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Author: Subject: Best and worst smelling chemicals?
AngelEyes
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[*] posted on 17-2-2005 at 04:18


Worst.
Butyric Acid.

Best.
Whichever chemical gives freshly-cut grass it's smell. Wonderful...




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demorol
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[*] posted on 19-2-2005 at 03:44


I like the smell of vanillin, ethyl butyrate (like pineapple) and phenol. The latter reminds me of watercolors I played with when I was a kid.

Worst smells: skatole, pyridine, H2S.
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[*] posted on 22-3-2005 at 15:41


Quote:
Originally posted by I am a fish

......

Don't they smell very similar to you? I doubt I could tell the difference between the halogens by smell alone. I think there are some differences...

It is possible that you are merely used to smelling them in different concentrations? Bromine is much more volatile than iodine and so with similar conditions, far more of the vapour will reach your nose. The concentration of a substance can have a great effect on the desirability of its odour. (For example, many perfumes contain very small quantities of foul smelling substances.)

[Edited on 8-2-2005 by I am a fish]


You're right about the concentration influence... in practice, bromine tends to be smelled in higher concentrations than iodine.

Association with old memories is also important, for example: when I smell chlorine I go back 30 years and enter hell on earth again: school swimming :o

Also, maybe I like iodine because I associate it with medicine... ???

Idea: compare chlorine , bromine and iodine in equal or similar (low) concentrations. A blind test: try to identify the halogen by smell. I think it can be done...

Sorry for the late reply...
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[*] posted on 24-3-2005 at 20:00


Best smell: cannabis oil. The stuff is also good for you.
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[*] posted on 28-3-2005 at 15:01


Here's a very long list of compounds (perfume raw materials) with their smells:
http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/rawmatex.html
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[*] posted on 28-3-2005 at 17:28


That's a neat list garage chemist.

I like the smell of diethyl ether if not too strong. I used to smell it in the Doctor's office but I don't know what they would use it for anymore.

I like the smell of ammonia and nitrobenzene if not too strong also. I believe nitrobenzene is the solvent in my shotgun cleaning solution.




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[*] posted on 28-3-2005 at 18:17


I agree w/ most of the above answers but would like to add that ive never enjoyed methane
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[*] posted on 28-3-2005 at 22:33


HeyyYY!! OKay smart chemist people, i need you huys/gals to tell me how a 13 year old kid can make a very smelly chemical, that cant get me arrested...for using it in school....
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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 01:30
smelly


piperine from boiled up black pepper in alcohol is pretty nasty.

[Edited on 29-3-2005 by chochu3]
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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 02:32


Madman, posts like yours don't get much replies here, I'm afraid. :D

Expect merciless taunts after this... :P

sparky (^_^)




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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 02:42


Quote:
Originally posted by Madman
HeyyYY!! OKay smart chemist people, i need you huys/gals to tell me how a 13 year old kid can make a very smelly chemical, that cant get me arrested...for using it in school....


How about cadaverine? It's quite legal, provided you don't get someone to help you make it.




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sparkgap
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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 02:44


Very smelly, yes, but quite irritating and corrosive when pure. :D

Be safe, kiddies!

sparky (^_^)

P.S. My k3wl-detector needle is wagging widely here... :P




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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 02:51


But it's also very easy for kewls to make . . . (where's an evil emoticon when you need one?)



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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 09:20


Quote:
Originally posted by PyrovusHow about cadaverine? It's quite legal, provided you don't get someone to help you make it.


ROFL :D

Chickens or steaks might work ;)




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[*] posted on 29-3-2005 at 09:59


Heck, if he's really serious about obtaining the cadaverine naturally, he can try poking around at cemeteries or garbage heaps. :D

sparky (^_^)




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[*] posted on 5-9-2005 at 16:26


I'd hafta say that nitrotoluene smells quite unpleasant. It is reminiscent of Amoretto, the after dinner liquer, only way stronger. Gives a real nice headache, too.
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[*] posted on 5-9-2005 at 19:11


Butyric acid is nasty but not particularly dangerous; I still can't stand the odor of it. Just plain rancid.

Hydrogen selenide, however, is nasty and very dangerous, more toxic than HCN and extremely irritating. A hideous odor that really 'clings' (truly unique smell beyond my explanation: pungent, and just inexplicably odd). I hope none of you have any experience with it, as it's a hemoglobic poison and leaves you feeling quite bad for quite a long time. I think the TLV is .05 ppm. Some tellurium compounds smell horrible as well and are similarly very toxic.


Best smells? Hm, I'd have to say anhydrous ethanol. The odor is very reminiscent of strawberries, at least to me. Diethyl ether has a pleasing odor as well.


Anyone else here noticed their sense of smell going? :o :P

[Edited on 6-9-2005 by Fleaker]
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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 02:24


Quote:
Originally posted by Fleaker
Best smells? Hm, I'd have to say anhydrous ethanol. The odor is very reminiscent of strawberries, at least to me.


Is that reagent grade or the denatured junk? I don’t think EtOH has a smell, so you may be smelling some esters.
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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 09:09


Quote:
Originally posted by Fleaker
Hydrogen selenide, however, is nasty and very dangerous, more toxic than HCN and extremely irritating. A hideous odor that really 'clings' (truly unique smell beyond my explanation: pungent, and just inexplicably odd). I hope none of you have any experience with it, as it's a hemoglobic poison and leaves you feeling quite bad for quite a long time. I think the TLV is .05 ppm. Some tellurium compounds smell horrible as well and are similarly very toxic.


It's a pity that selenium compounds are so toxic. I've been tempted by the idea of making hydrogen selenide for a long time. (It's very easy; you just have to heat selenium with iron powder, and then dissolve the resulting iron selenide in an acid.) However, I'm just too scared of it. Another chemical I've wanted to make is carbon diselenide, which can be made my heating selenium with dichloromethane (it's a pity that carbon disulphide can't be made in a similar manner.) However, again, it's just too toxic.

I'd also like to make hydrogen telluride and carbon ditelluride but I'm too scared of my tellurium to even open the container.




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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 12:03


Could anybody tell me about the toxicity of selenium disulfide? I don't think it's very toxic but after all these story's I'm not sure anymore.



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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 12:31


The disulfide isn't that bad, as selenium goes. UTFSE: http://www.google.com/search?q=selenium+disulfide

H2Se is pretty gnarly though: 50ppb exposure limit (TLV). Odor threshold 0.3ppm, LC50/1hr 2ppm!

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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 14:23


Originally posted by Neutrino: "Is that reagent grade or the denatured junk? I don’t think EtOH has a smell, so you may be smelling some esters."

It was a newly opened bottle of ACS grade absolute ethanol, however, the delightful smell could have been a combination of factors. There were at least 4 other solvents in use that day (toluene, cyclohexanone, etc).

I highly discourage working with H2Se even with a quality fume hood: it's an unnecessary hazard and you can quickly be overexposed (you will find that your sense of smell is quickly lost when working with it). The stuff is really quite toxic, and the ill effects take several months to wear off (in my case at least). Tim is quite aware of the story (I believe I had mentioned it to him along with a list of other mishaps).
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[*] posted on 6-9-2005 at 20:07


Yep. You ever wonder what the neighborhood thought of that blunder? Or anything else involving H2S and similar stinkies?

Tim




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Fleaker
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[*] posted on 11-10-2005 at 19:25


AngelEyes posted:

"Best.
Whichever chemical gives freshly-cut grass it's smell. Wonderful..."

That would be hexanal. Just found that out in the most unlikely of places ( an essay on the flavor industry).
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[*] posted on 4-7-2006 at 18:02


the worst formaldahyde
the best ethanethiol
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