Scratch- - 1-4-2005 at 20:29
Today I made a mixture of aluminum and sulfur (with an excess of sulfur) and heated it untill ignition. It burned with yellowish flames (probably from
the match fuse I tried before giving up and using a sparkler) and lots of SO2. Later I dumped the (small) amount of resulting slag, Al2S3, and
unreacted reagents into the garbage. Later I went into the garage (where we keep the trash) and it smelled strongly of H2S (rotten eggs and
flatulance). I didn't know that my product would decompose to form H2S at the time, so researched it and found only a few referances explaining
this. Apparently my Al2S3 decomposed when exposed to the moisture in the air (it is florida after all) to produce H2S. So I threw the rest of my
mixture in the garbage and threw the garbage in my trash bin (outside). I figgure it shouldn't produce H2S fast enough to build up to significant
amounts outside.
I'm wondering now if Al2S3 could be made in small amounts for a slow (and slightly safer than sulfur and paraffin) release of H2S, depending on
how fast you feed it moisture.
I have read about some of the dangers of H2S and feel I'm not really skilled nor experienced enough to safly handle it, so this will be for
future reference. Fortunatly I could smell the H2S the whole time so that probably means I wasn't exposed to much of it (although I held my
breath the whole time after getting those first few wiffs). Can somone offer advice for working with/cleaning up H2S? I search the forums alot but I
mostly come up with a hint here or a tid bit there (you guys need a better search engine).
BromicAcid - 1-4-2005 at 20:43
Aluminum sulfide and water or expecially acid will indeed produce H2S. As for cleaning up H2S there was a time when I was trying to make CS2 from
propane and sulfur, problem being that one product was H2S and when I burned the exit gasses I got lots of SO2 so either way I was poisoning myself,
my neighbors, and making a stink in my neighborhood. It was eventually the conclusion that H2S can be absorbed in strong (>5M) NaOH or using
something like a copper sulfate solution, whereby the copper sulfide precipitates. As has been said time and time again this is not a safe chemical
to work with and its use should be avoided but really it just needs extreme caution and hopefully no access to the enviorment in which you breath.
Scratch- - 2-4-2005 at 08:02
Yes I dont plan on using it any time soon, I'm going to get more experience using my glassware. Also I'm redoing the garage with my dad
along with adding more storage space, more working space, and a home-built fume hood 
.
I've heard a few comments in threads about using gas masks. I think it would be a good idea to have one on hand but I dont want to order it
online (I'm not doing anything illegal that I know of but I dont want people thinking that I'm making nerve gas or something). It seems like
they would be good for this kind of gas contamination (although this time I could work fast enough so I could hold my breath the whole time). Can you
only order them online?
garage chemist - 2-4-2005 at 11:28
Yesterday, I've synthesized pure sodium sulfide by saturating NaOH solution with gaseous H2S (from ZnS (white pigment) + boiling HCl) and then
mixing the resulting NaSH solution with an equimolar amount of NaOH. The next morning, beautiful large crystals of Na2S*9 H2O had formed.
I worked under my homemade fume hood and had no problems.
H2S is very toxic, yes. But the smell is so strong that you smell it long before it becomes toxic.
A fume hood is a must, though, but a gas mask not.
budullewraagh - 2-4-2005 at 11:45
the smell is strong, yes, but it only lasts for a short amount of time. H2S goes straight to the nerves in your nose and kills them, so you
won't smell it after a short amount of time. i had an experience with H2S and it was bloody scary. i suggest you use a gas mask just because
you wont have to be paranoid
neutrino - 2-4-2005 at 12:21
I thought it only temporarily paralyzed them.
Scratch- - 2-4-2005 at 15:42
I just saw a gas mask at the hardware store (how ironic that I just now found one). There were two gas masks and replacement filters. Each gas mask
filtered for a different thing but it looked like the replacement filters for them wouldn't fit eachother. One filtered for acidic gasses, it
gave a few examples: chlorine, a few hydrogen-halogens (including hydrogen flouride), chlorine dioxide, and a few more I cant remember (Probably would
work for H2S too, along with all hydrogen-halogens and all halogens except flourine). The other said it protected against organic fumes like organic
solvents (it was for painting). I haven't gotten either one yet. I guess if I got one the filter for acidic gasses would be more useful for
inorganic chemisty, what do you guys think?
I am going to make my fume hood lined with tile for chemical and heat resistance. I am going to have a light and an outlet inside it, both controlled
by outside switches. The opening will be a glass sheet that slides upwards. I am going to put a fan inside the hood that pushes the air into a large
diameter pipe that leads outside, and a fan on the other side of the pipe pulling air out, both also controlled by a switch on the outside. Anything I
should change/add?
[Edited on 4/2/2005 by Scratch-]