View Full Version : Common ways to turn your lab into a BBQ
Hazchem
03-02-2009, 10:47 AM
Hey all,
If one is careful and doesn't have any open flames flaming around, what could go wrong?
h.
fcknut
03-02-2009, 10:55 AM
Dunno bout meth labs, but I've seen two fires in labs in my time.
The first was caused by me having a really bad fucking day, and leaving a conical of ether to boil on a hotplate which was too hot...I turned away for a sec, turned back and low and behold it was on fire! Luckily, this was a simple one to sort: heavy gloves on, cover the mouth of the flask to prevent oxygen entering, turn off heat and move/cool flask till cold enough not to re-ignite...!
Second was someone else undertaking a hydrogenation with Pd/C without appropriate use of nitrogen/argon - also very foolish...
There was a case just recently of someone syringing up BuLi - the plunger came all the way out, ignited the whole lot and set her gloves and jumper (no lab coat...) on fire. She died in hospital.
Be careful folks...
stateofhack
03-02-2009, 04:26 PM
Meth labs? Who cares, natural selection if you ask me!
As for myself i had the following happend:
-pd/c catch fire during vac filtration (scary)
-LiAlH4 catching fire in the sink which was still moist (not neutralized properly)
That is all i can remember right now :(
fcknut, if i can ask, why was she not wearing a lab coat? At my university you can't even step in the labs if you don't have lab coat/ glasses on!
Also may i advise you not to undertake a Iodine/ Red Phosphorous reaction whiteout having read the appropriate literature (don't expect everyone to tell you what to cover, read around!)
Hazchem
03-02-2009, 04:39 PM
I like better. edited OP.
Also may i advise you not to undertake a Iodine/ Red Phosphorous reaction whiteout having read the appropriate literature (don't expect everyone to tell you what to cover, read around!)
no intention.
Von Bass
03-02-2009, 05:24 PM
I believe most problems with meth lab explosions are down to idiots heating flammable solvents in an open space on an open flame...
I've never had any serious problems, I've spilt stuff due to my own stupid clumsiness, and had temperature spikes nitrating, but I'm often fairly paranoid, especially when it comes to flammable stuff.
I did once pull over a vacuum flask with... ~10g of paracetomol squelch in it. That stuff is like slimy white shite, and due to its solubility, can't be fucking sponged out! I was pissed off cleaning that up...
totse
03-02-2009, 07:20 PM
This is why I keep a halon fire extinguisher on hand.
JoePedo
03-04-2009, 06:56 AM
If one is careful and doesn't have any open flames flaming around, what could go wrong?
Baryonic recondensation from quark plasma (exothermic event #1) into a more-stable nucleon than the quark source (exothermic event #2).
Expect to destroy much of a continent, and completely disrupt the rest of the world in the eruption of the supervolcano which ensues when you punch a several-hundred-mile-wide hole into the earth's crust.
Definately a bitchin' eruption.
As to what could go wrong in most labs? (seeing as I'm probably the only person here who comes from anything but a Kardashev class 0 civilization)...
Well, take Bush's speech on "weapons of mass destruction" and replace "nuclear" with "chemical explosive." Unless, of course, you're doing fusion work, in which case it's all four.
Not running biological culture will PROBABLY keep you from having to worry if your anthrax culture escapes... BUT... several common substances (including aluminum chloride) are known mutagen, and thus can alter something lying around... plus, if you're doing any antibiotic work, you can weaponize the shit out of something. Completely by accident with just progressive residual contamination.
By the way - cannabis should be legalized and antibacterial soaps need to be controlled, damn it.
Open flame ain't the only way to start a fire. Check out what happens when you drop some cesium in water, for instance. Or, for that matter, when your fridge pump kicks on while you're boiling diethyl ether into the open air. Not that it can't just explode on it's own, but you get 30% more added pyrophoria this way... Fuck this sissy "decomposition of the peroxide to ethaldehyde" bullshit.
Aaaand... then there's chemical warfare. Know how the label tells you not to mix bleach and ammonia? Yeah. That. It's not pretty.
So, barring high-kardashev laboratory environments, "what can happen without an open flame" are : nuclear detonation, chemical weapons release, incidental biological weaponization, chemical explosion, and fire. Mostly. ;)
Have fun!
Irukanji
03-04-2009, 08:12 AM
^Orly?
Some substances can burst into flames if heated to a certain temperature(cooking oil, for instance, starts smoking about 230C and will ignite a few degree's later ~260C, depending. Clean oil can withstand the heat a bit longer). And heat mats are ideal, just make sure they dont have a thermostat(which sparks, that is).
Or get some snags, some plutonium(fresh from your local breeder reactor/s) and some tongs. Then cook and serve.
Radiation suit optional.
fcknut
03-04-2009, 09:24 AM
fcknut, if i can ask, why was she not wearing a lab coat? At my university you can't even step in the labs if you don't have lab coat/ glasses on!
Well... It wasn't anywhere near me like, but it was a technician who was working out of hours alone. This is commonly against several rules, but happens virtually everywhere...
As to why she didn't have a lab coat, who knows? I can understand people being a little blase about safety, but if I work with tBuLi, I make the effort to get dressed for the occasion...
stateofhack
03-04-2009, 01:33 PM
Very true, on a side note, never underestimate the pressure that builds up when shaking a sep funnel! I have seen stoppers fly around the lab soo many times and ether all over the place!
fcknut
03-04-2009, 03:17 PM
Very true, on a side note, never underestimate the pressure that builds up when shaking a sep funnel! I have seen stoppers fly around the lab soo many times and ether all over the place!
This is true! I remember having this happen on a few occasions way back when!
I tend not to use a stopper these days tbh, unless it really needs a good shake or it's very full...!
stateofhack
03-04-2009, 06:10 PM
Sidenote, anyone have any solutions to fixing a flask that was used for KOH boil? :(
GirlSlangsDope
03-10-2009, 04:34 PM
never had an accident, seen a few tho. one time somebody dropped there ghetto condensers (balloon) onto the stove top, and it busted, HI gas was pouring out, swim imediently opened all the windows in the house including the doors and turned all the fans on, swim walked back into the kitchen, and apparently the guy moved his flask and beaker from the stove with just a hot glove, it was still to hot and the gas got on his hand, he dropped it on the concrete floor and his flask busted, mixed in with the oil on the ground/flask, when swim saw that she got out of the house. kind of scary. thought there would be a huge fire any second.
stateofhack
05-26-2009, 04:37 PM
Dunno bout meth labs, but I've seen two fires in labs in my time.
The first was caused by me having a really bad fucking day, and leaving a conical of ether to boil on a hotplate which was too hot...I turned away for a sec, turned back and low and behold it was on fire! Luckily, this was a simple one to sort: heavy gloves on, cover the mouth of the flask to prevent oxygen entering, turn off heat and move/cool flask till cold enough not to re-ignite...!
Second was someone else undertaking a hydrogenation with Pd/C without appropriate use of nitrogen/argon - also very foolish...
There was a case just recently of someone syringing up BuLi - the plunger came all the way out, ignited the whole lot and set her gloves and jumper (no lab coat...) on fire. She died in hospital.
Be careful folks...
I heard they got finned big time for it!
RAOVQ
05-26-2009, 04:51 PM
A common one is sodium. People cut off a bigger chunk than they need, and decide to throw any excess in the bin instead of throwing it in ethanol. The same bin with the wet paper towels. Fires and annoyance ensue.
The buLi thing was just the result of someone being silly. I would not use nasties like that after hours (makes getting treatment for burns alot more annoying) and I would definitely not do it on my own, without real PPE. Also, it should be noted she was a technician, not an academic.
Anyway, I've never been the cause of a fire yet. I'm happy about that.
Leshrac
05-26-2009, 06:43 PM
Ether !
Or... Doing a reaction too fast, getting an overkill and SURPRISE, fountain of acid !
Not very flammable material but damn... :(
Benjamin Linus
05-26-2009, 10:06 PM
Man! I wish I could find the pics from the guy who completely toasted the hood and cabinets around his stove. I think the pics may have been posted back at Totse, but dam, they sure were a "Don't fucking do this!" post. Thats how you turn your lab into a bbq. Maybe someone here remembers and can find/or has those pics. They sure would fit into this one.
stateofhack
05-26-2009, 11:26 PM
Ether !
Or... Doing a reaction too fast, getting an overkill and SURPRISE, fountain of acid !
Not very flammable material but damn... :(
this. :( dripping HCL is no fun :(
fcknut
05-27-2009, 08:12 AM
Also, it should be noted she was a technician, not an academic.
That attitude right there is why a lot of technicians (who are often pretty well qualifed themselves) can't stand academics who have their head up their own ass - bet you don't say hi to the cleaners either, do you?
In a chem lab once we made this explosive purple crystal. I think it was tri-something...idodide is ringing a bell. I dunno.
In any case, the crystals are extremely sensitive...they'll explode from moving air, vibration, pressure, etc. We accidentally let some of it dry in a beaker, and when we were cleaning up I was rinsing the beaker out and it exploded in my hand. Pure luck that I didn't get cut or a piece of glass in my eye.
fcknut
05-27-2009, 08:33 AM
In a chem lab once we made this explosive purple crystal. I think it was tri-something...idodide is ringing a bell. I dunno.
In any case, the crystals are extremely sensitive...they'll explode from moving air, vibration, pressure, etc. We accidentally let some of it dry in a beaker, and when we were cleaning up I was rinsing the beaker out and it exploded in my hand. Pure luck that I didn't get cut or a piece of glass in my eye.
You made nitrogen triiodide in chem lab?
Like, you made it when the teacher wasn't looking? Or was it a proper lab practical...?
You made nitrogen triiodide in chem lab?
Like, you made it when the teacher wasn't looking? Or was it a proper lab practical...?
It was an Advanced Placement class. After exams he let us make fun shit. Thermite, AP, and nitogren tri-iodide. He was an awesome teacher. :cool:
Leshrac
05-27-2009, 10:18 AM
It was an Advanced Placement class. After exams he let us make fun shit. Thermite, AP, and nitogren tri-iodide. He was an awesome teacher. :cool:
A teacher letting students mess with nitrogen triiodide and AP ? IN A SCHOOL LAB NO LESS ?
What kind of fucking half-baked stooge let this guy be a teacher in the first place ?
Hey next time ask him to show you how to make hydrogen cyanide or DMS, it will be a great time ! :rolleyes:
stateofhack
05-27-2009, 01:19 PM
That attitude right there is why a lot of technicians (who are often pretty well qualifed themselves) can't stand academics who have their head up their own ass - bet you don't say hi to the cleaners either, do you?
Tell me about it, i work part time at the uni-lab and all the first years are fucking douchebags, expect all to be done for them and never a thanks! :mad:
Von Bass
05-27-2009, 01:43 PM
A teacher letting students mess with nitrogen triiodide and AP ? IN A SCHOOL LAB NO LESS ?
What kind of fucking half-baked stooge let this guy be a teacher in the first place ?
Hey next time ask him to show you how to make hydrogen cyanide or DMS, it will be a great time ! :rolleyes:
My old chemistry teacher, as a prank, made up a solution of nitrogen triiodide, and poured it out on the lab floor, leaving it to evaporate in a very thin layer over night. In the morning there were small explosions and purple clouds whenever you walked over an untouched area of ground.
It was quite amusing, but slightly stupid. He also, way back (like 10 years ago) was known to synthesise DNT and use it for chemistry demos on the school fields.
Leshrac
05-27-2009, 04:28 PM
Well I guess a teacher doing it to impress students and show them "the wonders of chemistry" could pass from time to time if he's careful.
Letting STUDENTS toy around with primary explosives on the other hand is outright stupid. That's grounds for a LONG period of unpaid 'vacations' in a LOT of institutions (at least in europe).
A teacher letting students mess with nitrogen triiodide and AP ? IN A SCHOOL LAB NO LESS ?
What kind of fucking half-baked stooge let this guy be a teacher in the first place ?
Hey next time ask him to show you how to make hydrogen cyanide or DMS, it will be a great time ! :rolleyes:
Well, it was still a controlled lab experiment. Monitored, blast shields, school-approved, etc.
Von Bass
05-28-2009, 10:10 AM
Well I guess a teacher doing it to impress students and show them "the wonders of chemistry" could pass from time to time if he's careful.
Letting STUDENTS toy around with primary explosives on the other hand is outright stupid. That's grounds for a LONG period of unpaid 'vacations' in a LOT of institutions (at least in europe).
He obviously never let anyone touch primary explosives. Good God no. Saying that, he was the guy to hand us lumps of sodium, advising, but not ensuring, that we used a paper towel to hold it.
This was also back in the day when synthesising MNT & DNT was quite a common practical for 6th formers, just a simple nitration to introduce you to the concept and the technique required.
I'm not really a fan of health and safety. Life aint safe, being sheltered from it does nothing for you when something does go wrong. Its much better to learn not to spill 1M NaOH on yourself at the age of 15 than wait until you're 27 and making up the exact same solution to clear your drains out, only this time you're dealing with solid NaOH, and using a spoon to measure it out...
Leshrac
05-28-2009, 01:10 PM
I'm not really a fan of health and safety.
Neither am I dude but there is a difference between 'reasonable/acceptable risks' and 'entirely stupid' :/
;)
King Owl
05-28-2009, 05:37 PM
Man! I wish I could find the pics from the guy who completely toasted the hood and cabinets around his stove. I think the pics may have been posted back at Totse, but dam, they sure were a "Don't fucking do this!" post. Thats how you turn your lab into a bbq. Maybe someone here remembers and can find/or has those pics. They sure would fit into this one.
I remember that, some kid fucked up a KNO3/Su smoke mix melt and roasted his mum's kitchen.
stateofhack
05-29-2009, 12:46 AM
Man! I wish I could find the pics from the guy who completely toasted the hood and cabinets around his stove. I think the pics may have been posted back at Totse, but dam, they sure were a "Don't fucking do this!" post. Thats how you turn your lab into a bbq. Maybe someone here remembers and can find/or has those pics. They sure would fit into this one.
Vampire Archimel was renting an old house out and so guy tried to cook meth and burned all the house inside, brand new :( ages ago pic's where posted on totse.
I never set a lab on fire, but I have done some silly things.
Setting up a mutation screen with about 150 plates, right after I poured all of them under the hood I tipped the alcohol burner over, it proceed to flow into the pile of plates, which promptly started to melt/burn. It all happened in about 15 seconds. I got the chemical extinguisher and went to put it out, but forgot to turn the hood off. The spray just went in and flopped on the bottom of the hood.
It was a huge mess. Took hours to clean, and I had to replace the HEPA cartridge.
Forgot to put the face mask down while cutting bands on a gel. 6 hours later in the ED with nice burned eyes.
Made nitrogen-tir-I in a closet cleaning ladies closest in college, but thought I was smart about it put little amounts in plastic sample boats. Set one off and got a huge chain reaction. Again it took hours to clean it all up, and still for a week people would walk by it and set off little micro crystals of it....
But that was all when I was much younger....
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