into concentrated sodium Hydroxide solution ........Like you need that splattering around the place .Glasses on Kids .

Yes it does and years ago I had a teacher use it outside the fume hood. Spat onto the front row of desks, After he warned the kids of the dangers. They did have safety gear on but it can still cause burns, I get so annoyed just cleaning out the fumehood if it has spat. It only takes a tiny piece to burn. I have been making the teachers clean it up.