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Author: Subject: Taste of different acids?
The Volatile Chemist
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[*] posted on 13-3-2015 at 13:29


Quote: Originally posted by gdflp  
Quote: Originally posted by aga  
Would it be possible to reserve "Chemistry in General" for substantiated, referenced Chemistry threads ?

There are Other forum areas for use.


You're one to talk aga;) http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=29710

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bismuthate
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[*] posted on 13-3-2015 at 13:34


Iodic acid tastes less sour than I expected.

I sure hope nobody remembers my beginning.

[Edited on 13-3-2015 by bismuthate]




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aga
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[*] posted on 13-3-2015 at 14:36


Yes, you're right of course (blush).



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Amos
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[*] posted on 13-3-2015 at 15:27


So have any of these acids we've mentioned actually been tasted? I have to say I'm quite curious about the findings.



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[*] posted on 14-3-2015 at 04:45


Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
General chemistry books often have sections on 'medical chemistry', and that's plenty to quench interest.


If you're just not interested in that sort of stuff, that's fine. But don't avoid everything drug-related simply because you're afraid that reading it will somehow get you into trouble. Hating your health class just because you had to Google some info about illicit drugs is kind of silly, and wiping your hard drive to erase all evidence of it is a bit extreme and unnecessary. You can read about illicit drugs all you want and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. This includes detailed instructions on how to make them, too. Disclosure of that kind of information is protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Besides, there's a lot of interesting and rather useful chemistry to be discovered at "underground" places like Rhodium's Archive and the old Hive forum. Say what you want about clandestine chemistry, but some of the most innovative and downright brilliant chemistry ever seen was ultimately the result of a bunch of drug cooks trying to figure out new ways to get around the ever-increasing number of restrictions on reagents and precursors. It's amazing how creative some people can be when given enough motivation. And what better motivator than recreational drugs?
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[*] posted on 15-3-2015 at 01:23


OK. Here's a list of the ones I've tasted. (All as very dilute solutions)

Citric and Tartaric - Pleasantish "sour taste"

Salicylic - Slightly phenolic but pleasant.

Acetylsalicylic - A bit more astringent than salicylic.

Diethylbarbituric acid (we used to use this to make buffers in the lab). Faint smell and rather nice taste (V small amounts).

Acetic acid - vinegar.

Hydrochloric, hydrobromic, phosphoric, sulphuric and nitric. Strong "sour" taste.

Perchloric - Very astringent - goes beyond being sour.

There are a few I have or can make that I wouldn't try - Selenious and hydrazoic for instance.




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[*] posted on 16-3-2015 at 03:00


Interesting to read about this. Good that you did not try selenious acid or hydrazoic acid.

I hope you did not swallow any of these solutions.

Some other interesting ones, which are not dangerous at high dilution:
- ascorbic acid
- propionic acid
- malic acid
- malonic acid
- succinic acid




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The Volatile Chemist
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[*] posted on 18-3-2015 at 12:49


Lactic acid? Mucic acid? Those are others I'd be interested in. If I remember correctly, they're based on the structures of sugars, oxidized.



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[*] posted on 19-3-2015 at 07:12


Based on the smell of lactic acid, I wouldn't want to taste it. Sort of like sour milk mixed with sweat, although not super strong.



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[*] posted on 19-3-2015 at 09:19


- d-Ascorbic acid has a sweet component and is fairly mild.
- Citric acid has a bit of a fruity component to it, almost like it were sugar-free lemon juice or something.
- Malic acid is just sharp and sour. I believe Warhead candies are coated in malic acid.
- HCl is like puke, minus the food.

I have not tried any other acids. The above acids (except HCl) were USP food-grade when I purchased them, and I couldn't resist.

Oxalic, cyanuric acid, and benzoic acids would also be interesting, but form extremely insoluble salts or are very insoluble themselves. (Read: kidney stones - be careful!) Toluenesulfonic acid probably tastes awful. Formic acid is probably pretty terrible too. I wonder if one can taste stearic acid?

Someone should try hydrocyanic acid. It is said to taste metallic. Hopefully that person lived through the experience!




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[*] posted on 21-3-2015 at 13:30


Can HCN really by absorbed if not swallowed?
Idk but I've seen stories of people trying to suicide with cyanide pills and it had failed so I was thinking maybe the conditions have to be just right or the dosage must be high enough?
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[*] posted on 21-3-2015 at 18:33


HCN is not something that I would play that game with. There are already enough fun things to try in this thread without inviting a death wish.
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[*] posted on 25-3-2015 at 10:22


Quote: Originally posted by bolbol  
Can HCN really by absorbed if not swallowed?

Oh yes. HCN can be absorbed by inhalation.

However, HCN is a relatively innocuous substance. It does have a small lethal dose for acute poisoning - in the region of 100 mg or less - but unlike many chemical substances is not a chronical cumulative poison. Amounts well below the acutely deadly quantities are rapidly and completely made harmless in the body.
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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 13:34


Quote: Originally posted by chornedsnorkack  
Quote: Originally posted by bolbol  
Can HCN really by absorbed if not swallowed?

Oh yes. HCN can be absorbed by inhalation.

However, HCN is a relatively innocuous substance. It does have a small lethal dose for acute poisoning - in the region of 100 mg or less - but unlike many chemical substances is not a chronical cumulative poison. Amounts well below the acutely deadly quantities are rapidly and completely made harmless in the body.

Despite the fact the HCN will still kill the cells it interacts with...




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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 13:41


Gentlemen, try eating a hot dog instead, death will still follow but you can enjoy the taste, for many years..
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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 13:52


We should force all caught spammers to taste test our products for us...



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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 14:00


Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
We should force all caught spammers to taste test our products for us...


This coming from a child?
Send me your products and I will taste test them.

[Edited on 26-3-2015 by morganbw]
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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 14:23


Quote: Originally posted by morganbw  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
We should force all caught spammers to taste test our products for us...


This coming from a child?
Send me your products and I will taste test them.

[Edited on 26-3-2015 by morganbw]

Gee, you had to call me a child? Kid's alright, but child's just condescending...




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[*] posted on 26-3-2015 at 14:47


Quote: Originally posted by morganbw  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
We should force all caught spammers to taste test our products for us...


Send me your products and I will taste test them.


Are you saying that you're spammer? Not that I'd disagree...
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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 03:29


Quote: Originally posted by gdflp  
Quote: Originally posted by morganbw  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
We should force all caught spammers to taste test our products for us...


Send me your products and I will taste test them.


Are you saying that you're spammer? Not that I'd disagree...


Point taken, and well done as well.
I was a little deep in the bottle then and should not have been online.
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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 06:42


Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Quote: Originally posted by chornedsnorkack  
Quote: Originally posted by bolbol  
Can HCN really by absorbed if not swallowed?

Oh yes. HCN can be absorbed by inhalation.

However, HCN is a relatively innocuous substance. It does have a small lethal dose for acute poisoning - in the region of 100 mg or less - but unlike many chemical substances is not a chronical cumulative poison. Amounts well below the acutely deadly quantities are rapidly and completely made harmless in the body.

Despite the fact the HCN will still kill the cells it interacts with...

Will it?
What kind of local damage does HCN cause? Is it corrosive to e. g. intact skin?
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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 07:05


Quote: Originally posted by chornedsnorkack  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  

Despite the fact the HCN will still kill the cells it interacts with...

Will it?
What kind of local damage does HCN cause? Is it corrosive to e. g. intact skin?

No and no. It's not corrosive, and it won't interact with cells

The cyanide ion halts cellular respiration by bonding as a non-competitive inhibitor, reducing the activity of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. It's not toxic to cells, and its weak acidity causes it to be not very corrosive.
So a less-than toxic dose of CN^- will cause over-all less oxygen to each cell individually, so some of the weak ones will probably die sooner than they otherwise would've, but cyanide doesn't kill cells directly.

[Edited on 27-3-2015 by Molecular Manipulations]




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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 09:36


Indeed. The most sensitive cells to cyanide poisoning are those most sensitive to hypoxia. Brain and heart.

On closer examination, it turns out that chronic poisoning of cyanide is possible after all - at doses much higher than acutely fatal ones.

The fate of cyanide in body is that it is converted into thiocyanate.
Two of the mechanisms of chronic cyanide poisoning include:
  1. thiocyanate, though less toxic than cyanide, builds up to toxic amounts
  2. production of thiocyanate exhausts body supply of sulphur in thiosulphate etc.

But local poisoning?
Cyanide absorbed or injected into local tissues would start being distributed around the body, as well as detoxified locally. Would a quantity too small for systemic poisoning do any serious harm locally?
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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 09:36


Quote: Originally posted by Molecular Manipulations  
Quote: Originally posted by chornedsnorkack  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  

Despite the fact the HCN will still kill the cells it interacts with...

Will it?
What kind of local damage does HCN cause? Is it corrosive to e. g. intact skin?

No and no. It's not corrosive, and it won't interact with cells

The cyanide ion halts cellular respiration by bonding as a non-competitive inhibitor, reducing the activity of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. It's not toxic to cells, and its weak acidity causes it to be not very corrosive.
So a less-than toxic dose of CN^- will cause over-all less oxygen to each cell individually, so some of the weak ones will probably die sooner than they otherwise would've, but cyanide doesn't kill cells directly.

[Edited on 27-3-2015 by Molecular Manipulations]

Doesn't it cause permanent inhibiting within the mitochondria it bonds inside?




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[*] posted on 27-3-2015 at 10:44


I assume it does, yes. I meant "less than lethal", not "less than toxic" BTW. The cytochrome c oxidase is quickly replaced, cyanide becomes lethal when cytochrome c oxidase is used up too fast for it to be replaced in time and too many cells die from inability to produce ATP.



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