That is interesting. Is cumene hydroperoxide more OTC than alpha-methylstyrene itself?

While AMS may appear to be OTC to the naked eye (not on any watch lists of the DEA), it is governed by the same folks that made HgCl2 as inaccessable as it is.  It is an environmental issue, and anyone ordering AMS is subject to have their home/place of business searched by the local branch of the EPA to ensure that proper means for disposal are available and adhered  to. 

I take it that anyone interested in this sort of thing wouldn't be ordering to their personal lab, but to the entity they are employed through which isn't necessarily in the same location. How interesting a perspective, thanks zgoat65. 

While AMS may appear to be OTC to the naked eye (not on any watch lists of the DEA), it is governed by the same folks that made HgCl2 as inaccessible as it is.  It is an environmental issue, and anyone ordering AMS is subject to have their home/place of business searched by the local branch of the EPA to ensure that proper means for disposal are available and adhered  to.

I concur! Good comment.

I really doubt that this would apply to normal styrene, as one can use plastic or polystyrene/styrofoam as a source for it...

I´ve meant this as well, but styrene is so common with so many uses, a-methyl styrene is indeed not, is it as far as i know pretty uncommon.
For me, this is really not at least a problem, as i live in germany here you can obtain most chemicals you ever could wish to have, except toxic ones, hell even nitroethan and piperonal are OTC here .
Off course you risk a bust here also, a friend of mine ordered one liter EtNO2, and the police delivered to him, but that would unlikely happen for such a material like a-methyl styrene.
But that is just the situation here, i guess it is much more harmless than on your side of the big pond.

Oh i didnt read the line about the EPA, does this stand for Environment Protection Agency? This is the same here i would assume when one buys solvents in unusual amounts, i think the seller or buyer has to care about getting them properly stored and has to prove that he has proper equipped storageroom for it. Stuff like a sprinkler for chemical fire in case there is one, and a concrete tub under the storage room in case of leaks, but one has to order a lot of solvent to get someone looking for that. Maybe 100 liters or so.

About the story with the friends nitroethan... this is only a assumption, but i could have happened due to the fact he also ordered one liter cyclohexylamine and one liter benzaldehyde in reagent grade in the same order, but i dont know for sure^^. Neither one of this is illegal but ordering that all together... I dont think I have to comment that further^^

Here it is (taken from one of the other forums)......

Ergoamide,

Please be very careful ordering AMS - it is one of the compounds under the Protection of the Seas (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981 (Cth), Sch.3 which will allow Federal Police to gain a warrant for anything up to and including round the clock surveillance and telephone/email interception. The AMS is also a listed compound - the threshold amounts for being dealt with as a producer being anything in excess of 50mL (Vic). Ordering more than this threshold amount in your State/Territory will place you squarely in the sights of local LE who will almost certainly notify the AFP in order to gain access to their greatly expanded powers.

If your address is on the order that will be sufficient 'reasonable grounds to suspect' to see your door kicked in by armed men early some morning. If on that day you are unfortunate enough to possess any of the substances on List 1 (in your State) best be prepared to spend some time working on your successive bail applications, the first will almost certainly be unsuccesful.

PS Established (and even new) businesses are able to order this shit - they will be visited by your State's version of the EPA - just to check on their disposal techniques & practices... People ordering small quantities from home tend to draw the crabs.

.....I was wrong it's 50 ml.  Not 1, but still my point still stands where it did before.  And I was wrong about the OP that said this.......not Klute.

The AMS is also a listed compound - the threshold amounts for being dealt with as a producer being anything in excess of 50mL (Vic). Ordering more than this threshold amount in your State/Territory will place you squarely in the sights of local LE who will almost certainly notify the AFP in order to gain access to their greatly expanded powers.

I was somewhat surprised to read this, but was unable to verify by google that AMS is listed under any precursor diversion program, either in Australia or anywhere else. Perhaps the individual who wrote this confused alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) with beta-methylstyrene? Similar names, different substances.

The 50 ml (actually 500 ml) figure you are thinking of is for beta-methylstyrene: http://anonym.to/?http://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz/c/r/controlled%20substances%20%28controlled%20drugs%20precursors%20and%20plants%29%20regulations%202000/current/2000.199.un.pdf (pg 21)

As I say, beta-methylstyrene has a similar name to alpha-methylstyrene, but it is a different substance.

The above PDF is attached.

The 50 ml (actually 500 ml) figure you are thinking of is for beta-methylstyrene: http://anonym.to/?http://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz/c/r/controlled%20substances%20%28controlled%20drugs%20precursors%20and%20plants%29%20regulations%202000/current/2000.199.un.pdf (pg 21)

As I say, beta-methylstyrene has a similar name to alpha-methylstyrene, but it is a different substance.

The above PDF is attached.

The PDF, South Australia Controlled Substances (Controlled Drugs, Precursors and Plants) Regulations 2000.pdf  is 2000 edition.

Since 9/11 (September 11, 2001) much has changed. Nations around the world HAVE restricted sales of chemicals to accounts or ID ONLY.