Just make sure no one adds any chlorine to it. If chlorine trifluoride forms, pray Unity doesn’t know how flammable and destructive it is.
It’s a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself (it burns through things like bricks and asbestos tile).
”It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively.
It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.”
The Wikipedia entry for Chlorine Triflouride includes the John Clark quote D. Walker posted above, but with the added joy of hyperlinking the words “test engineers” to the page “death by burning”.
I note that the article does say that chlorine trifluoride is completely unreactive with candle wax, which seems like a great reason to have a thoroughly waxed moustache in this case.
I’d suspect it was some sort of ridiculous polyazide (for raw power and additional connection points) with fluor atoms (for sheer willingness to ignite stuff) attached to it somehow, but I don’t know whether the properties of those two things would cancel each other out or not.
Azoazide azide
The list of things that cause it to explode are: touching it, bumping the container, pouring it, exposure to sunlight, exposure to air, putting it in a spectrometer, turning on the spectrometer, do absolutely nothing.
Punch in “SciShow 5 most Dangerous Chemicals” on YouTube.
Ah, ClF3. On contact it spontaneously burns with things like sand, asbestos and concrets. The recommended safety equipment for an incident involving it is a good pair of running shoes.
CON-CRET is apparently the brand name of a hydrochloride, which will most assuredly burn if introduced to ClF3. Because WATER does. Apparently, the AIR will catch fire if it’s humid enough; this stuff apparently is a better oxidizing agent than oxygen itself.
And a better fluoridating agent than fluorine. ClF3 is very special company there, dioxygen difluoride being nearly the only other example of a common chemical that is both.
To put this substance in perspective, go to TV Tropes, and look up the entry on Hellfire. It is given a mention in the Real Life section. Just reading those last two sentences should tell you everything you need to know.
If I remember my Asimov correctly, the first 6 chemists to isolate fluorine, did not get the credit. The one who survived, somehow, did… So Mirror Sergio is the Common Sense Guy? Probably has gray hair and wrinkles around his frightened eyes…
Flourine, one of the few substances that mystical-style precautions make sense for: it doesn’t do horrible things to flourite, so it can be contained by itself.
Well, that is acceptable. But it’s kind of weird that Dr. Kinlin hears the radio override of a remote Sergio but sees the local Sergio immediate afterwards and thinks nothing of it. Yeah, I know, he’s mad, but it still made the whole sequence was a wee bit confusing.
You know that Alice B Sheldon chose the pen-name “James Tiptree, Jr.” from seeing a jar of marmalade? I did, but I hadn’t noticed the “Wilkin” despite often seeing Tiptree products on the supermarket shelves. Thanks for pointing it out!
A Saint Charlie where the mad science is relatively controlled and safe… what sanity is this? In all fairness, home universe Saint Charlie was fairly safe before Godot started messing with things (minus the radioactive poison and such).
Well, I was partially right from yesterday. Sergio isn’t in the sane place, he is the sanity of the place. Every madboy and madgirl needs someone like him to provide the cold splash of reality every now and then.
A wet safety blanket.
When you’re messing with fluorine, that doesn’t really help.
“I think even the water is on fire…”
“Don’t be silly. The water is too busy exploding to be on fire!”
Just make sure no one adds any chlorine to it. If chlorine trifluoride forms, pray Unity doesn’t know how flammable and destructive it is.
It’s a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen itself (it burns through things like bricks and asbestos tile).
”It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively.
It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.”
– John Clark, Ignition!
The Wikipedia entry for Chlorine Triflouride includes the John Clark quote D. Walker posted above, but with the added joy of hyperlinking the words “test engineers” to the page “death by burning”.
You know you’re mad when your roommate asks you “I live here?” and you cheerfully reply “Of course!”
Ah, chlorine trifluoride.
…Look it up sometimes. The safety manuals for it make for lively reading.
*looks up chlorine trifluoride on wikipedia*
…oh dear. That is not something you want to spray around willy-nilly.
Is this the stuff where xkcd claimed the material safety sheet was the word NO written in blood?
No, that’s astatine. Florine just irreparably damages your lungs and eats through most materials. Astatine explodes.
What if I were to need something that does both?
“…an effective combined incendiary weapon and poison gas.” Fun.
Do a search for “sand won’t save you this time” for an amusing and informative read.
That http://gizmodo.com/chlorine-trifluoride-the-chemical-that-sets-fire-to-as-1715935811 sounds terrifying.
http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride Similarly amusing/terrifying.
Like how it was labelled as “Satan’s Kimichi.”
I note that the article does say that chlorine trifluoride is completely unreactive with candle wax, which seems like a great reason to have a thoroughly waxed moustache in this case.
I’d suspect it was some sort of ridiculous polyazide (for raw power and additional connection points) with fluor atoms (for sheer willingness to ignite stuff) attached to it somehow, but I don’t know whether the properties of those two things would cancel each other out or not.
Azoazide azide
The list of things that cause it to explode are: touching it, bumping the container, pouring it, exposure to sunlight, exposure to air, putting it in a spectrometer, turning on the spectrometer, do absolutely nothing.
Punch in “SciShow 5 most Dangerous Chemicals” on YouTube.
*doing
Ah, ClF3. On contact it spontaneously burns with things like sand, asbestos and concrets. The recommended safety equipment for an incident involving it is a good pair of running shoes.
Two points about this post. First, it posted the fastest I’ve ever seen for this page. Second, it has a typo. That’s “concrete.”
CON-CRET is apparently the brand name of a hydrochloride, which will most assuredly burn if introduced to ClF3. Because WATER does. Apparently, the AIR will catch fire if it’s humid enough; this stuff apparently is a better oxidizing agent than oxygen itself.
And a better fluoridating agent than fluorine. ClF3 is very special company there, dioxygen difluoride being nearly the only other example of a common chemical that is both.
To put this substance in perspective, go to TV Tropes, and look up the entry on Hellfire. It is given a mention in the Real Life section. Just reading those last two sentences should tell you everything you need to know.
Being the Voice of Reason for St. Charlie must require weekly 55 gallon drum deliveries of cheap alcohol and antacids.
I’d feel more comfortable if he were spraying sulfuric acid.
Don’t worry, the gas produces that as a waste product.
Actually, fluorine reacts with water (including humidity) to produce hydrofluoric acid. Something unnervingly close to a universal solvent.
If I remember my Asimov correctly, the first 6 chemists to isolate fluorine, did not get the credit. The one who survived, somehow, did… So Mirror Sergio is the Common Sense Guy? Probably has gray hair and wrinkles around his frightened eyes…
Flourine, one of the few substances that mystical-style precautions make sense for: it doesn’t do horrible things to flourite, so it can be contained by itself.
Wait. Who called the override yesterday?
Alternate Universe Sergio.
Yeah, but where the heck is he today? And dr. Kilnan’s response of “oh, didn’t see you there” and alt-sergio no – where to be seen isn’t consistent.
Same place he was in yesterday’s strip: Off camera. Likely in the security office, trying in vain to keep tabs on all the madboys…
…and, I suspect, quietly waiting to see how Prime-Sergio behaves in this situation.
Well, that is acceptable. But it’s kind of weird that Dr. Kinlin hears the radio override of a remote Sergio but sees the local Sergio immediate afterwards and thinks nothing of it. Yeah, I know, he’s mad, but it still made the whole sequence was a wee bit confusing.
“Captain Kinlin” is the name of the crazy bicycle guy (or maybe ‘cyclepath’ would be a better term).
Also I agree with Foradain that mirror Mendoza is somewhere else physically, and was speaking through a PA system previously.
Common sense is the greatest super power of all.
But election cycles are like Kryptonite to it.
Is St. Charlie now a boys only club or did the female mads avoid infection?
Oh, please tell me that is *not* Sergio’s “special purpose”. Please, tell me it’s not.
Not only boys only, but only boys whose names begin with K.
I see somebody’s still drawing bicycles…
Hey yeah! Jeff, you lied!
apropos of nothing, I wonder why there is no story arc involving Tip and marmalade… for I have made a startling discovery: http://www.tiptree.com
You know that Alice B Sheldon chose the pen-name “James Tiptree, Jr.” from seeing a jar of marmalade? I did, but I hadn’t noticed the “Wilkin” despite often seeing Tiptree products on the supermarket shelves. Thanks for pointing it out!
Ah, the town LBOCS (Last Bastion of Common Sense).
Cyclepath
Nicely done Sean K.
A Saint Charlie where the mad science is relatively controlled and safe… what sanity is this? In all fairness, home universe Saint Charlie was fairly safe before Godot started messing with things (minus the radioactive poison and such).
Seems kind of rude and critical to tell someone you just met that their fluorine gas cannon is volatile.
Well, I was partially right from yesterday. Sergio isn’t in the sane place, he is the sanity of the place. Every madboy and madgirl needs someone like him to provide the cold splash of reality every now and then.
As much as they dislike the fact.