nbk2000
September 6th, 2002, 02:01 PM
I found a tube of a polymeric bubble mix in the trash that normally sells in the toy stores for about $4 for about 10ml. The difference between this stuff and the stuff you can make from dish detergent is the toy stuff forms a "solid" bubble that can be picked up, stacked, and otherwise handled in a much more vigorous manner than any soap bubble could withstand.
And, after testing it, I found that the bubbles last a while. After 8 hours 1/3rd of the bubbles remained intact. After 24 hours, most of them had disappeared, but there were still a few that were intact.
I blew very hard on them, and they remained intact. Only when I touched them did they finally break.
From what I've observed of them, the bubble mix contains PVA (PolyVinyl Alcohol), with probably a bit of crosslinker, glycerine, and other additives. There's a patent number on the packaging, but it describes the bubble wand, not the bubble mix itself. :mad:
Anyways, I was thinking, that since the bubbles remain intact, that means they would retain a gas within them for as long as they lasted. These bubbles could then be used to contaminate an area for hours using volatile (and easy to make) gaseous agents, like hydrogen cyanide or phosgene, that would otherwise dissipate within a few minutes.
Who would think a blob of foamy bubbles to be dangerous? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> This conforms to the RTPB of deception. Everyone has played with bubbles as a child, therefore bubbles are associated with harmless fun, not chemical weapons. A victim wouldn't think twice about walking on them, or wiping them with their hands.
The bubbles would be blown onto an area where they would stick, to be later stepped upon, sat on, or otherwise ruptured to release the agent. They would gradually rupture on their own, releasing a continuous supply of toxic agent that would make a contaminated area hazardous for an extended period of time.
This would be especially effective indoors, where sunlight and strong winds couldn't accelerate the breakdown. Indoors, the bubbles ability to resist strong breezes (such as fans), would make decontamination more difficult since simple ventilation would no longer be effective. Actual mechanical breakage of the bubbles would be required to release the agent and make it susceptible to venting, greatly complicating decontamination.
As an added threat - a less volatile, and more toxic, agent could be added. This would be along the lines of a vesicant like mustard or CX, or orticants like CS. These would contaminate the target zone with a more persistant hazard as the bubbles degraded, while the volatile agent presents an immediately lethal threat.
With Hydrogen Azide, you could have both a highly toxic gas, and a highly explosive threat, all in one package. Blow the foam with a binary reaction of Azide + Acid, emplace an initiator (or blow on something that'll spark), and there you go. Either the target gets blown up or, if he takes too long, the bubbles breakdown and release the toxic azide gas to poison him.
And, after testing it, I found that the bubbles last a while. After 8 hours 1/3rd of the bubbles remained intact. After 24 hours, most of them had disappeared, but there were still a few that were intact.
I blew very hard on them, and they remained intact. Only when I touched them did they finally break.
From what I've observed of them, the bubble mix contains PVA (PolyVinyl Alcohol), with probably a bit of crosslinker, glycerine, and other additives. There's a patent number on the packaging, but it describes the bubble wand, not the bubble mix itself. :mad:
Anyways, I was thinking, that since the bubbles remain intact, that means they would retain a gas within them for as long as they lasted. These bubbles could then be used to contaminate an area for hours using volatile (and easy to make) gaseous agents, like hydrogen cyanide or phosgene, that would otherwise dissipate within a few minutes.
Who would think a blob of foamy bubbles to be dangerous? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> This conforms to the RTPB of deception. Everyone has played with bubbles as a child, therefore bubbles are associated with harmless fun, not chemical weapons. A victim wouldn't think twice about walking on them, or wiping them with their hands.
The bubbles would be blown onto an area where they would stick, to be later stepped upon, sat on, or otherwise ruptured to release the agent. They would gradually rupture on their own, releasing a continuous supply of toxic agent that would make a contaminated area hazardous for an extended period of time.
This would be especially effective indoors, where sunlight and strong winds couldn't accelerate the breakdown. Indoors, the bubbles ability to resist strong breezes (such as fans), would make decontamination more difficult since simple ventilation would no longer be effective. Actual mechanical breakage of the bubbles would be required to release the agent and make it susceptible to venting, greatly complicating decontamination.
As an added threat - a less volatile, and more toxic, agent could be added. This would be along the lines of a vesicant like mustard or CX, or orticants like CS. These would contaminate the target zone with a more persistant hazard as the bubbles degraded, while the volatile agent presents an immediately lethal threat.
With Hydrogen Azide, you could have both a highly toxic gas, and a highly explosive threat, all in one package. Blow the foam with a binary reaction of Azide + Acid, emplace an initiator (or blow on something that'll spark), and there you go. Either the target gets blown up or, if he takes too long, the bubbles breakdown and release the toxic azide gas to poison him.