JWalker Posted June 15, 2005 Author Posted June 15, 2005 yea what did you use... please tell us your secrets
calbiterol Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 I simply didn't use any. However, there's plenty of other electrolysis threads in SFN - search for "electrolysis water" using the search button - and it seems that NaOH is extremely efficient and doesn't react much, as well as car battery acid (sulphuric acid). I used (semi)carbon electrodes from pencils. Note that these contain large amounts of clay that will, eventually, take place in the reaction. They work for playing around, but for heavy-duty electrolysis, go for platinum or pure carbon. You can grab the electrodes from batteries; they're carbon and work quite well.
JWalker Posted June 26, 2005 Author Posted June 26, 2005 Yes, I agree, Extremely scholarly imput. Good show, carry on.
JWalker Posted July 1, 2005 Author Posted July 1, 2005 Ok, it took a while but i finally bottled or rather "bagged" eight garbage bags full of hydrogen. I'm planning on putting them together in a group in my basement and then firing a bottle rocket at them.
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 DON'T DO IT! YOU WILL LIKELY EXPLODE YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE, KILLING YOURSELF IN THE PROCESS! This is a VERY, VERY bad idea! Hydrogen is extremely powerful stuff. It's the same fuel used in most space ships, the space shuttle included. Eight garbage bags of hydrogen will easily destroy an entire building. I'm assuming these are the rather large kind, in which case you are risking more than just your house, but possibly your neighbors' houses as well. BAD, BAD, BAD IDEA! And you're not storing the hydrogen with the oxygen produced from the electrolysis, are you? If so, consider yourself very, VERY lucky to be alive.
jdurg Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 If he just has them in garbage bags, all the H2 will escape overnight. Tomorrow morning there will be nothing left in the bags.
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Yes, well, that means the hydrogen will be dispersed throughout his basement/house/area around house mixed with an excess of oxygen. Loads better. Either way, they should be treated as if full of hydrogen.
jdurg Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Again though, H2 disperses VERY quickly. It's hard to get a massive concentration of it unless there is a constant influx of the stuff.
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 The point is he shouldn't shoot a bottle rocket at a bunch of hydrogen! I understand it disperses quickly, but who knows, maybe his garbage bags are made of very fine latex...
Pat Says Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 So as it leaks would it eventually leave a pool of water on the ground?
JWalker Posted July 2, 2005 Author Posted July 2, 2005 Hi guys, I should have read your warning posts earlier... it's too late now. I barely escaped serious injury maybe even death. After I shot the rocket everything was a blur, all i can remember is a huge fiery mass of orange and red and me being knocked on my ass with what felt like 400' temperatures. All of my windows in the house were shattered. A support beam near the bags was snapped like a toothpick and a desk was reduced to dust. I have lost half of the hair on my head including my eyebrows and my arm is burnt pretty bad. all of the paint in the basement has been burnt. Once the windows were destroyed the explosion traveled outside scorching my shrubs and some grass. I can only estimate the costs of repairs in the thousands...
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Although there really isn't much that could be said, don't be too down on yourself. What's done is done; you can't change it, and moping about and regretting it isn't going to do anything about it. The only thing one can ever ask is to learn from one's own mistakes. Pat, no, it would leak the hydrogen out of the bags, diffusing in the air (mixing with oxygen... not combining) and the surrounding areas. Any water formed would be vaporous. The leaking is, in effect, the same thing that happens when a balloon filled with helium deflates over time.
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Out of curiosity, what kind of garbage bags did you use? More appropriately, what size? Don't take this the wrong way, but I think there's a "stupidest things I've ever done" thread around here somewhere ;-) Just take it easy, and don't worry too much about the costs. There's always a way to scratch up a buck or quid or two. Oh, and not to state the obvious, but you might want to board up your windows. You can always look at the bright side, though - your computer wasn't destroyed!
Pat Says Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 ah yeah... that makes sense... I guess the H2 would be pretty stable.
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Well, not stable, but it isn't going to spontaeneously combine with oxygen unless given a reason - like a heat source (ie a spark). JWalker, how bad's your arm burnt? You might want to go see a doctor. And I'm serious when I say you should check yourself for shrapnel wounds.
latentheat Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 JWalker- As much as it sucks to be in this situation, now you know not to underestimate energetic reactions. Please be more careful with future experiments, and stay small scale with energetic reactions.
JWalker Posted July 2, 2005 Author Posted July 2, 2005 My arm isnt that bad I have bandaged it up and it bleeds every now and then and i have to run to the bathtub, and to whoever said at least I have my computer... in reality it fried my moniter so I'm using my laptop right now. I was using heft 75 gallon bags. And now that i've checked for shrapnel I have found a woodchip lodged in my calf that I didn't feel earlier and I feel light headed
BenSon Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Eight....75gallon....bags....*jaw drops* how far away were you from the explosion I am honestly surprised you are not dead. How long since you filled the bags with hydrogen did you ignite them because that could explain the you not being deadness. Mate, go to the doctor have him look at your arm and also your eyes. ~Scott
calbiterol Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 No kidding. WOW. You really should make a run to the doctor. And burns that bleed are generally pretty bad. Make sure you don't take the bandages off, just put new ones on top. And seriously, even if you'll feel really weird explaining it to a doctor, you really should consider going. The number of things that could seriously go wrong... Sorry 'bout the monitor. Sorry bout the house! You know, in some ways, you're one of the luckiest people I've ever talked to. I should have said, "at least you still have a computer." Hey BenSon, what's the weather like right now in the land down under? About 17 degrees or so? More importantly, what's it usually like during July? Anyways, JWalker, you really should go to the doctor's. Just in case. You could have some freak internal injury, or you could have something in your eye(s). It'd just be good measure. Good luck, and we'll all be hoping for a quick and complete recovery. Oh, and it's probably best not to put any ointment or cream on any of your burns. One more reason to go to the doctor's or a clinic: if you faint, no worries.
H2SO4 Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 ok, first of all i dont believe that this JWalker incident ever happened. How did he fill eight garbage bags full of H2 from electroysis. Second, knowones this stupid. I realy think hes lying. Where are his parents (unless hes an adault that likes to shoot bottle rockets in his basement (which is bad enough), but shoots them at huge bags of hydrogen. Anyway, do you have a camera? I dont believe you. Photographic proof would be great! Attach some pics of the damage to the building/yourself!
latentheat Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 ok, first of all i dont believe that this JWalker incident ever happened. How did he fill eight garbage bags full of H2 from electroysis. Second, knowones this stupid. I realy think hes lying. Where are his parents (unless hes an adault that likes to shoot bottle rockets in his basement (which is bad enough), but shoots them at huge bags of hydrogen. Anyway, do you have a camera? I dont believe you. Photographic proof would be great! Attach some pics of the damage to the building/yourself! I was a little suspicious too, but I always give people the benifit of the doubt unless the claim is totally off the wall impossible.
H2SO4 Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 ya, but you got to admit, eight garbage bags full of H2 from electroysis, i mean com'on.
BenSon Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Hey BenSon, what's the weather like right now in the land down under? About 17 degrees or so? More importantly, what's it usually like during July? It pissed down rain for 5/6 days and this is the first sunny day we've had in a week. Yeah it got to about 18 degrees today but its usualy cooler tops of about 15. Edit: I hope this thread does not get deleted, real or not it should act as a warning to others. ~Scott
insane_alien Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 I suspect that a lot of hydrogen had leaked out otherwise with 300 gallons of hydrogen his house would be obliterated in fiery shrapnel and i've just realized that my computers calculator program is gone so i've screwed something up again. least i've got some DVD-RW's for data back up.
YT2095 Posted July 2, 2005 Posted July 2, 2005 Hello, I'll make this story short I hope you`re going to tuck us in and give us all a kiss goodnight after such a Story!
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