alexleyenda
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Registered: 17-12-2013
Location: Québec, Canada
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Unknown electrolysis gas?
Hi, i'm making rust through electrolysis and after letting it run for 2-3 hours,
I made a check up just as I did before, maybe just a bit longer. Around 1 minute
after that I had a short 5 min headache and a bad kind of dizzy feeling. I had no irritation feeling.
It is probably caused by a gas but which? In theory this should only produce O2
and H2 which are not dangerous to breath and I searched for any other possibility
and found nothing. Anyone have an idea of what it might be?
Description of the set up:
My power supply is really far from ideal for this, but this is all I have for now and as
i'm only making rust it does the job. It gives around 70 V and around 8 A and no I
cannot drop the voltage without dropping the A on this one and yes i'm aware it is
dangerous and I am really careful I already worked a lot with it without accident.
I do this in a PP bucket with a sodium bicarbonate solution and my electrodes
are old rusted fence rods (probably steel) I cut into smaller pieces. The electrolysis
turns the water black, so I guess it produces FeO as it should.
Does anyone have an idea of what could have caused this?
To me it looks like the effect of a gas that would cut oxygen in the blood like CO but I don't see how it could have been produced. I don't think it
could be H2 replacing oxygen from the air as O2 is produced too...
[Edited on 27-12-2013 by alexleyenda]
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hyfalcon
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Is this being done in a enclosed room? CO2 buildup could do that to you if it is.
[Edited on 27-12-2013 by hyfalcon]
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alexleyenda
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Location: Québec, Canada
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Well the door was open. But I doubt it, I only put one table spoon of sodium bicarbonate so there is not so much CO2 that could be produced.
[Edited on 27-12-2013 by alexleyenda]
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hyfalcon
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Any concentration of gasses coming off electrolysis should be vented. Even the hydrogen and oxygen coming off the unit if concentrated and if it
reaches and ignition source can blow. H2 and O2 in the right mix can explode.
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alexleyenda
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Location: Québec, Canada
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Yeah of course I'm aware of that I just thought the quantity made during that not so long run would dilute enough to be safe but you are right I
should take no risk.
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WGTR
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Are you boiling the water?
70V * 8A = 560W
It's possible to be carrying an aerosol of whatever is in your electrolyte into the air, especially with the H2 and O2 gasses bubbling
out of the hot solution. The Na2CO3 (or NaHCO3) is not really the problem, it's whatever contaminants that may be in your
steel. Some things, like manganese, nickel, and chromium compounds, are things that you really don't want to inhale. I'm not trying
to freak you out; you're probably just fine. It would be better to do this outside, though.
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alexleyenda
Hazard to Others
Posts: 277
Registered: 17-12-2013
Location: Québec, Canada
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Mood: Busy studying chemistry at the University
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Yes obviously I continued outside after that! The water is not boiling but almost it is quite hot and there is some steam. I thought about
contaminants in the steel like chromium and know it is really toxic but as far as I know they do not cause immediate headache and dizzy feeling.
Anyways the important is that i'm safe now and doing it outside, though I would really like to understand what happened !
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