Me: "I prefer squalene."The conversation had come about because of the headache-inducing effects of toluene fumes first thing in the AM. Naturally, "toluene" led to the discussion of other "-enes" and "-anes", like it does in most households, right? Right?
RX: "I like hexane."
Me: "Squalene: Otherwise known as shark liver oil."
RX: "So it's a real thing? So's hexane, although witches don't use it."
Me: "You'd think it's what Nanny Ogg used to run her barbecue grill."
I am now motivated to inquire for the reason for the smell of toluene in the morning ? And does indeed smell like victory ? Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDelete"Naturally, "toluene" led to the discussion of other "-enes" and "-anes", like it does in most households, right? Right?
ReplyDeleteIn mine it might lead to a monologue :-).
At least it wasn't a mundane conversation....
ReplyDeleteI flunked chemistry multiple times in college. That's part of how I wound up in IT.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking perhaps I should do some remedial self-education on the subject now that I'm older and not as easily distracted by the opposite sex and parties.
The -ane foremost in my mind right now is Propane as I have to buy 100 gallons to the tune of $300 something to keep my house warm, water hot and clothes dry.
Yeah, what Derfel said - are you mixing high-octane fuel in the back hallway..? I used to trifle with aniline (RIP fiberglass fuel tanks-), toluene, xylene etc while brewing up fuels that would get along with the pistons of hopped up bike engines...
ReplyDeleteBaba Yaga uses hexane to run her double boiler cauldron.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like your toluene plain, you might want to try nitrating toluene.
ReplyDeleteISWYDT. tight work.
Delete'Hen-bane'? 'Wolf-bane'?
ReplyDeleteVelveeta?
Other inorganic stuff...
gfa
Stop sniffing the model airplane glue at breakfast and you will not have that problem.
ReplyDeleteI like ethanol. It's organic!
ReplyDeleteGerry
.mil heat tabs to warm your morning coffee, ehh. Power out?
ReplyDeleteFirst it's glue, then it's meth, then the whole house goes up in a screaming fireball of death like on Justified. Yee haw!
ReplyDeleteAs a PhD Chemist, I understood some of the words used in your post.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I fully expected toluene in the morning to smell like VICTORY.
did youze guyz get a new stove?
ReplyDeleteSo the place was filled with one of the aromas that makes up the total experience of an Ankh-Morpork misty morning.
ReplyDelete"If you don't like your toluene plain, you might want to try nitrating toluene."
ReplyDelete....and stir in some diatomaceous earth while you're at it.....
I was mending my motorcycle boots with Shoe Goo. Glued the heel back on last night but there was a slight gap. And they are big, clunky boots -- this was a full-width, D- shaped heel.
ReplyDeleteToluene is common in carb cleaners, and cheap brake cleaner. Might also be in some gun cleaning sprays. Somewhat useful solvent.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall it became more common after the .gov started restricting the good stuff.
Do pretty girls use beut-ane?
ReplyDeleteI expect that the fuel used at UU would be octane, then.
ReplyDeleteIf there are households where this is not the case, I do not wish to know of them. :)
ReplyDeleteI picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.
ReplyDeleteIn Hemingway's famous fisherman tale, the Old Man used to drink shark liver oil everyday before heading out to Sea. Hadn't thought about that tale in years. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteRoberta, does that Shoe Goo work well?
ReplyDeleteI've got a pair of light hiking type boots that the whole outer sole (rubber) detached, except at the wrap around toe and heel. I'm wondering how well it would hold on something that is flexible.
I'm thinking it would be best to glue it in sections, rather than try for full coverage all at once.
That's if the glue is even appropriate for this type of repair.
+1 for the knowing who Nanny Ogg is.
ReplyDeleteFor the finest in chemical humor, may I recommend:
ReplyDeleteThings I Won't Work With. "Sand Won't Save You This Time" is probably still the best of the lot.
Shoe Goo is one of the best things in life, and I recommend it heartily for all footwear related repairs.
ReplyDeleteSince I first used it in the early 1980s on running shoes that had loose morals, or at least lost soles, there have been innovations such as Marine Goo, Boot & Glove Goo, Plumbing Goop, and so on.
Check out the entire line of Goo:
http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Goop-Plumbing-Household-M10-5510100/dp/B004M774E2
We sell Goop products where I work, and we were told that they are all the same stuff, repackaged for marketing purposes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I believe that, completely.
The products do work on almost anything - dries clear and slightly flexible so it isn't prone to cracking.
Funny, I did a research project on squalene epoxidase inhibitors in college. You know, those classes of drugs which get rid of athlete's foot.
ReplyDeleteAs far as hexane goes, lots of different hexanes out there, cyclohexane, tetrahedral hexane, of course when you get into IUPAC naming everything sounds scary...
I used to work with cyclohexane (a good solvent for pharmaceuticals). Scary stuff--we had a lot of fire evacuations.
ReplyDeleteAntibubba