Reactive Group Datasheet

Metals, Alkali, Very Active

What are reactive groups?

Reactive groups are categories of chemicals that typically react in similar ways because they are similar in their chemical structure. Each substance with a chemical datasheet has been assigned to one or more reactive groups, and CAMEO Chemicals uses the reactive group assignments to make its reactivity predictions. More Info...

If you can't find a chemical in the database--but you know what reactive group it belongs in--you can add the reactive group to MyChemicals instead in order to see the reactivity predictions.

There are 20 chemical datasheets assigned to this reactive group.

Description

Flammability

The alkali metals are nonflammable, but they are combustible. They may also burn in carbon dioxide and in nitrogen. Their reaction with water is violently rapid and quite exothermic. It produces gaseous hydrogen and other products. The heat that is generated is sufficient to melt the unreacted metal, ignite the liberated hydrogen and ignite the metal itself.

Reactivity

Materials in this group react, usually vigorously, with any substance having active hydrogen atoms to liberate gaseous hydrogen. This includes alcohols and acids, and most importantly, water. They react with sulfides, any oxidizing agent, aldehydes, and cyanides. They corrode rapidly on contact with the air, becoming coated with white oxides and peroxides. As a practical matter, most other organic compounds, including ethers, are wet enough (carry enough water as an impurity) to cause heating and liberation of gases in contact with alkali metals. Alkali metals and alloys containing alkali metals are all powerful reducing agents.

Toxicity

All the materials in this group react with moisture to generate caustic products. Contact with these metals with the skin can cause chemical burns by the action of these products and thermal burns from the heat of the reaction.

Other Characteristics

Materials in this group are the elements in the Group IA of the periodic table and their alloys.

Examples

Cesium, lithium, potassium, sodium.

Reactivity Documentation

Click on the links below to see how this reactive group is predicted to react when it is mixed with one of the 47 reactive groups. A variety of documentation about that reactive group pair will be displayed, including predicted hazards, predicted gas byproducts, and background materials and references used to make the predictions.

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Metals, Alkali, Very Active

What are reactive groups?

Description

Reactivity Documentation