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Author Topic: Good Advice  (Read 120 times)

German

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Good Advice
« on: October 16, 2009, 10:24:08 PM »
When pouring a shitload of sulfuric acid solution into your sep funnel make sure that the valve on the bottom is CLOSED. And if it is open make sure you have a beaker or something down there to catch all the discharge.

Vesp

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2009, 10:59:07 PM »
Yes, it is always good to make sure to keep the seperatory funnel closed when attempting to fill it :)

This isn't a bad idea for a thread. A lot our obvious, but I guess they could aid as a good reminder, and maybe some of them won't be so obvious.

Here is my advice, which should be obvious to most all...
Never add boiling stones or chips to something to prevent flash boiling, when it is already showing signs of flash boiling.
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German

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2009, 11:13:20 PM »
Well if we are going to make a thread out of it then I got another one from today.

Never just dump a half liter of %32 hcl right on top of a half liter of %98 sulfuric acid. Even if you are busy cleaning up and not thinking about what you are doing it's not a good idea. And if you do make sure your gas mask is less then 15 feet away.

Vesp

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2009, 11:24:05 PM »
Why would you do that to begin with?
It sounds like a waste of chemicals to me..
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German

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2009, 11:27:04 PM »
I had stuff in the hcl portion that needed to be with the stuff in the sulfuric acid portion. I was just thinking about combining the portions quickly so I could put them to the side to continue cleanup but I did so without thought about what exactly I was combining.

Vesp

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2009, 11:28:37 PM »
Ah I see. Makes sense now.
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JohnSanders

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2009, 04:15:44 AM »
Always remember, NaOH to water, not the other way around.

Douchermann

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2009, 05:45:18 AM »
Actually I've found it problematic to add NaOH to water.  It forms stupid ass clumps.  The exotherm isn't too bad when you add water to NaOH, just don't touch the flask where the fluid is contacting in the vessel. 

A good one is... never make a very large vessel of waste chemicals.  I was using a 5 gal bucket and after a couple days I forgot what I had previously added.  Needless to say, 10 min after dumping some waste in it one time, it began exploding.  Quite loud explosions too.  Not enough to harm the bucket, just enough to splash whatever was in it, out of it.  What I assumed was the formation of NCl3, due to my previous experiments with ammonium salts, and the addition of contents of a Cl2 generator to the bucket.  This was many moons ago though, I have since learned hahaha.

SaTaN 666

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2009, 08:26:26 PM »
Well a good one would be always add acid to water. Not the other way around. Though I personally usually add the acid to the majority of the water and then put the last of the water in after. Just me, but there seems to be nothing wrong with this. Just be careful as always.

On another note, from the first post. Make sure  you vent the sep funnel. If not chances are the stopper will pop right off and bust. Venting is VERY important.

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salat

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2010, 12:58:38 AM »
This is the thread for me - defensive chemistry!  I use a variety of assorted plastic and metal trays and containers when I'm working because I tend to spill, miss the mark pouring etc etc.  Or make things blow up.

Here is a picture of my setup for alcohol recovery and vacuum filtration.  The cooler doubles as a safety device in case the flask implodes.  Less likely to have glass flying at me.

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jon

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2010, 01:23:38 AM »
avoid oil baths like the plauge especially for high temperature rxns.
if the glass cracks it could foam over and plume toxic chems and cause a flash fire not to mention oil burns are a motherfucker.

Vesp

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2010, 04:45:11 AM »
What is the tape on the flask for?
Oil baths are horrible, if you can get really fine sand, that is by far the way to go.
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jon

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Re: Good Advice
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2010, 05:06:14 AM »
yah the tape is incase of implosion the glass fragments are'nt so small and fly everywhere.
i've learned the hard way about that exploding glass it will cut you to ribbons.
especially if you have star cracks in a round bottom for example and you are distilling something above it's flash point and you get an implosion then the hot chemicals ignite or explode then it's a shit sandwhich.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2010, 05:14:30 AM by jon »
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