querjek
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Getting rid of lingering free amine smell?
So a few weeks ago, I conducted a small experiment which (inadvertently) released a few grams of gaseous trimethylamine base into my house.
It's been three weeks. I've tried cleaning the linens in the room and leaving the windows open for extended amounts of time, but those didn't seem to
get it to go away.
Does anybody have any ideas as to what I could do to get the smell out?
it's all about chemistry.
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hissingnoise
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Tell people you're big into seafood, or if the smell is only in one room---board it up---if it's through the house, you could always torch it!
But seriously, a shallow dish of household bleach uncovered in a ventilated room should work over a few days.
The bleach will release small quantities of chlorine which should mop up the amine.
An ozone generator would be quicker but they're expensive.
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Mr. Wizard
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Get or make an ozone generator. Don't run the thing when you are there, as it's very toxic, even at threshold of smell. It does very well at oxidizing
organic smells. I've read and heard that it will even remove the smell of putrefaction from a car or house.
I made one,and use it occasionally. I made mine out of a 'bug zapper'. I came across some aluminum oxide ceramic sheets, about 80 mm x 80 mm and very
thin. I made a sandwich of alternating aluminum window screen, very much like a capacitor, but with air flow. The HV part of the bug zapper causes
ozone to be made and the fan in the bug zapper moves the air.
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chemoleo
Biochemicus Energeticus
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I had that problem with ethylenediamine - the smell is very effectively removed by leaving a volatile acid in the area, such as HAc, HCl etc. You'll
get white smoke but that stuff can be blown out effectively, and the amine on the furniture etc will just be neutralised, but at least not smell
anymore.
Never Stop to Begin, and Never Begin to Stop...
Tolerance is good. But not with the intolerant! (Wilhelm Busch)
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kclo4
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I was going to suggest misting an acid like vinegar or something that is harmless on your furniture or something like that I would think would help.
That is what I would try to do at least.
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not_important
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I'd avoid using HCl, as the fumes from it will result in ferrous metals corroding much more than might be expected.
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