• Question: do you handle any dangerous chemicals? if so what does it feel like? is it scary or exciting?

    Asked by Bryony to Sarah, Sankar on 6 Mar 2015. This question was also asked by rosso boss.
    • Photo: Sarah Kirk

      Sarah Kirk answered on 6 Mar 2015:


      Yes, I handle a couple of things that are pyrophoric (fire-bearing). This means they burn and catch fire in the air! We have a special extinguisher that will cover a substance in powder to put out this type of fire. When I first used pyrophoric chemicals I was a bit worried about fires but if you are careful then it really isn’t a problem, and it begins to feel normal.

      This is what happens when pure diethyl zinc reacts with air.

      Some things I use are toxic, so I use these inside my fume hood which keeps any toxic vapours away. These things still scare me even though I use them often!

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