What Did You Buy Today?

[coolidge]

Jumped on the KBC Tools 20% off cyber Monday sale for some lathe tool holders, Anchorlube and Octane 5/8 T-Slot covers.

 

[ChazzC]

The diffusion pump I had used a special oil, rather than mercury. Think the original diffusion pumps used mercury. There certainly are better pumps out there now. A long, long time ago I worked for a vacuum pump company.

I picked up some vacuum pumps surplus. No idea where one would find stuff like this these days. Even had an amazing bell jar, but that somehow vanished long ago.

I liked the chuckling noise the rotary vacuum pumps made as they were pulling down.

 

[ChazzC]

I thought turbomolecular pumps have mostly replaced them now, but not 100% sure.

In any case, I think the mercury pump with boiling mercury would be frowned upon now. Other designs use room temp mercury, which is just a little bit safer...

So my small (370gm) bottle of Mercury is hazardous?


Good thing I got rid of the ~ 3/4 liter I had (donated it to the local High School Science Department 25± years ago), along with my Asbestos Samples box.

 

[WobblyHand]

So my small (370gm) bottle of Mercury is hazardous?

View attachment 512249
Good thing I got rid of the ~ 3/4 liter I had (donated it to the local High School Science Department 25± years ago), along with my Asbestos Samples box.

Personally, I'd keep it in a glass container to minimize out-gassing, but that does have a nice label. Only mercury I have these days is inside of an old thermostat glass capsule. Pretty harmless there, as long as the glass is intact.

Edit: plastic isn't hermetic, stuff out-gasses or diffuses through it.

 

[ChazzC]

Personally, I'd keep it in a glass container to minimize out-gassing, but that does have a nice label. Only mercury I have these days is inside of an old thermostat glass capsule. Pretty harmless there, as long as the glass is intact.

Edit: plastic isn't hermetic, stuff out-gasses or diffuses through it.

True, although less chance of the plastic bottle breaking when dropped (it's still flexible.

That got me thinking of an interesting Science Project (that wouldn't be allowed in the schools): weighing the bottle over time and determining the diffusion rate.

 

[WobblyHand]

True, although less chance of the plastic bottle breaking when dropped (it's still flexible.

That got me thinking of an interesting Science Project (that wouldn't be allowed in the schools): weighing the bottle over time and determining the diffusion rate.

Recent experience seeing hydrochloric acid attacking and aging it's plastic bottle, makes me leery of long term storage in plastic. The bottle cracked open near the top (fortunately). But then it simply vented and spread fumes all over my parent's garage rusting anything nearby. I think both of us have seen enough plastic just suddenly give way... Sure glass can break, so does plastic.

 

[Larry$]

Recent experience seeing hydrochloric acid attacking and aging it's plastic bottle,

I had the same thing happen, same result, lots of rust. No liquid got out. I had put the acid bottle in a plastic pail, just in case.

 

[Firstram]

Only mercury I have these days is inside of an old thermostat glass capsule. Pretty harmless there, as long as the glass is intact.

I have collected a pile of old school mercury switches from thermostats. They are fantastic for practical special effects in film and television.

For example, that flickering flashlight that always goes out at the most inappropriate time. You make a cartridge that replaces a battery with the switch at a 45 degree angle, either NO or NC. Shaking or rotating the light will make or break contact.

Almost every other effect we used to use them for is now computer controlled, the technology is incredible!

 

[WobblyHand]

I found a glass bottle with a ground glass stopper with HNO3 in it. It's in perfect condition. No discoloration. Not leaking after twenty plus years. Plastic would have succumbed long ago.

 

[rwm]

I find Nitric acid impossible to contain. I have it in HDPE, inside glass, inside a plastic bag. All are discolored!

Check out the Sprengel pump: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprengel_pump