Aluminium hydride

Use

Aluminium hydride is a powerful reducing agent. May react violently with oxidizers. Prolonged exposure to heat may cause spontaneous decomposition. Can also decompose spontaneously at ambient temperature with explosive violence. Occasionally, explosions have occurred when Aluminium hydride was stored in ether. The explosions have been blamed on the presence of carbon dioxide impurity in the ether [J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 70:877 1948]. Can emit toxic fumes on contact with acid or fumes from an acid. [Lewis]. At elevated temperatures, the hydride reduces carbon dioxide or sodium hydrogen carbonate to methane and ethane. These gases are the explosive products formed when CO2 extinguishers have been used during hydride fires. The 1:1 complexes of the hydride (as a complex with ether or dimethylamine) and various tetrazole derivatives are explosive. Tetrazoles include, 2-methyl, 2-ethyl, 5-ethyl, 2-methyl-5-vinyl, 5-amino-2-ethyl, etc., [US Pat. 3 396 170, 1968].