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Endimion17
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Registered: 17-7-2011
Location: shores of a solar sea
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Mood: speeding through time at the rate of 1 second per second
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Quote: Originally posted by redox  | Yeah, plastic trays would be nice.
The venting is surprisingly good, the plexiglass sash blocks off air holes, preventing leaks.
As I said, the aluminium plays no structural role, it is really only for looks. The aluminium has shown to be relatively corrosion-resistant. I have
filled the fumehood with chlorine gas, bromine vapor, nitrogen dioxide, some hydrogen sulfide, etc. The aluminium has shown little to no corrosion. I
think it is anodized or something.
Ediminion, as a response to your youtube comment, the sodium is stored in an HDPE bottle, so even if it fell, it couldn't really break. The other
poisons and reactive things are either in plastic or metal (mercuric chloride, lithium, etc.), so they couldn't break either.
Also, I will most likely be getting some sort of garbage bin soon. |
The more chemicals you store, the more sticky residue you'll find around. It's inevitable. And you seem to be on the way of stuffing the shit out of
your lab. 
That's ok if there's venting.
Aluminium will corrode sooner or later, no matter it's anodized. I think HCl contributes the most to it, and we've all got lots of it. Also mercury.
One college professor was telling me how his aluminium fumehood handle failed just because there was a bottle of mercury inside.
It takes years, but that metal crumbles. The vent duct will fail first. One day, you might consider replacing it with wide plastic pipes. It tends to
be a bit expensive, but it lasts.
HDPE melts easily, and then ruptures and releases petroleum or whatever you store sodium in. That's why there a laboratory rule - pyrophorics are to
be held in metal containers filled with dry sand. It might sound a bit paranoid, but there's a reason why it's a rule.
I'm planning to buy a small fire extinguisher and I recommend it to everyone. 
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redox
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Posts: 268
Registered: 22-2-2011
Location: The Land of Milk and Honey
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Mood: Chalcogenetic
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| Quote: Originally posted by Endimion17 | | Quote: Originally posted by redox | Yeah, plastic trays would be nice.
The venting is surprisingly good, the plexiglass sash blocks off air holes, preventing leaks.
As I said, the aluminium plays no structural role, it is really only for looks. The aluminium has shown to be relatively corrosion-resistant. I have
filled the fumehood with chlorine gas, bromine vapor, nitrogen dioxide, some hydrogen sulfide, etc. The aluminium has shown little to no corrosion. I
think it is anodized or something.
Ediminion, as a response to your youtube comment, the sodium is stored in an HDPE bottle, so even if it fell, it couldn't really break. The other
poisons and reactive things are either in plastic or metal (mercuric chloride, lithium, etc.), so they couldn't break either.
Also, I will most likely be getting some sort of garbage bin soon. |
The more chemicals you store, the more sticky residue you'll find around. It's inevitable. And you seem to be on the way of stuffing the shit out of
your lab.
That's ok if there's venting.
Aluminium will corrode sooner or later, no matter it's anodized. I think HCl contributes the most to it, and we've all got lots of it. Also mercury.
One college professor was telling me how his aluminium fumehood handle failed just because there was a bottle of mercury inside.
It takes years, but that metal crumbles. The vent duct will fail first. One day, you might consider replacing it with wide plastic pipes. It tends to
be a bit expensive, but it lasts.
HDPE melts easily, and then ruptures and releases petroleum or whatever you store sodium in. That's why there a laboratory rule - pyrophorics are to
be held in metal containers filled with dry sand. It might sound a bit paranoid, but there's a reason why it's a rule.
I'm planning to buy a small fire extinguisher and I recommend it to everyone.
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I didn't show it in the video, but I have a big honkin' ABC fire extinguisher, which I store on the side of the hood.
The grease filter on the hood is eroding terribly, and it is aluminum. Small flakes of it are falling off into the workspace, which is quite annoying.
I'll have to buy a new one soon.
I realize it's a risk, however small, but I don't think I'll be storing my sodium in a metal can with sand. I'm tempted to store my highly toxic
things, e.g. mercuric chloride, in a special place, though, because I really do not want that stuff spreading around. It is currently shrink-wrapped
in a plastic container, which isn't bad, but it makes me nervous thinking about it.
My quite small but growing Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RealChemLabs
Newest video: Synthesis of Chloroform
The difference between chemists and chemical engineers: Chemists use test tubes, chemical engineers use buckets. |
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#maverick#
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Registered: 7-4-2011
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hey redox nice lab, respect, i have to invest in some shelving to my lab look like less of a meth lab ill post pics when i come back from being outta
town
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starman
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| Quote: Originally posted by redox | The ventilation is a regular range hood, like one that could be found in a kitchen.
[Edited on 2-9-2011 by redox] |
You're not concerned with running flammable solvents through this? The dedicated thread to hoods relates quite some effort separating the turbine from
the electrics.
Chemistry- The journey from the end of physics to the beginning of life.(starman)
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Bot0nist
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Location: Right behind you.
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Mood: Streching my cotyledons.
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| Quote: Originally posted by starman | | Quote: Originally posted by redox | The ventilation is a regular range hood, like one that could be found in a kitchen.
[Edited on 2-9-2011 by redox] |
You're not concerned with running flammable solvents through this? The dedicated thread to hoods relates quite some effort separating the turbine from
the electrics. |
I think starman may be right. I had a flash fire when using an in-line duct fan to clear fumes during a M.E.K. distillation. No injuries or structural
damage, but scary as hell.
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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Mr. Wizard
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Registered: 30-3-2003
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I must tell you about a near disaster I just avoided. I had two boxes of Calcium Chloride, sold as dehumidifier refills, and as pool water
conditioner. They came in heavily waxed cardboard boxes, similar to milk boxes . Since this material is basically non toxic, non combustable, and
safe as dirt, I just put it on a shelf a few years ago and forgot about it.
Today I was going through some containers looking for a resistor to repair a radio, and found an oily residue on the plastic containers. After putting
the container back, I happened to notice more oily residue on another container. It wasn't oil, it was calcium chloride that had absorbed water from
the air, the solution soaked through the box and dripped down onto some plastic boxes.
Only good luck kept this stuff from dripping another foot downward onto a spectrum analyzer, and some other electronics. All this would have been
avoided if I had put the material in better containers and put them in plastic tubs.
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bbartlog
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Location: Unmoored in time
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I had a similar incident with CaCl2... deliquescence followed by leakage, which damaged a drywall ceiling panel on the floor below.
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Mr. Wizard
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Registered: 30-3-2003
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Yes,,, mine worked its way through a 1/2" thick OSB shelf , a cheap type of plywood, and spread out. I can see the discoloration of the wood, but it
still has integrity. It did soak into an empty paper box too, and ruined it. I can see how it would ruin paper.
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