Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Lecture bottles , looking for some gases.

pigpen - 6-2-2013 at 21:17

Hello , I am working with my nephews to do the 1953 Stanly Miller experiment and need to locate some lecture bottles of H2S , H2, Nh3 and Ch4 . I dont like having large cylinders of these gases around so I am looking for the smaller cylinders . if you have any of these please let me know how much you want it them and what condition they are in . I alos have tons of equipment and glassware to trade if you would like to go that route .

Thanks Bill

Doc B - 7-2-2013 at 05:50

Where you located, Bill?

Hexavalent - 7-2-2013 at 09:26

Do you know what those gases are and their dangers?

pigpen - 7-2-2013 at 10:03

Wisconsin , yep I have worked with them and a lot nastier stuff over the years .

Mailinmypocket - 7-2-2013 at 17:05

Lecture bottles are so expensive though... And not to mention the regulator(s). They also are not refillable AFAIK, at least my oxygen and argon ones aren't.

Why not produce the gases via chemical means? How much gas do you need and how big a system are you actually planning on building?

[Edited on 8-2-2013 by Mailinmypocket]

DraconicAcid - 7-2-2013 at 17:16

Quote: Originally posted by Mailinmypocket  
Lecture bottles are so expensive though... And not to mention the regulator(s). They also are not refillable AFAIK, at least my oxygen and argon ones aren't.

Why not produce the gases via chemical means? How much gas do you need and how big a system are you actually planning on building?

[Edited on 8-2-2013 by Mailinmypocket]


Hydrogen can be generated by electrolysis or by acid + metal (aluminum foil, steel wool, etc); ammonia from NH4Cl and a base (the only trouble being its high water solubility, so you can't collect it with a pneumatic trough), H2S from an acid plus a sulphide (similar water solubility problems). For methane, you could probably substitute natural gas or even propane.

pigpen - 7-2-2013 at 19:54

I Need decent purity gases . we will using one of our Gcs to test the gas mix as it is running to see what is depleted as we go . Don't want to use natural gas due to the methyl mercaptan . I have all of the regulators . I will probably just get full size cylinders from matheson , its a pain to find the lecture bottles

Mailinmypocket - 7-2-2013 at 20:00

Quote: Originally posted by pigpen  
I Need decent purity gases . we will using one of our Gcs to test the gas mix as it is running to see what is depleted as we go . Don't want to use natural gas due to the methyl mercaptan . I have all of the regulators . I will probably just get full size cylinders from matheson , its a pain to find the lecture bottles


But Matheson does also have lecture bottles, see here:

http://www.mathesongas.com/pdfs/products/Pure-Gases-in-Mathe...

Need to call and inquire about prices though.

pigpen - 7-2-2013 at 20:24

Gave that a whirl today , have you ever tried calling them , talked to seven different people and none had clue . guess they don't even know they sell lecture bottles .