highpower48
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Setting up Lab - Help Please!
I'm setting up my new lab. It will be in my 30x30' garage/workshop so I will have plenty of space but no climate control (no A/C). My question is
about chemical storage, in the summer I have seen temps near 100 in this space. What would you do for chem storage in this situation?
Thanks....
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Zephyr
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Most of your chemicals should be fine, but it would be useful to invest in a refrigerator or even a small freezer. If you are doing mostly inorganic
chem, I doubt you'll have any trouble. However, if you want to explore organic chemistry, you will encounter many more compounds which are thermally
sensitive, for example many solvents could escape their containers if improperly sealed and compounds such as alkyl nitrites will be more prone to
decomposition.
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szuko03
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Also make sure you have proper ventilation. Even if it means just getting a fan until you can come up with a better system. Never just assume the
ambient air movement or even a breeze will be good enough. Some reactions create nasty things you dont want in the air your breathing.
Chemistry is a natural drive, not an interest.
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aga
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High heat makes for an uncomfortable workplace.
Invest in some aircon and start with inorganics.
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subsecret
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A fume hood might be a nice idea, but I highly recommend running the exhaust out the roof; this will behave the same way no matter which way the wind
is blowing. Also, make sure to install a sink with hot and cold water. A gas line is also nice for Bunsen burners. Depending on where you live, you
could easily build your own AC unit for this place.
Fear is what you get when caution wasn't enough.
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Zombie
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I bought a second hand wine storage cabinet to use for storing chemicals. I fourns a two tier unit, and the top will be my desiccation chamber.
These are like 200.00 bucks new, and I paid 60 bucks on Craigs list.
They tried to have me "put to sleep" so I came back to return the favor.
Zom.
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Tdep
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I keep dichloromethane I a freezer but apart from that my chemicals seem fine in the heat. Well, ok, my stoppered RFNA blew it's lid once, but we're
talking a tin shed in a week of over 40 C so all things considered, everything held up well. Imagine there'd be many more issues with high humidity
than high temperatures
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Leo Szilard
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Read the msds for your chemicals. They are generally pretty explicit about what conditions are needed for safe storage. If you use a refrigerator or
freezer, make sure not to store flammable materials in it unless it has been rated for that application (explosion-proof).
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Leo Szilard
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Quote: Originally posted by Leo Szilard  | | Read the msds for your chemicals. They are generally pretty explicit about what conditions are needed for safe storage. If you use a refrigerator or
freezer, make sure not to store flammable materials in it unless it has been rated for that application (explosion-proof). |
Also, you should read Prudent Practices in the Laboratory available here for free download. It is clearly not directed towards home chemists, but it still has a lot to offer regarding good chemical hygiene.
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Loptr
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Some chemical bottles seem to sweat really badly, such as a small bottle of AlCl3 that I have. It always has droplets on the outside of the bottle.
I really need to do something about the humidity and temperature.
[Edited on 20-5-2015 by Loptr]
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aga
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The image must be Fake.
No wine fridge should be full, ever.
There has to be at least 1 empty space or there's no point having one 
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Loptr
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| Quote: Originally posted by aga |
The image must be Fake.
No wine fridge should be full, ever.
There has to be at least 1 empty space or there's no point having one
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Well, you could just replace the bottle as you finish it, assuming you have a backstock! I have one of these chillers that we received for our
wedding, not to mention the two cabinets full of wine that also came from the wedding and birthdays. My wife's uncle obviously has a calendar item for
his secretary to send us bottles of wine on my wife's birthday, because each year we get bottles of wine from Cakebread Cellars. I am not sure he
knows that we don't drink. They definitely come in handy as gifts! lol
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aga
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Contact his Secretary to say you've changed address.
I'll U2U the new one.
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greenlight
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I have the same problem with the heat as I am using a workshop.
I brought a fridge/freezer for storage of heat sensitive chemicals and strong acids. Its also handy especially if you are doing nitrations because
you can have the usual acids you use pre-chilled in there ready for use. Solvents and other chemicals get stored in seperate cupboards in tightly
sealed containers and seem fine out of the fridge.
I installed two of those whirlie bird vents you can purchase at hardware stores and spin on their own sucking out the hot air and these did drop the
temperature substantially and made it more bearable on very hot days.
For the ventilation side of things, if your really serious look for a mobile fume cupboard that you can set up in there. A lot of schools and
universities are replacing the smaller mobile units with large ones mounted into the wall and they will sell the old one, I picked one up because of
this reason and was definitely worth it.
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Zombie
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I store acetone, and HCl in a locked garden shed on the marina property. I used to have issues with the heat swelling the containers of acetone, and
the HCl rotting everything in the shed, AND the shed itself.
I solved both issues with a 20 dollar PID/SSR off FleaBay, and two twenty dollar house fans. The fans are mounted into each gable end of the roof, and
the PID's thermocouple is set for 90* f.
The fans run almost all day every day but they shut down most nights here.
I imagine Greenlights idea works almost as well but I love gizmos, and gadgets...
If you're trying to work, and have sweat dripping off the end of your nose into your project... it sucks. I actually dis-like the summer heat hear but
the winters up north are far worse for me.
Maybe w/ Aga's help, and Blogfast's supervision we can come up w/ a viable micro climate control system. I already have a catchy name for it, Blagzo
conditioning.
They tried to have me "put to sleep" so I came back to return the favor.
Zom.
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