entheologist - 30-3-2017 at 10:21
I started up amateur chemistry again (I took a long break while getting a chemistry degree ironically) and would like to connect with some more local
chemists to share knowledge and insights. I don't like ordering from abroad, even the UK due to excessive shipping prices, I prefer to order locally.
Theres quite a bit we have available here fortunately, but since its such a small country with only 4-5 million population there are very few vendors,
in fact I haven't found a single one other than the huge multinational vendors that only sell to companies. It would be brilliant to be able to talk
to other local amateur chemistry to exchange information on how to do things in this part of the world. I've amassed a whole load of knowledge, but
still heavily lacking unfortunately. I've lived in other countries where there are big vendors left, right and center but this little island has a
nightmare for obtaining materials.
[Edited on 30-3-2017 by entheologist]
Big Boss - 30-3-2017 at 11:03
What's down south like for buying chemicals? I live in the north and for obvious reasons they're really hard to come by. I managed to find H2SO4 drain
cleaner in B&Q before it closed. I tried to buy NaOH one time in Homebase but they said it's been taken off the shelves and they can't let people
buy it. Nitrate fertilisers I have absolutely no chance of finding up here in the north, maybe the RA could help us out.
entheologist - 31-3-2017 at 01:00
NaOH is gone really? Its readily available south of the border. I'd say thats a matter of what shop you go to because its available all over the UK.
Nitrate fertilizers are nowhere in the republic either. Its solvents that are hard to find though. Its the ordinary small scale suppliers that sell
to individuals that this country is lacking. In NI you have it much easier because there are so many UK suppliers. Getting things like cyclohexane,
toluene, DCM etc. is as hard as getting anhydrides or carbonyl halides here.