thesmug
Hazard to Others
Posts: 370
Registered: 17-1-2014
Location: Chicago, Il (USA)
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Fume hood substitute
It's very cold where I live so doing reactions outside is not an option, and there are several reactions I would like to do that require good
ventilation. I don't have the space or budget for a fume hood, so what are some good substitutes that will provide good ventilation?
[Edited on 2/16/14 by thesmug]
|
|
|
Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
Member Is Offline
Mood: Incommensurately modulated
|
|
Do you have any particular reactions in mind? It might be a good idea to do certain experiments out in the cold in case you need cooling. See this
thread: http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=28777
You could always build one if you had the time and money. But sometimes a range hood will suffice if the gas is not particularly toxic, just a
nuisance.
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
|
|
|
thesmug
Hazard to Others
Posts: 370
Registered: 17-1-2014
Location: Chicago, Il (USA)
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I was going to make iodine or maybe even bromine. Also, do the fumes from HCl and H2SO4 make them too dangerous to work with indoors?
|
|
|
Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
Member Is Offline
Mood: Incommensurately modulated
|
|
Depends on what you're doing - making iodine shouldn't be any trouble fumewise (but it will make a mess). It's a good idea to make bromine in the
cold. It saves you from nasty fumes, and depending on the temperature, will allow you to crystallize the product.
As long as you're not making chlorine gas or sulfur oxides with the acids listed, there should be no problem. Just don't inhale them intentionally.
(37% HCl does fume a lot, so it's advisable to work with it in a fume hood or outside.)
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
|
|
|
thesmug
Hazard to Others
Posts: 370
Registered: 17-1-2014
Location: Chicago, Il (USA)
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by Brain&Force  | Depends on what you're doing - making iodine shouldn't be any trouble fumewise (but it will make a mess). It's a good idea to make bromine in the
cold. It saves you from nasty fumes, and depending on the temperature, will allow you to crystallize the product.
As long as you're not making chlorine gas or sulfur oxides with the acids listed, there should be no problem. Just don't inhale them intentionally.
(37% HCl does fume a lot, so it's advisable to work with it in a fume hood or outside.) |
I work in the basement, but the room I work in has an exhaust fan in the ceiling and a window. Would working with the fan on and the window open
provide good ventilation?
|
|
|
blogfast25
International Hazard
Posts: 10562
Registered: 3-2-2008
Location: Neverland
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by thesmug |
I work in the basement, but the room I work in has an exhaust fan in the ceiling and a window. Would working with the fan on and the window open
provide good ventilation? |
It's a lot better than nothing of course. An improvement could be to invest in one of these wide, flexible tubes, about the with of your exhaust fan.
Then you can move the open end of the tube over the reaction area when you're working. With the fan on full, you're basically vacuuming off the
reaction gases. I've been meaning to get such a system but haven't gotten round to it.
But nothing beats a functioning fume hood.
|
|
|
organicchemist25
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 12-2-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Here is one I built for under 100.00$. I did install a organic vapor inline filter, but that is not always necessary. So, if you can swing about
90.00$ it would be a long lasting, convenient investment.
|
|
|
organicchemist25
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 12-2-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
oh, and if you would like my exact measurements and links to the fan and all the specs etc, I can provide that too to save a little time. Its worth
building imo. and there is a plexiglass shield in the front, it might not be visible in the pic.
[Edited on 17-2-2014 by organicchemist25]
|
|
|
blogfast25
International Hazard
Posts: 10562
Registered: 3-2-2008
Location: Neverland
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by organicchemist25 | oh, and if you would like my exact measurements and links to the fan and all the specs etc, I can provide that too to save a little time. Its worth
building imo. and there is a plexiglass shield in the front, it might not be visible in the pic.
[Edited on 17-2-2014 by organicchemist25] |
And you've built this inside your nuclear shelter? 
|
|
|
MrHomeScientist
International Hazard
Posts: 1806
Registered: 24-10-2010
Location: Flerovium
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Either that or he lives inside a baked potato 
@thesmug: What quantities are you using? If you're doing test-tube scale reactions, a bit of acid/halogen fumes shouldn't harm
anything. If you're producing lots of bromine or throwing gallons of acid around, a fume hood would be advisable. Sulfuric acid does not fume.
As an alternative to the traditional method of distilling bromine, consider the electrolytic route. Really minimizes fumes, at the cost of taking a
long time. I got the procedure from woelen, and made two videos on the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjyM2AkZSY
It's one of my favorite experiments I've ever done. Tons of fun, and bromine is probably my favorite element. I'd still recommend doing everything
after the electrolysis portion outside, though.
|
|
|
blogfast25
International Hazard
Posts: 10562
Registered: 3-2-2008
Location: Neverland
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Lol. It has a bit of a 'Dr Frankenstein, I presume?' feel to it. Mwhahaha...
Still, one must seriously admire the dedication to his trade!
|
|
|
Zyklon-A
International Hazard
Posts: 1547
Registered: 26-11-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: Fluorine radical
|
|
Yeah, it's a very nice lab, looks like it's in a shed, with Al sheets for insulation. If your lab's in a shed, you certainly need a fume hood.
[Edited on 18-2-2014 by Zyklonb]
|
|
|
thesmug
Hazard to Others
Posts: 370
Registered: 17-1-2014
Location: Chicago, Il (USA)
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by MrHomeScientist | @thesmug: What quantities are you using? If you're doing test-tube scale reactions, a bit of acid/halogen fumes shouldn't harm
anything. If you're producing lots of bromine or throwing gallons of acid around, a fume hood would be advisable. Sulfuric acid does not fume.
As an alternative to the traditional method of distilling bromine, consider the electrolytic route. Really minimizes fumes, at the cost of taking a
long time. I got the procedure from woelen, and made two videos on the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjyM2AkZSY
It's one of my favorite experiments I've ever done. Tons of fun, and bromine is probably my favorite element. I'd still recommend doing everything
after the electrolysis portion outside, though. |
I expect to work on test tube to medium (around 50 ml) scale. I haven't seen that procedure before. Maybe I'll try it!
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
