How useful is a laboratory glsssware powder auger?

How well do they typically worj? I am looking at existing designs and i kinda get the feeling that moisture getting into them or solvent might cause stuff to start sticking to the walls, it kind of looks like precise addition (i.e. addition of precalculated quantities) might be difficult, but it seems well suited for things like gas generation

I imagined something somewhat more mechanically advanced to ensure more powder gets into the reaction..

An option might be to meave an addition funnel over the powder auger wash the thing out when most of the reaction is completed.. But this solution seems very situational.

I also thought that warming the whole assembly with wire might prevent inadvertant condensation.

I actually don't know how temperature effects vapor phase reaction.

Is it impeded by elevating temperature or do you jeed to heat it to the decomposition point to achieve anything? Like with CaCl2 for instance or some thing else which is highly hydroscopic

I assume formation of the hydrate is less favorable because of greater knetic energies.. But how measurable is it typically in terms of clump reduction?

Granted precautions should be taken but i can imagine some henious bullshit like a slug of alcl3h2o forming in your auger

Or p2o5 going bad

[Edited on 21-5-2018 by coppercone]

can't say im thrilled about sticking my hands into the fume hood. I thought I was past that stage in my life. the balloon thing is pretty methlabesque and makes me feel primitive

we must fix the powder auger instead of resorting to such things

Another idea I have is to just introduce a flow path through the auger, so there is a stream of nitrogen or argon that is moving fast enough to prevent the ingress of vapors in that junction?

[Edited on 22-5-2018 by coppercone]

[Edited on 22-5-2018 by coppercone]

Quote: Originally posted by coppercone

can't say im thrilled about sticking my hands into the fume hood. I thought I was past that stage in my life. the balloon thing is pretty methlabesque and makes me feel primitive we must fix the powder auger instead of resorting to such things Another idea I have is to just introduce a flow path through the auger, so there is a stream of nitrogen or argon that is moving fast enough to prevent the ingress of vapors in that junction?

Quote: Originally posted by coppercone

I need some kind of tracer particle to use so i can see gas flows when i am experimenting with this stuff to see whats feasible

I've used the auger's that already exist, basically an addition funnel with an auger at the bottom the feeds the material downward. For any reaction you would need one for they work poorly. I.e., the vapors creep up into the solids and react there usually making a gummy mess or you're trying to dose in a reactant at reflux and the vapors again enter the auger and start to gum it up anyway.