Steps Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 While making some barium and strontium nitrate i fell asleep as they were drying. When i pulled them out they were well... kind of brown as if they had burnt like a cake. only the outside was not the inside of the crystals. I am curious to know whats going on? is it dust from the inside of the oven collecting or something? Thanks in advance TheLummox
WarezWally Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Unless your oven can hit 500c+ nothing should have chemically happened to your nitrates
Steps Posted January 2, 2009 Author Posted January 2, 2009 I hope you don't cook food in that oven!? it was cleaned with a sulphate solution, no need to worry First- I am no chemist. I have, however, dried both barium nitrate and strontium nitrate. Like has been said, it would take a LOT of heat to do what you described, if it will even brown at any temp before melting/decomposing. 100 degrees C is enough to dry those chemicals, given enough time. I know nothing like that happened, they just went a bit brown on the edges where crystals formed... it was really odd, i got a feeling it was just dust collecting as it was a fan forced oven.
Richtee Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) it was cleaned with a sulphate solution, no need to worry it was really odd, i got a feeling it was just dust collecting as it was a fan forced oven. Makes ME wonder where ELSE the "dust" went... sulphate or not.... Edited January 2, 2009 by Richtee
Steps Posted January 2, 2009 Author Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) Makes ME wonder where ELSE the "dust" went... sulphate or not....I really don't think much if any dust was made from my nitrates, even if some was made it would hardly be enough to be a danger. I know always safe than sorry, i didn't want to use the oven in the first place, but the person i was with wanted to get them as dry as fast as possible to use them. Nitrates are pretty reactive to iron, especially if damp and hot. If they were dried on an iron-containing surface, you might be seeing rust. It was done on glass bowls(clean no paint or labels or anything) i bought just for the making of these nitrates. (Made for use in cooking and other similiar applications. Edited January 2, 2009 by TheLummox
WarezWally Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 Mate, go out and buy a toaster over for $50. Beats the hell out of killing yourself from barium poisoning. I wouldn't dry anything more toxic than potassium nitrate in an oven used for food.
Steps Posted January 3, 2009 Author Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Bah will do eventually, but make me feel like a monster much... plus the oven isn't used ever, so i thought it would be fine. It was cleaned well. Edited January 3, 2009 by TheLummox
Swede Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 We're trying to beat you up gently because we want everyone to stay safe. Barium is some nasty stuff. My guess on the brown - a reaction between vaporized organic molecules and the nitrates. The oven heats up, and pizza drippings and such at the bottom of the oven are vaporized and then react with the crystals. Remember, when you heat an oven, the exposed heating coils themselves go MUCH higher in temperature than what you have set on the dial. The coils get full bursts of 240VAC, become nearly incandescent, then cycle off as the thermostat or controller does its work. Anything on those coils may become vaporized. Perhaps there was a mild chemical reaction between vaporized organics and your powerful, reactive oxidizers.
qwezxc12 Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 Electric appliances with serious heating coils (stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, hot water heaters, etc...) here in the US are all 240VAC as well. 120VAC single phase would require way too much amperage at it's lower potential.
Steps Posted January 3, 2009 Author Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) We're trying to beat you up gently because we want everyone to stay safe. Barium is some nasty stuff. My guess on the brown - a reaction between vaporized organic molecules and the nitrates. The oven heats up, and pizza drippings and such at the bottom of the oven are vaporized and then react with the crystals. Cheers Swede was curious as to what was going on, your a champ! Found a little toaster oven in my great big pile of seemingly not so useless appliances out back, thank my grandfather for hording stuff. Edited January 3, 2009 by TheLummox
tentacles Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Wally, actually potassium nitrate is a preferred (premium?) meat cure.. Ever had ham that left your teeth feeling "funny"? Like really 'dry'? Well, potassium nitrate *doesn't* do that.. I can only assume the cure that does that is sodium nitrIte, it's the most common and I can't stand that feeling. I hate having some damn good ham/back bacon and getting that feeling on my teeth. I cured my last jerky with some food grade potassium nitrate and it was fantastic..
Swede Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 I cured my last jerky with some food grade potassium nitrate and it was fantastic.. Jerky match! Ham strobes! The mind boggles!
qwezxc12 Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 Jerky match! Ham strobes! The mind boggles! Awesome...I'm currently building a 5in can with the famed 'Canadian Bacon Tremalon stars with a Pastrami Streamer rising comet'
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