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 supercollider
superconducting
Registered: 10/14/00
Posts: 1,227
Loc: Waxahachie
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 Care and disposal of sodium 
#16412975 - 06/21/12 08:54 AM (11 months, 21 days ago) |
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A friend recently came into possession of a hefty brick of sodium, but is now quite nervous about having it around. We've cut a few small chunks off to play around with, and they most definitely go bang when put in water. We'd like to know if there's a safe way to render it inert and get rid of it. I see some pages online saying to use 95% ethanol, but I'm not sure where to get that. (I think I have some 90%; would that be close enough?) How should he store the sodium in the mean time? Responses from those with chemistry training are appreciated.
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Doc_T
Random Dude
 
Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado 
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I have no idea. Awesome problem to have though, isn't it?
What about dissolving small pieces in dilute muriatic acid?
You'd end up with a salt solution you could pour down the sink.
If you took it slow and did a tiny bit at a time, (outdoors) it probably won't explode.
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supercollider
superconducting
Registered: 10/14/00
Posts: 1,227
Loc: Waxahachie
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Re: Care and disposal of sodium [Re: Doc_T]
#16413161 - 06/21/12 10:21 AM (11 months, 21 days ago) |
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Do you know where one would obtain that acid?
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Supercollider? I just met her!
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Doc_T
Random Dude
Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Hardware stores have it, for cleaning concrete and as a pool chem.
Be super extra careful!
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supercollider
superconducting
Registered: 10/14/00
Posts: 1,227
Loc: Waxahachie
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I'm also gleaning from online sources that it can be stored immersed in mineral oil, is that correct?
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Doc_T
Random Dude
Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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That's how I've always heard of it being stored.
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trendal
point of inflection
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 19,194
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
supercollider said:
I'm also gleaning from online sources that it can be stored immersed in mineral oil, is that correct?
Yes - store it under mineral oil. It will keep pretty much indefinitely in that state.
As far as disposal goes...you don't live near a pond or lake, do you?
Other than that, contact your local waste disposal center to find out what you should do with so much, if you really don't want it.
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 Tcm19277
Etheromaniac
Registered: 01/25/09
Posts: 1,877
Loc: East UK 
Last seen: 1 hour, 1 minute
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Re: Care and disposal of sodium [Re: trendal]
#16414228 - 06/21/12 02:33 PM (11 months, 21 days ago) |
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Mineral Oil 
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Doc_T
Random Dude
Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Re: Care and disposal of sodium [Re: Tcm19277]
#16414312 - 06/21/12 02:46 PM (11 months, 21 days ago) |
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Around here, the fire department does a household waste cleanup once a year.
It's mostly for things like old paint thinner but I bet they'd take a block of sodium.
How could they'd turn it down- "no, you just take that home and keep it" isn't going to happen.
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You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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supercollider
superconducting
Registered: 10/14/00
Posts: 1,227
Loc: Waxahachie
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Re: Care and disposal of sodium [Re: Doc_T]
#16414833 - 06/21/12 04:13 PM (11 months, 21 days ago) |
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Thanks for all the helpful replies!
We're just as entertained by explosions as anyone, but we don't want to be complete dicks to the environment, and we're not sure how badly we'd poison the lake.
Pretty sure it would look something like this:
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ChuangTzu
starvingphysicist
Registered: 09/04/02
Posts: 2,961
Last seen: 23 hours, 22 minutes
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Ah.... Don't waste it all man. That shit is valuable. I'd take it off your hands if you lived nearby. Probably not worth the hazmat fees to ship it though.
If you do throw it in a lake, the fish will be fine. No significantly toxic stuff will be produced.
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