Lessons Learned─Lithium Aluminum Hydride Fires

Lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) is well-known and widely used as a highly reactive reagent that reduces a wide variety of substances. Given its high reactivity profile, it has also been involved in numerous incidents causing fires small and large. Several research laboratory fires initiated by pulverizing LiAlH4 pellets have brought attention to friction-induced ignition, deficiencies in vendor-supplied Safety Data Sheets, and challenges to researcher training that involve known─but specific─conditions that are incompatible with reactive reagents.