Testing Unknown Solutions and Solids

[Shan]

Hi All,
What are some tests I can run to deduce what unknown solutions and solids are?
I have far too many that I can't even pay for someone to take them away.
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks

 

[CovTech]

Without knowing what they are. what strength they are or what age they are I'd be reluctant to just start testing as you never know what it'll react adversely with

Label it "Unknown" and get it disposed by an external company

 

[Shan]

Without knowing what they are. what strength they are or what age they are I'd be reluctant to just start testing as you never know what it'll react adversely with

Label it "Unknown" and get it disposed by an external company

I tried to! Because I have so much of it, they are refusing to accept it unless I run some tests.

 

[CovTech]

Which company is that?
I'd try another waste disposal company if that's the case

 

[labmom]

You could just do basic pH tests :acid or alkali with just water, and simple chlorine/ammonia test with damp litmus

 

[BioBee]

Only thing you can test safely is the pH, anything else might react with anything else as CovTech says.

At least if you do a pH paper test though, you can separate the unknowns into 'unknown acid', 'unknown base', 'unknown neutral' etc which disposal companies might appreciate

 

[BioBee]

You could just do basic pH tests :acid or alkali with just water, and simple chlorine/ammonia test with damp litmus

jinx haha

 

[Shan]

You could just do basic pH tests :acid or alkali with just water, and simple chlorine/ammonia test with damp litmus

Thanks, I'll give them the pH and a description and hope that's enough.

 

[WMC_Ste]

If it's solvent I would carefully mix it in with the general solvent waste. If its something dissolved in the water or ethanol I would leave it in an open container in a fume food with it on, let the water evaporate off 50g is easier to get rid of than 200mls of something. Maybe do some flame tests, an unknown "sodium" salt is more detail than nothing. And if you have time you can do simple tests for chlorine, carbonates, sulfates, and nitrates

 

[Lesley Newcombe]

Personally I would try a different disposal company. You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk trying to fathom out what these unknowns are. I've used Chemgo in the past, they are very reasonable and super efficient

 

[Medchemist]

Identifying unknowns is tricky even with a mass spectrometer, IR, NMR etc. In a school lab it's almost impossible to identify anything beyond common metal salts.

Find a waste disposal company that will run tests or an analytical lab that will, it's expensive but really the only sensible option