Chemical stability

Section 10 of the SDS opens with stability because it frames everything else. A statement that the product is stable under recommended conditions tells you the other reactivity entries apply only if those conditions are changed. If a product is unstable, the SDS should describe what triggers instability, such as heat, light, air, shock or time.

Stability is always relative to conditions. A chemical that is perfectly stable in a cool, sealed, dark container may decompose in a hot warehouse or after the container has been opened many times. Some products have a limited shelf life, and the date on the container is a safety limit as well as a quality limit.

Related terms cover what happens when stability fails. Peroxide formation, hazardous polymerization, hazardous decomposition products and reaction with incompatible materials are all breakdowns of an otherwise stable product. Section 10 of the SDS usually addresses each of these in turn.

For managers, stability information feeds into inventory practice. Date containers, rotate stock, keep storage temperature within the range given by the supplier, and dispose of expired materials through proper waste channels instead of allowing them to age in a cabinet.