A Periodic Pun Performance

I'm sorry.

Morbid Monday: The Man Who Dissolved His Wife

Breaking Bad might've used hydrofluoric acid to dispose of a human body, but in reality, bases are much more effective.

Take, for example, the story of Adolph Luetgert, a Chicago sausage maker who grew tired of his wife and eventually 'dissolved' her in a vat of potash (a mixture of potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate).

During a search of Luetgert’s factory on May 15th, a watchman suggested they look in a steam vat in the cellar that was used to dip sausages. The police looked inside, and found that the vat was filled halfway with a putrid-smelling, reddish-brown liquid. When the police pulled a plug near the bottom of the vat, on the outside, the slimy liquid and small pieces of bone fell out. Inside the cauldron, police found a gold ring with L.L. engraved on the inside. Near the vat, investigators discovered a strand of hair, pieces of clothing, and half of a false tooth.

Luetgert is one of many folks who have used acids and bases to dispose of human bodies. In fact, it seems that a process called alkaline hydrolysis is being used in some mortuaries in the US now.

How to Make Rainbow Fire

Do NOT use methanol for demonstrations involving fire.

Seriously, no debate, no maybe, no 'ifs'.

Just don't use methanol at all.

And Heet absolutely is methanol. Their SDS says so. (Interestingly, it actually says it's 100% methanol; between 0.0006-0.0012% some second, proprietary ingredient; and between 0.0001996-0.0003996% some third, also proprietary ingredient.)

Some safety notes from that SDS...

• Highly flammable liquid and vapor - H225
• Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, and/or hot surfaces. - No smoking. P210
• Ground and/or bond container and receiving equipment. - P240
• Use explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting/equipment. - P241
• Use only non-sparking tools. - P242
• Take precautionary measures against static discharge. - P243
• Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. - P270
• Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. - P271
• Container may explode when heated.
• Vapor explosion hazard indoors, outdoors or in sewers.
• HIGHLY FLAMMABLE: Will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames.
• Most vapors are heavier than air. They will spread along ground and collect in confined areas (sewers, basements, tanks).
• Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air.
• Vapors may travel to source of ignition and flash back.
• Structural firefighters' protective clothing will only provide limited protection.
• Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk.
• LARGE FIRES: Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.

Seriously, just last week I was at the National Science Teachers Association's national conference in Atlanta listening to a presentation about lab safety. One of the opening statements was that we all know not to do the rainbow demonstration but that there's more to lab safety.

It was just an assumed, opening bit of knowledge that we should've ever do the rainbow demonstration with methanol. There wasn't any explanation given because it should be that obvious. There wasn't even an explanation of what the rainbow demonstration was because it's apparently chemistry teacher res ipsa loquitur knowledge.