Why chemicals are stored in glass or plastic containers rather than metalic ones?
Answer:
Metal is reactive. Glass and plastic are not.
If the chemical can eat through the metal container, that'd be a good reason. Also, metal can rust, plastic and glass last pretty much forever.
Metallic can put something in the chemicals that are not supposed to be there.
Glass and some plastics are non-reactive. Meaning that they will not contaminate the chemical nor will they combine in any way.
Also to prevent the chemical from damaging the container.
Metal is not going to be used to store any acids or bases. These will always be stored in glass. A lot of organic chemicals will also be stored in glass because they dissolve many plastics. Metal is typically used for compressed gases, such as O2, CO2, etc.
ok, firstly, glass does react, haven't you people ever heard of chemical etching? one of the most common reactions with glass is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). and plastic reacts with some organic solvents rather quickly.
the reason that a lot of chemicals are stored in plastic or glass containers is because they are LESS reactive than metal ones. especially in the case of salt solutions (and i mean more then just table salt, i mean any substance that is formed from a metal cation and a non metal anion). Salt solutions can undergo a displacement reaction when in contact with certain metals, where the metal from solution replaces the solid metal container. Or, the metals can catalyse, or take part in redox reactions with the contents of the containers.
it is all a mater of matching the container with the contents.
Lobsta Out!
to preserve the integrity of the contents, and to protect the user of the contents to exposure. Plastic and glass are very different, however they share a common physical property that makes then well suited to the task of storing some chemicals. Both have very tight molecular bonding, though each has a deferent type of bonding. Plastic is a polymer and that literally translated means many mers, what is important in this case is that the molecular chains are both dense and tightly bonded. Glass is covalently bonded -- different still -- but very tightly.
Metallic Bonding is not nearly as close or as tight and subject to degradation.
Glass is one of the least reactive materials to make o container of.Though it can't take much pressure.And also, since alchemy started earlier...in those times it was the only thing to make a sealed container from(with a sanded cap) execpt from wooden barrels
Because glass is non- corrosive.
certain chemicals react to different metals glass does not.
Glass and plastic are generally inert and wont react with the chemical or transfer any contamination to the chemical. Metal containers can be reactive and contaminate the chemical.
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