100PercentChemistry
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What was your most dangerous/risky experiment
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Loptr
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Mine is still on-going, it's called life.
But in all seriousness it would have to be distilling HCN.
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DraconicAcid
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Trying to extract Mn2O7.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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ChemTchr
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This probably isn't nearly as risky as most, but every year I make a large batch of nitrocellulose and have to use a mixture of azeotropic sulfuric
and nitric acids, which get pretty hot when mixed. So far, haven't gotten a burn.
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APO
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I was attempting to make potassium formate, but accidentally made iodoform instead. It freaked me out a bit because I know iodoform is a fair amount
more toxic than chloroform, which I hadn't planned on.
"Damn it George! I told you not to drop me!"
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Eosin Y
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I'm going to start distilling HClO4 soon... Cl2O7 is not fun.
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Metacelsus
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I've done a perchloric acid distillation, although I carefully planned it so that the concentration wouldn't go above azeotropic. Unless you are
prepared to handle anhydrous perchloric acid, you should also do this. With proper planning, you will not form any dichlorine heptoxide.
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skip
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I have distilled at least a gallon of HCN, thats a cake walk. Sodium in ethanol really had me nervous , I thought with all the hissing and boiling
that it was gonna catch fire. I was going slow too with addition of sodium. Had a fire extingusher in my hand almost the whole time. To hell with that
!
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Loptr
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Quote: Originally posted by skip  | | I have distilled at least a gallon of HCN, thats a cake walk. Sodium in ethanol really had me nervous , I thought with all the hissing and boiling
that it was gonna catch fire. I was going slow too with addition of sodium. Had a fire extingusher in my hand almost the whole time. To hell with that
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Well, we all have our own perspective on such matters, and here is a case example.
[Edited on 13-5-2016 by Loptr]
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j_sum1
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I think I would be a lot more nervous about distilling HCN than ethanol/sodium.
With the latter, if it starts looking crazy, you simply cover the vessel with something to exclude oxygen and back out of the room.
If you catch a lungful of HCN you have other problems. And not trivial ones.
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JJay
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I'm not sure... probably lighting acetylene on fire....
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Scalebar
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Purifying the infectious agent of CJD in bulk - but that was for work so I'm not sure it counts...
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zed
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Scalebar is declared the winner. I've done a lot of dangerous things, but that is a project I simply would have refused to perform.
No fix for that kinda poisoning. AND, me being a paranoid sort, the passage of time wouldn't put it behind me. With cyanide, you either die or you
don't. With Prions, doubt stalks you.
Am I gonna be OK? Or, are there hidden changes taking place in my brain?
The idea gives me the Heebie Jeebies.
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j_sum1
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Agreed. Scalebar, you win the thread.
My most dangerous moments have always been when something unexpected happened because I was pushing the edges of my knowledge. Notable among these
was the accidental production of trichloramine. I was following a suggestion by deltaH (of "dangerous source of unreferenced speculation" fame). The
target was an alternative means for producing NO2 gas. Procedure was to react urea with calcium hypochlorite. I got some lovely sharp bangs as the
chloramine was produced. The saving grace was that I was somewhat forewarned and that I was working on sub-gram scale. Still, it seemed like it was
nearly enough to shatter a test tube.
Other experiments that had a higher than normal risk factor: Reacting sodium with chlorine. My experiment setup was not what I would have liked and
so it was not amazingly satisfying. I will try again. (Following NileRed's procedure for those who want to look it up. He got a glowing flask for a
full 60 seconds.) My error was in being casual with cleaning up. there was some unreacted sodium that came in contact with water with both some
glass and my hand in close proximity. It could have been messy.
Another notable one was the reaction between acetylene and chlorine. Exciting. I followed the procedure in experiment 101 of this source. It worked like a charm.
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solitanze
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Made a few hundred milligrams of chromyl chloride CrO2Cl2. It's very volatile and carcinogenic.
It does form a nice complex with slightly acidified H2O2 solution, though.
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Loptr
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Forming NCl3 unintentionally is always a surprise. Luckily it was a test tube scale (small) experiment and no real harm came from it other than
aerosol in my face. Not my finest hour. It was an impulsive experiment to say the least and related to aga's nitric acid competition.
[Edited on 15-5-2016 by Loptr]
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