What is your least favorite chemical?

[Miami Reef]

Continuing from @Randy Holmes-Farley ’s original thread on favorite elements, which you can find here:

What is your favorite element?

Let’s have some fun! What is your favorite element, and why? I’ll start different threads in upcoming days on least favorites, as well as chemicals (as different than elements; phosphate is a chemical, P and O in phosphate are elements). You might like gold or platinum for looks, helium for...

www.reef2reef.com

What is your least favorite chemical?

Phosphorus, nitrogen, and oxygen are examples of elements; phosphate, nitrate, and carbonate are examples of chemicals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ah, good question.

A few possible choices... (I'll add more later lol)

Possible choice 1. Least favorite might be Mn2(CO)10 (dimanganese decacarbonyl; at least I think that was it, might have been cobalt). I was synthesizing it in an advanced chemistry class at Cornell. It required high pressure (referred to as a bomb) to force the CO to combine with the manganese. While trying to transfer it in a solvent (tetrahydrofuran, I think), without exposing it to air, the round bottomed flask broke and the black toxic liquid soaked my lab coat and pants. I quick whipped them off, but had no other pants. I had to walk back to my dorm through the Cornell winter/snow with bare legs sticking out of another lab coat I found.

 

[TokenReefer]

Antifreeze (ethylene/propylene glycol). It's never been a good thing to smell around my vehicle and has left a bad taste in my mouth

 

[rmorris_14]

Vibrant

 

[Miami Reef]

Ah, good question.

A few possible choices... (I'll add more later lol)

Possible choice 1. Least favorite might be Mn2(CO)10 (dimanganese decacarbonyl; at least I think that was it, might have been cobalt). I was synthesizing it in an advanced chemistry class at Cornell. It required high pressure (referred to as a bomb) to force the CO to combine with the manganese. While trying to transfer it in a solvent (tetrahydrofuran, I think), without exposing it to air, the round bottomed flask broke and the black toxic liquid soaked my lab coat and pants. I quick whipped them off, but had no other pants. I had to walk back to my dorm through the Cornell winter/snow with bare legs sticking out of another lab coat I found.

Oh my god!!

This was TOO funny! I read this paragraph multiple times.

Thank goodness I asked this question. This made my day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Another least favorite chemical: Radon. This one also happens to be an element as well.

About a year and a half ago, we acquired a very old (built about 1800) brick farmhouse in western Massachusetts. About 1/3 of the floor of the basement was dirt, as was the entire basement of the barn that has a living unit in it.

Radon testing showed levels slightly elevated and we wanted to be sure there was no increased risk of cancer from radon. Cementing a basement in a finished structure is no small thing. Lots of wheelbarrowing. Total costs to cement and install necessary radon exhaust systems in both locations was far, far more than a big reef tank. lol

 

[Slocke]

In this hobby? CN-

 

[bushdoc]

Polonium (I am Polish- American). Can kill you if taken with tea.

 

[His Coral Highness]

Antifreeze (ethylene/propylene glycol). It's never been a good thing to smell around my vehicle and has left a bad taste in my mouth

I've heard it's actually pretty sweet... that's why dogs get into it

 

[TokenReefer]

I've heard it's actually pretty sweet... that's why dogs get into it

Heard that as well; terrible. I smell it sometimes too at bars that use a glycol system and I can't stand it