Comments on: Why is that ultracentrifuge walking down the hall? http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/ the blog that is not dansdata.com Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:25:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Daniel Rutter http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-827 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:16:23 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-827 Not sure what that'd be, off the top of my head. <a href="http://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/031/" rel="nofollow">Gallium</a> is indeed used for some soldering applications, but it's very innocuous. <a href="http://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/081/" rel="nofollow">Thallium</a>'s pretty <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0115033/" rel="nofollow">nasty</a>, but (for that reason) it's <i>not</i> used for soldering (if it were non-toxic, it'd probably turn up in some oddball solder alloy or other, since it's got a low-ish melting point). I can believe that the stuff genuinely was evil and ferocious. If it was just super-low-melting-point gallium alloy solder, though, then it might have been overpackaged just to stop it from getting damaged, flowing out of the box and scaring someone :-). Not sure what that’d be, off the top of my head.

Gallium is indeed used for some soldering applications, but it’s very innocuous. Thallium’s pretty nasty, but (for that reason) it’s not used for soldering (if it were non-toxic, it’d probably turn up in some oddball solder alloy or other, since it’s got a low-ish melting point).

I can believe that the stuff genuinely was evil and ferocious. If it was just super-low-melting-point gallium alloy solder, though, then it might have been overpackaged just to stop it from getting damaged, flowing out of the box and scaring someone :-).

]]> by: matt http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-826 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:11:59 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-826 I worked as a fitter and turner for 6 years, and came away from that with a healthy respect for rotating metal, a load of good stories, and (due to some luck) no disabling injuries. But chemistry has a whole different feel to it, doesn't it? Just recently we had a professional soldering team turn up here to rework a bunch of PCBs, and they sent their equipment on ahead. One box arrived, dimensions about 40x40x40cm, and more protective layers than an onion - contents, 1gm Thallium (or Gallium? Sorry to be ignorant!) soldering flux and about a billion "packaging peanuts". I think they paid more to ship that one gram of nasty chemicals, than all the rest of their gear put together (3 soldering-stations with microscopes, etc.). I worked as a fitter and turner for 6 years, and came away from that with a healthy respect for rotating metal, a load of good stories, and (due to some luck) no disabling injuries.

But chemistry has a whole different feel to it, doesn’t it? Just recently we had a professional soldering team turn up here to rework a bunch of PCBs, and they sent their equipment on ahead. One box arrived, dimensions about 40x40x40cm, and more protective layers than an onion
- contents, 1gm Thallium (or Gallium? Sorry to be ignorant!) soldering flux and about a billion “packaging peanuts”. I think they paid more to ship that one gram of nasty chemicals, than all the rest of their gear put together (3 soldering-stations with microscopes, etc.).

]]> by: Darkside http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-822 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:44:40 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-822 The only interesting chemistry related event in high school was when a group of boys stole a few chunks of sodium, and put them in the urinals. The resulting explosion didn't hurt anyone thank goodness. The only interesting chemistry related event in high school was when a group of boys stole a few chunks of sodium, and put them in the urinals. The resulting explosion didn’t hurt anyone thank goodness.

]]> by: Erik T http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-821 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 06:38:26 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-821 I'm thoroughly enjoying this. I’m thoroughly enjoying this.

]]> by: Steven Den Beste http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-820 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 05:31:25 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/03/17/why-is-that-ultracentrifuge-walking-down-the-hall/#comment-820 His "<a href="http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/things_i_wont_work_with/" rel="nofollow">Things I won't work with</a>" category is fun, too. Things like perchlorates, and azides. His “Things I won’t work with” category is fun, too. Things like perchlorates, and azides.

]]>