Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Don't shake that chlorine generator

NaK - 2-8-2020 at 12:53

Today I did a more complicated synthesis involving chlorine gas which I made in the usual TCCA HCl generator style. Unfortunately I only have one magnetic stirrer which I needed for the main reaction flask so the chlorine generator was left unstirred.

The reaction was approaching its end, all the HCl was in the flask and the drying flask was bubbling very slowly. And I got impatient. So I took the flask and just swirled it around for a second. You already guessed what happend next: Contents foamed almost to the top (not over it fortunately), one joint became loose due to the sudden increase in pressure and I was punched by the gas like I have never been punched before.

And it fucking hurts.

Well learned another lesson: Don't shake around any unstirred reaction. Slightly moving it forwards and back does the trick as well without the chlorine poisoning.

fdnjj6 - 2-8-2020 at 19:57

Holy shit man. Are you okay now? Are you worried about permanent lung damage?

Syn the Sizer - 2-8-2020 at 20:07

I was stupid 2 different time, you would think I would learn the first time.

Time #1

I was boiling cleaning ammonia and collecting the vapours in distilled water. I was curious if I still had ammonia coming over so I too the tube out and instead of wafting I put it near my nose and visible puff of hot NH3 into my sinuses. It burnt like he'll and my eye watered for about 15min.


Time #2

A month or so later I was producing HCl gas for some reaction, can't remember what off hand I wanted to check if any HCl was coming over yet, same thing didn't waft and a shot of vapours into my nose.

I don't know which burnt more lol. I knew better than to just smell like that but 2 incidents really drove it home.

Hope you are alright and recover well. Did you see a doctor afterwards, I never lol, but for Cl2 I think I would go get checked out.

NaK - 3-8-2020 at 11:32

I am ok now. The first 15 minutes I was coughing permanently and felt really sick and then it got better. No pulmonary edema or anything like that. I was able to breath normaly just a few hours later. Still pretty scary and something I don't want to experience again.

Syn the Sizer - 3-8-2020 at 11:48

Glad to hear you are ok.

NaK - 3-8-2020 at 12:17

Quote: Originally posted by Syn the Sizer  
Glad to hear you are ok.


Thanks!
Quote: Originally posted by Syn the Sizer  
I was stupid 2 different time, you would think I would learn the first time.

Time #1

I was boiling cleaning ammonia and collecting the vapours in distilled water. I was curious if I still had ammonia coming over so I too the tube out and instead of wafting I put it near my nose and visible puff of hot NH3 into my sinuses. It burnt like he'll and my eye watered for about 15min.


Time #2

A month or so later I was producing HCl gas for some reaction, can't remember what off hand I wanted to check if any HCl was coming over yet, same thing didn't waft and a shot of vapours into my nose.

I don't know which burnt more lol. I knew better than to just smell like that but 2 incidents really drove it home.

Oh ammonia and HCl are really nasty as well, I think HCl must be even worse than chlorine, reacting with the water in the lungs and forming hydrochloric acid there. Glad you recovered well.

mackolol - 3-8-2020 at 13:02

Always stirr your TCCA chlorine generator mixture. I have got twice as much chlorine while just stirring the reaction and heating it up. You must do it to drive the reaction to completion if you're adding HCl slowly, but you have to do it from the beginning.

[Edited on 3-8-2020 by mackolol]

Syn the Sizer - 3-8-2020 at 13:38

Lucky for me I wasn't breathing deep and the HCl only hit my sinuses, thankfully. But I have gotten the odd bit of fumes other times in the lungs, your body won't even let you breath deep if you tried.

Same as the ammonia, but to be honest I think the ammonia didn't hurt as much but lasted longer.

fdnjj6 - 3-8-2020 at 22:09

Btw someone fact check this for me but I think that taking a nice and steamy shower or inhaling a lot of steam should theoretically help out. I do that whenever I feel that I may have been exposed to a small amount of hazardous vapors. It'll help warm up (more blood flow I think) and moisturize your airway which should aid in recovery.

monolithic - 4-8-2020 at 10:24

Had a similar feeling when I caught a whiff of GAA at 80 C. It really hurt.

Syn the Sizer - 4-8-2020 at 12:26

Where I felt stupid with HCl was, who cares if it was coming over yet, just let it bubble the gas will come over eventually and run it until no more bubbling, and it was the 2nd time. Plus loss of HCl vapour is a loss in yield. With the ammonia I didn't have a thermometer in my setup so I didn't want to be diluting it with steam.

In hind sight, I really should have tested the NH3 with a 1mL of concentrated HCl, just to see if NH4Cl was produced.

[Edited on 4-8-2020 by Syn the Sizer]

[Edited on 4-8-2020 by Syn the Sizer]

zed - 10-8-2020 at 01:26

A small amount of HCl is considerably less of a problem than a small amount of Cl2.

Your body deals with HCl all of the time, and it can quickly buffer small amounts. After all, your stomach produces it constantly, and when you puke, it is in fact a dilute HCl solution.

Cl2 is no joke, perhaps a second stir-plate is in order. And, a fume hood. And a respirator.

Of course the addition of a remote air supply is probably even better. Body and paint, shops utilize such systems. Since it is largely impossible to avoid breathing in solvent vapors when you are spraying auto paints.

You get yourself a used full-face scba mask, equip it with a long flexible air supply hose, and hook it up to a remote fresh-air blower. This should provide positive air pressure, to your mask at all times.

Similar to the systems used by the folks in hazmat suits. Also useful for insuring, you don't catch Covid 19.

If you aren't in the U.S., where such stuff is common and cheap, I understand. Costs may be prohibitive.