White Yeti - 29-11-2011 at 17:53
I've been working with isopropyl alcohol over thanksgiving break and tried to make a sort of alcohol burner that acts much like a bunsen burner, but
uses liquid fuel instead. I succeeded in making a sort of burner that can display the spectra of element salts very clearly, (Cu, Sr, Na etc...) and
that has an essentially colourless flame. It can heat graphite to ~900C and melts aluminium quite well. It can heat steel rods to a dull red and boil
water at a spectacular rate. If you want pictures, I would be glad to post them.
But just today, I left the lab dizzy and confused after working with my newly developed isopropyl burner. I figured that ventilation would not be
necessary because I was dealing with small amounts in a large room (big mistake). I apparently got used to the smell of isopropyl vapour and spent an
hour in a poorly ventilated room that gradually filled with alcohol vapour.
What I mean by confused, is jumbled thoughts, no focus, a hard time writing (and spelling correctly) and what should normally take 10 min suddenly
takes half an hour.
I was wondering if inhaling isopropyl vapour could really affect cognition so profoundly, or if the problem lies elsewhere.
I know I made a mistake, I should have ventilated the room.
Neil - 29-11-2011 at 17:58
Or perhaps CO...
Do you feel drunk or stupefied? Most alcohols get you drunk-ish
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/isopropyl-alcohol-poisoning
where as monoxide
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/carbon_monoxide_poisoning/art...
IrC - 29-11-2011 at 21:30
I'm convinced it was CO from burning. I use Isopropyl like water all over for cleaning electronic things. I even keep spray bottles to zap roaches.
Drops them faster than raid without all the poison and allergy problems. Acts more rapidly on roaches than any poison I have ever seen. They contain
so little water I have actually seen them walk through a running microwave unscathed. I use 91% and I believe it sucks them dry so fast they lock up
and stop.
Yet I have never had your issues with it, I have felt that way from CO.
Bot0nist - 30-11-2011 at 05:08
I concure, defiantly sounds like CO. Improve your ventilation and all should be well. Sounds like you've rigged up a nice little burner. Can't attest
to roaches, but IPA does a number on house flies. They drop like, well, flies when they buzz through a cloud of 91% IPA. Got to watch for flash fires
when fly hunting with isopropyl though, lol.