[meteorite-list] RE: Not a happy 'Campo'

From: mark ford <markf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:50 2004
Message-ID: <6CE3EEEFE92F4B4085B0E086B2941B3101448E_at_s-southern01.s-southern.com>

Rob,

Methylated spirits has 'Pyridine' added to stop people drinking it. This =
has exactly the same boiling point as ethanol (allotropic) so apart from =
the water content, methylated spirits evaporate and leave no residue.

Over here (UK) Methylated spirits is much cheaper than Isopropanol, I =
guess it doesn't matter what alcohol you use as long as the Sodium =
Hydroxide dissolves in it. As you say you likely need a small water =
content to help with NaOH solubility. Methylated spirits has some water =
in it, so takes up some sodium hydroxide. - hey it works for me!

Best,
Mark Ford



-----Original Message-----
From: Matson, Robert [mailto:ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com]=20
Sent: 12 March 2004 18:57
To: 'Howard Wu'; mark ford; Bob C.; meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
Subject: AD:Not a happy 'Campo'

Hi Howard, et. al.,
=A0
> Most Pure ethanol still has 4% water. Why not use 99% isopropanol,=A0
> for the money probably the best buy.=A0
=A0
I think denatured alcohol is higher than 96% ethyl alcohol; however, the
impurities put in=A0to make it undrinkable (and thus comparatively cheap
since it isn't taxed like liquor) remind me that I should look into what
those impurities ARE.=A0 Could be that when denatured alcohol =
evaporates,
it leaves behind the sticky residue of whatever those impurities happen
to be, and that might not be so good for meteorites.
=A0
I'd be surprised if isopropanol was any cheaper per gallon than =
denatured
alcohol -- always seems pretty expensive at the drugstore.=A0 And if =
you're
using either ethanol or isopropanol as a soaking solution with sodium
hydroxide, you're going to have to add water anyway -- I don't think
NaOH is very soluble in either one.
=A0
--Rob
=A0
Received on Mon 15 Mar 2004 03:43:07 AM PST