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Author: Subject: Is this what Hydrogen smells like?
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[*] posted on 4-4-2013 at 10:58


Quote: Originally posted by Endimion17  


Don't forget that if one uses technical grade zinc that always contains arsenic, arsine is produced, too.
Its solubility in water is poor, so it would just slide into one's lungs. What a convenient way to poison yourself. :):):)


When I source MnO2 from new alkaline batteries I generally keep the zinc paste as well, neutralizing, cleaning and drying it. Would this not be technical grade zinc? I would think arsenic or zinc arsenate would be on the MSDS. Can you state your source for this information of arsenic in tech. zinc?




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[*] posted on 4-4-2013 at 15:55


Quote: Originally posted by Manifest  
Well, a minute ago I was bored and I decided to add aluminium to Sodium Hydroxide and that shit started fizzing, the usual.

But then I got this whiff of what smelled like ammonia and I had to put it outside.

Any ideas what this might be? Or is this what it should smell like?

[Edited on 23-3-2013 by Manifest]


What you smelled was the breakdown products of your mucus and mucus membranes by sodium hydroxide aerosols. You can test this by dissolving a protein rich substrate in sodium hydroxide (egg white..), you will get ammonia as well as other gaseous products. Some heat may be needed.

But as this is happening right beside the olfactory organs one perceive the ammonia smell as much more than it is.

I've had this happening to me many times when working with hot/boiling/effervescent solutions of the alkali hydroxides.

Analytical pure hydrogen wouldn't smell much if anything as this has been tested hundreds of times before. Don't go and ruin your lungs with sodium hydroxide aerosols in balloons to try to get a whiff of something that is easier to google.


Not directly on topic but, what is really interesting is the smell from hand filed pistons, especially from older Sachs, even without touching the exposed surface, a strong peculiar smell is produced, so no catalytic reaction with the fatty acids in the skin as with iron...




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