PYF Dangerous Chemistry: Fluorine protecting Its Modesty...

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Hexyflexy: Sep 2, 2011; asymptotically approaching one

GWBBQ posted:

Today in the dangerous chemistry thread, we investigate the risk of possessing too much melanin.

Yesterday, someone I know asked a group chat if anyone knows what Halon 1301 smells like because a coworker noticed a peroxide-like smell near a server room and was concerned . After a bit of discussion, Internet research, and jokes about chloroform odor, it was determined that is has a bromine-like odor. at which point the Wikipedia definition of
was shared.

I was having an extremely slow day, so I walked down to the chemistry lab and asked. Our chemistry professor/mad scientist described it as "really nasty stuff, like chlorine bleach but worse. Actually, I have some, I'll let you smell it." Swirling it in the bottle and wafting it toward my nose confirmed that it was, in fact, really nasty stuff. We walked back to the prep room and he resumed his lab preparations while asking me why I was wondering. I explained the situation, told him that the chemical in question was bromofluoromethane, and after a couple of seconds of thinking, he handed me the bottle of didichlorometane he was using for the lab preparation and told me it would smell similar.At that point I was satisfied that my friend did not have a halon leak on his hands and all was well.

Probably overheated plastic on a machine. You know that weird smell you get when you power on some old computer? It's the plasticisers in the casing out gassing, and the stuff is bromine based. That event I mentioned above where I hosed up a titration and heating, that was all rather simple bromine compounds. Not going to be forgetting that smell ever.

Or the massive brown ring on the ceiling.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 07:15

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# ? Jun 2, 2024 02:42

Carbon dioxide: Oct 9, 2012

GWBBQ posted:

Today in the dangerous chemistry thread, we investigate the risk of possessing too much melanin.

Yesterday, someone I know asked a group chat if anyone knows what Halon 1301 smells like because a coworker noticed a peroxide-like smell near a server room and was concerned . After a bit of discussion, Internet research, and jokes about chloroform odor, it was determined that is has a bromine-like odor. at which point the Wikipedia definition of
was shared.

I was having an extremely slow day, so I walked down to the chemistry lab and asked. Our chemistry professor/mad scientist described it as "really nasty stuff, like chlorine bleach but worse. Actually, I have some, I'll let you smell it." Swirling it in the bottle and wafting it toward my nose confirmed that it was, in fact, really nasty stuff. We walked back to the prep room and he resumed his lab preparations while asking me why I was wondering. I explained the situation, told him that the chemical in question was bromofluoromethane, and after a couple of seconds of thinking, he handed me the bottle of didichlorometane he was using for the lab preparation and told me it would smell similar.At that point I was satisfied that my friend did not have a halon leak on his hands and all was well.

The name bromine literally comes from the Greek word for stench. That should tell you enough.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 07:36

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Carbon dioxide posted:

The name bromine literally comes from the Greek word for stench. That should tell you enough.

That's nowhere near specific enough

# ? Feb 4, 2016 16:20

Kinetica: Aug 16, 2011

I think mercaptans are worse to be honest

# ? Feb 4, 2016 18:46

KozmoNaut: Apr 23, 2008; Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle

Speaking of caps (what a segue!)

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/JJD0E608MSEH/JJD0E608MSEH-ND/4990962

Check the capacitance on that fucker.

E: Maybe this one's actually a bit scarier, considering the voltage it's rated for:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08-ND/4477296

KozmoNaut has a new favorite as of 19:07 on Feb 4, 2016

# ? Feb 4, 2016 19:02

mbt: Aug 13, 2012

KozmoNaut posted:

Speaking of caps (what a segue!)

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/JJD0E608MSEH/JJD0E608MSEH-ND/4990962

Check the capacitance on that fucker.

E: Maybe this one's actually a bit scarier, considering the voltage it's rated for:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08-ND/4477296

That second one is super rad especially because it's almost $7k

I would trust my life to a $7k capacitor

edit: calculate energy in a capacitor (0.5 * C * V^2)
first one is 20000J, you are dead
second one is 500000J, you are REALLY dead

mbt has a new favorite as of 19:25 on Feb 4, 2016

# ? Feb 4, 2016 19:19

ullerrm: Dec 31, 2012; Oh, the network slogan is true -- "watch FOX and be damned for all eternity!"

KozmoNaut posted:

Speaking of caps (what a segue!)

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/JJD0E608MSEH/JJD0E608MSEH-ND/4990962

Check the capacitance on that fucker.

E: Maybe this one's actually a bit scarier, considering the voltage it's rated for:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08/BMOD0063%20P125%20B08-ND/4477296

I've seen those caps before! They're used for electric buses to buffer the energy from regenerative breaking; it generates more energy than you want to send directly to a battery, so it goes into a giant capacitor (technically, a bank of smaller caps with some load-balancing circuitry) instead.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 19:57

Amoeba102: Jan 22, 2010

Kinetica posted:

I think mercaptans are worse to be honest

And selenium is worse than sulfur. But bromine physically hurts to smell rather than just being repulsive.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 23:31

Samopsa: Nov 9, 2009; Krijgt geen speciaal kerstdiner!

This is a pretty cool channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=channel?UCFhXFikryT4aFcLkLw2LBLA
His most recent video fits this thread: what happens when you pour concentrated acids on your hands?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeVZQoJ5FdE

# ? Feb 8, 2016 20:30

MazeOfTzeentch: May 2, 2009; rip miso beno

I subscribe to that guy. His videos are pretty good, even if I don't understand all of it.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 20:38

Fender Anarchist: May 20, 2009; Fender Anarchist

I've got so many chemistry channels in my subscriptions. Nile Red, NurdRage and Doug's Lab, Cody'sLab (he's a lot more fast and loose with safety stuff, he tried to homebuild a nitric acid rocket motor a while back), Periodic Videos...

god i am such a nerd (this is not a bad thing)

# ? Feb 8, 2016 20:48

Groda: Mar 17, 2005; Hair Elf

Enourmo posted:

I've got so many chemistry channels in my subscriptions. Nile Red, NurdRage and Doug's Lab, Cody'sLab (he's a lot more fast and loose with safety stuff, he tried to homebuild a nitric acid rocket motor a while back), Periodic Videos...

god i am such a nerd (this is not a bad thing)

I've got the same channels in my subscription list, and I've wondered if I'm on some watch list as a result. :-/

# ? Feb 8, 2016 21:17

BOOTY-ADE: Aug 30, 2006; BIG KOOL TELLIN' Y'ALL TO KEEP IT TIGHT

Mortimer posted:

first one is 20000J, you are dead
second one is 500000J, you are REALLY dead

That's more like a jump from "extra crispy" to "vaporized", holy poo poo :stonk:

# ? Feb 8, 2016 21:50

Keiya: Aug 22, 2009; Come with me if you want to not die.

Samopsa posted:

This is a pretty cool channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=channel?UCFhXFikryT4aFcLkLw2LBLA
His most recent video fits this thread: what happens when you pour concentrated acids on your hands?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeVZQoJ5FdE

This is actually a pretty good video for lab safety stuff. It'll screw you up, but not so much that it's remotely worth panicking. Just calmly wash it off and go on with your day.

Panic is the worst thing you can do.

I do kinda wish he'd pour some on an eye (obviously not his own! get one from a butcher shop!) to demonstrate that yeah, Carol really, really shoulda worn her safety goggles.

Keiya has a new favorite as of 00:23 on Feb 9, 2016

# ? Feb 9, 2016 00:20

Islam is the Lite Rock FM: Jul 27, 2007; by exmarx

Groda posted:

I've got the same channels in my subscription list, and I've wondered if I'm on some watch list as a result. :-/

Not likely unless you're buying awkward quantities of bomb making stuff.

# ? Feb 9, 2016 00:33

Memento: Aug 25, 2009; Bleak Gremlin

Keiya posted:

This is actually a pretty good video for lab safety stuff. It'll screw you up, but not so much that it's remotely worth panicking. Just calmly wash it off and go on with your day.

Panic is the worst thing you can do.

I do kinda wish he'd pour some on an eye (obviously not his own! get one from a butcher shop!) to demonstrate that yeah, Carol really, really shoulda worn her safety goggles.

We did this in high school biology. We were dissecting sheep eyes, and the teacher wanted to show us why we really, really should wear safety goggles. The HCl caused the cornea to instantly cloud over on the front of the eye, to quite a large depth.

# ? Feb 9, 2016 01:23

Your Computer: Oct 3, 2008; Grimey Drawer

DemeaninDemon posted:

Not likely unless you're buying awkward quantities of bomb making stuff.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Post Your Favorite (or Request) > Things that go FOOF in the night: Awkward quantities of bomb making stuff.

e: also that Nile Red channel is extremely interesting, I'm binge-watching everything right now :haw:

Your Computer has a new favorite as of 02:29 on Feb 9, 2016

# ? Feb 9, 2016 01:30

Islam is the Lite Rock FM: Jul 27, 2007; by exmarx

Memento posted:

We did this in high school biology. We were dissecting sheep eyes, and the teacher wanted to show us why we really, really should wear safety goggles. The HCl caused the cornea to instantly cloud over on the front of the eye, to quite a large depth.

HCl is the nice, friendly acid too. It's just corrosive as all hell.

# ? Feb 9, 2016 02:19

insta: Jan 28, 2009

If you haven't, become a Patreon for some of those guys. My five subs take me for 80 bucks a month or so and I love them for it :3:

# ? Feb 9, 2016 06:29

ToxicFrog: Apr 26, 2008

Kinetica posted:

I think mercaptans are worse to be honest

Speaking of mercaptans, your daily dose of Ignition!

Chapter 3: the Hunting of the Hypergol posted:

Well, [butyl mercaptan] had two virtues, or maybe three. It was hypergolic with mixed acid, and it had a rather high density for a fuel. And it wasn't corrosive. But its performance was below that of a straight hydrocarbon, and its odor--! Well, its odor was something to consider. Intense, pervasive and penetrating, and resembling the stink of an enraged skunk, but surpassing, by far, the best efforts of the most vigorous specimen of Mephitis mephitis. It also clings to the clothes and the skin. But rocketeers are a hardy breed, and the stuff was duly and successfully fired, although it is rumored that certain rocket mechanics were excluded from their car pools and had to run behind. Ten years after it was fired at the Naval Air Rocket Test Station -- NARTS -- the odor was still noticeable around the test areas. (And at NARTS, with more zeal than judgment, I actually developed an analysis for it!)

California Research had an extremely posh laboratory at Richmond, on San Francisco Bay, and that was where Pino started his investigations. But when he started working on the mercaptans, he and his accomplices were exiled to a wooden shack out in the boondocks at least two hundred yards from the main building. Undeterred and unrepentant, he continued his noisome endeavors, but it is very much worth noting that their emphasis had changed. His next candidates were not petroleum by-products, nor were they chemicals which were commercially available. They were synthesized by his own crew, specifically for fuels. Here, at the very beginning of the 50's, the chemists started taking over from the engineers, synthesizing new propellants (which were frequently entirely new compounds) to order, instead of being content with items off the shelf.

Anyhow, he came up with the ethyl mercaptal of acetaldehyde and the ethyl mercaptol of acetone. The odor of these was not so much skunk-like as garlicky, the epitome and concentrate of all the back doors of all the bad Greek restaurants in all the world. And finally he surpassed himself with something that had a dimethylamino group attached to a mercaptan sulfur, and whose odor can't, with all the resources of the English language, even be described. It also drew flies. This was too much, even for Pino and his unregenerate crew, and they banished it to a hole in the ground another two hundred yards farther out into the tule marshes. Some months later, in the dead of night, they surreptitiously consigned it to the bottom of San Francisco Bay.

# ? Feb 9, 2016 10:19

Samopsa: Nov 9, 2009; Krijgt geen speciaal kerstdiner!

Keiya posted:

This is actually a pretty good video for lab safety stuff. It'll screw you up, but not so much that it's remotely worth panicking. Just calmly wash it off and go on with your day.

Panic is the worst thing you can do.

I do kinda wish he'd pour some on an eye (obviously not his own! get one from a butcher shop!) to demonstrate that yeah, Carol really, really shoulda worn her safety goggles.

Yeah, it is, I'm a chemistry teacher and I'm gonna show this before some upcoming lab sessions. It's a good video, nicely shown and explained as well.

# ? Feb 9, 2016 11:21

Chitin: Apr 29, 2007; It is no sign of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

quote:

Ten years after it was fired at the Naval Air Rocket Test Station -- NARTS -- the odor was still noticeable around the test areas.

So... It made NARTS smell like farts?

# ? Feb 10, 2016 02:01

Rigged Death Trap: Feb 13, 2012; BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Samopsa posted:

Yeah, it is, I'm a chemistry teacher and I'm gonna show this before some upcoming lab sessions. It's a good video, nicely shown and explained as well.

Though while hes working with concentrated acids (i think the HCl was something like 30%) the stuff that chemists use to do much of anything novel will make holes in your hands post haste.

# ? Feb 10, 2016 03:15

zedprime: Jun 9, 2007; yospos

Rigged Death Trap posted:

Though while hes working with concentrated acids (i think the HCl was something like 30%) the stuff that chemists use to do much of anything novel will make holes in your hands post haste.

If I remember my acid chemistry right, you are right, for the opposite reason. If there's a criticism to be made about the demonstration, its that he used strong acid outside a range that has a lot of really concentrated and motive hydrogen ions. I think the quick sunburn type range for mineral acids is similar to the max metal corrosiveness, so stuff in the 5-20wt% range. As it was, the secondary effects like how concentrated sulfuric is hygroscopic and nitric will react directly with keratin were a bigger deal than unchecked protonation.

I think for HCl and nitric, flesh corrosivity peaks again in the highly concentrated range, free from water's greedy hands, but getting any stronger hydrochloric or nitric acid would mean you are working with fuming concentrations which bring its own set of circumstances.

Now strong bases don't really gently caress around with concentration effects on flesh, so the real brave youtuber would be doing demonstrations with caustic.

# ? Feb 10, 2016 03:54

Islam is the Lite Rock FM: Jul 27, 2007; by exmarx

Learned my coworker in the lab is a brony. Scarier than any chemicals I've ever worked with.

# ? Feb 10, 2016 11:20

ol qwerty bastard: Dec 13, 2005; If you want something done, do it yourself!

Am I right in thinking this video is faked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3bFxdAZsY

I feel like the interaction between thermite and water would be closer to "immediate steam explosion" rather than "nice gentle boiling".

Even if not, surely no one would ever set off thermite indoors, right? Or am I being too optimistic about people's common sense.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:32

DocCynical: Jan 9, 2003; That is not possible just now

ol qwerty bastard posted:

Am I right in thinking this video is faked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3bFxdAZsY

I feel like the interaction between thermite and water would be closer to "immediate steam explosion" rather than "nice gentle boiling".

Even if not, surely no one would ever set off thermite indoors, right? Or am I being too optimistic about people's common sense.

It's Colin Furze. The guy is completely nuts. Safety squints are what he uses with a grinder. He built a bunker in his backyard. He makes homemade jet engines. It is entirely real. He is the definition of doing the opposite of common sense.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:42

zedprime: Jun 9, 2007; yospos

ol qwerty bastard posted:

Am I right in thinking this video is faked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3bFxdAZsY

I feel like the interaction between thermite and water would be closer to "immediate steam explosion" rather than "nice gentle boiling".

Even if not, surely no one would ever set off thermite indoors, right? Or am I being too optimistic about people's common sense.

Not necessarily, haven't done the math but there should be such a thing as a correct geometry and fuel charge to relatively calmly boil a kettle of water with thermite.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:43

MazeOfTzeentch: May 2, 2009; rip miso beno

In the BTS video he reveals that the thermite he made for this was quite rubbish, the aluminum mesh size was way too large so it is a very slow reaction rate

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:43

cakesmith handyman: Jul 22, 2007; Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

He is also an inspiration and could possibly be doing more to get kids to study STEM than the UK government, if he was marketed right.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:45

Deteriorata: Feb 6, 2005

ol qwerty bastard posted:

Am I right in thinking this video is faked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3bFxdAZsY

I feel like the interaction between thermite and water would be closer to "immediate steam explosion" rather than "nice gentle boiling".

Even if not, surely no one would ever set off thermite indoors, right? Or am I being too optimistic about people's common sense.

It's possible. The water absorbs the heat as fast as it's generated, so it would prevent it from getting out of control. It's not in the water directly, it's in a copper pipe.

That said, it can't be straight thermite, as that much would produce a huge amount of heat and probably boil away the water and melt the whole thing down. It's likely diluted with sand or something to make it look like far more of it than it seems.

Based on a quick calculation, it would take roughly 85 grams of thermite to heat 1L of water from 20 to 100�C. It looked like a whole lot more than that was poured into the tube to begin with.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:51

Aurium: Oct 10, 2010

DocCynical posted:

It's Colin Furze. The guy is completely nuts. Safety squints are what he uses with a grinder. He built a bunker in his backyard. He makes homemade jet engines. It is entirely real. He is the definition of doing the opposite of common sense.

Remember kids, always wear your safety tie around spinning machinery.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 18:58

Luneshot: Mar 10, 2014

I'm amazed the guy isn't completely deaf from building dozens of pulsejets and usually running them with no visible hearing protection (although earplugs are possible).

(insert joke about "he must be deaf, why else would he choose the music he normally does" here)

# ? Feb 11, 2016 22:03

Fender Anarchist: May 20, 2009; Fender Anarchist

Luneshot posted:

I'm amazed the guy isn't completely deaf from building dozens of pulsejets and usually running them with no visible hearing protection (although earplugs are possible).

(insert joke about "he must be deaf, why else would he choose the music he normally does" here)

punk aint deaf

# ? Feb 11, 2016 23:14

MisterOblivious: Mar 17, 2010; by sebmojo

Luneshot posted:

I'm amazed the guy isn't completely deaf from building dozens of pulsejets and usually running them with no visible hearing protection (although earplugs are possible).

(insert joke about "he must be deaf, why else would he choose the music he normally does" here)

It came as a bit of a surprise to see he wore muffs in his latest pulse jet video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMDLaQD8yAU

# ? Feb 12, 2016 06:22

Bhodi: Dec 9, 2007; Oh, it's just a cat.; Pillbug

A real thing, which really happened

Boston Med. and Surgical Journal posted:

A bottle in which some potassium had been kept in naphtha, and which had been used up in experiments, was standing in his room; and wishing to urinate without leaving his room, he pulled out the glass stopper and applied his penis to its mouth. The first jet of urine was followed by an explosive sound and flash of fire, and quick as thought the penis was drawn into the bottle with a force and tenacity which held it as firmly as if in a vice. The burning of the potassium created a vacuum instantaneously, and the soft yielding tissue of the penis effectually excluding the air, the bottle acted like a huge cupping glass to this novel portion of the system. The small size of the mouth of the bottle compressed the veins, while the arteries continued to pour their blood into the glans, prepuce, etc. From this cause, and the rarefied air in the bottle, the parts swelled and puffed up to an enormous size.

How much potassium was in the bottle at the time is not known, but it is probable that but a few grains were left, and those broken off from some of the larger globules, and so small as to have escaped the man�s observation. I was anxious to test the matter (though not with the same instruments which the patient had done) and for that purpose took a few small particles of potassium, mixed with about, a tea-spoonful of naphtha, and placed them in a pint bottle. Then I introduced some urine with a dash, while the end of one of my fingers was inserted into the mouth of the bottle, but not so tightly as to completely close it, and the result was a loud explosion like a percussion cap, and the finger was drawn forcibly into the bottle and held there strongly � thus verifying, in some degree, this highly interesting philosophical experiment, which so frightened my friend and patient.

# ? Feb 12, 2016 22:23

deadly_pudding: May 13, 2009; who the fuck is scraeming
"LOG OFF" at my house.
show yourself, coward.
i will never log off

Bhodi posted:

A real thing, which really happened

There is no :stonk:

big enough. Did the Potassium flash-burn before his dick got in there, or was this guy's wang a part of an ongoing hydrophobic combustion?

... :gonk:

# ? Feb 12, 2016 22:29

zedprime: Jun 9, 2007; yospos

deadly_pudding posted:

There is no big enough. Did the Potassium flash-burn before his dick got in there, or was this guy's wang a part of an ongoing hydrophobic combustion?

...

It sounds like there was some hydrocarbon and potassium residue in the jar, just enough for the potassium to ignite the hydrocarbon in a small flash which expelled all the room temperature air, then as it cooled, it sucked his knob end in the jar. A quicker version of the old match in a jar vacuum trick, with a dick.

# ? Feb 12, 2016 23:08

Your Computer: Oct 3, 2008; Grimey Drawer

zedprime posted:

A quicker version of the old match in a jar vacuum trick, with a dick.

Now this is a thread title. :haw:

# ? Feb 12, 2016 23:14

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# ? Jun 2, 2024 02:42

GopherFlats: Mar 16, 2011

Wh... Why?! I mean I guess not knowing any better but jesus... I just don't get it.

# ? Feb 12, 2016 23:15

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > PYF Dangerous Chemistry: Fluorine protecting Its Modesty...

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