Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Is this suspicious?

Eosin Y - 10-5-2016 at 13:54

Do you think that my ordering of distillation apparatus of Ebay and also my ordering of a lot of strange chemicals will get the police to pay me a visit? Just thinking that it might be a place to bring this up.
These chemicals:
NaOH - NaOCl - Urea - Trichloroisocyanuric acid - Sodium dichloroisocyanurate - Lantern batteries - Aluminium powder - Ferrocerium - Magnesium - Potassium perchlorate - Sodium perchlorate - H2SO4 - Potassium nitrate - Antifreeze - Hydrogen peroxide - Calcium oxide

JJay - 10-5-2016 at 15:52

I don't think any of that is suspicious.

A local city council member's aide stopped by yesterday on what was a supposedly routine visit, and his reaction when he saw my bromate generation apparatus was basically, "Whoa, cool!"

Orenousername - 10-5-2016 at 22:06

aluminum powder + perchlorates = terrorist :D

Loptr - 11-5-2016 at 17:50

Quote: Originally posted by JJay  
I don't think any of that is suspicious.

A local city council member's aide stopped by yesterday on what was a supposedly routine visit, and his reaction when he saw my bromate generation apparatus was basically, "Whoa, cool!"


So are you insinuating they were there for more than a pre planned visit and the visit had alterior motives? ;)

If they know you, then most likely they realize how eccentric our breed can be and already have a bar lowered for our height. I have been going through a program with the local police department and constantly talk about chemistry, and how I would love to start a program with local schools to generate interest in chemistry. There is sort of a science club already, but not a hands-on chemistry program to that degree. The police laugh casually while writing down my name and whispering... Just kidding. They take it pretty well, especially when a discussion of riot control agents came up, and they were actually able to talk about the various properties of the compounds. There was talk about alpha-chloroacetophenone. :cool:

I have no doubt that if I looked different or came off as a less than academic type that they would take it a lot more seriously, but when I offer chemistry related advice in conversation that applies to everyday life, I come off more as a nerd or chemistry enthusiast than a threat. This is good because it tells me there is still hope.

[Edited on 12-5-2016 by Loptr]

BromicAcid - 11-5-2016 at 18:50

Oxidizers + metal powders can be suspicious. My only contact with a three-letter agency revolved around purchasing aluminum powder and potassium perchlorate. They assumed that I was making 'flash bombs' with the material.

ganger631 - 13-5-2016 at 21:20

Definitively suspicious looking, although the chances of them opening up the parcels are quite slim. You may want to order fuel/oxidizer in separately, not only does it seem suspicious,but quite dangerous.

JJay - 14-5-2016 at 16:47

Quote: Originally posted by Loptr  
Quote: Originally posted by JJay  
I don't think any of that is suspicious.

A local city council member's aide stopped by yesterday on what was a supposedly routine visit, and his reaction when he saw my bromate generation apparatus was basically, "Whoa, cool!"


So are you insinuating they were there for more than a pre planned visit and the visit had alterior motives? ;)

If they know you, then most likely they realize how eccentric our breed can be and already have a bar lowered for our height. I have been going through a program with the local police department and constantly talk about chemistry, and how I would love to start a program with local schools to generate interest in chemistry. There is sort of a science club already, but not a hands-on chemistry program to that degree. The police laugh casually while writing down my name and whispering... Just kidding. They take it pretty well, especially when a discussion of riot control agents came up, and they were actually able to talk about the various properties of the compounds. There was talk about alpha-chloroacetophenone. :cool:

I have no doubt that if I looked different or came off as a less than academic type that they would take it a lot more seriously, but when I offer chemistry related advice in conversation that applies to everyday life, I come off more as a nerd or chemistry enthusiast than a threat. This is good because it tells me there is still hope.

[Edited on 12-5-2016 by Loptr]


I don't think it was what I would consider a routine visit (it's not even his district), but I'm not really sure what his motives were... probably heard about my lab and just wanted to see what was going on....