Re: [gecko]Unwanted gasses released by heat packs directly touching styrofoam popcorn???

[Julie Bergman]

Beverly Erlebacher wrote:

From:	[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date:	Wed, 19 Nov 2003 14:06:51 -0500

Thanks for this and your earlier reply.  By "soft" styrofoam do you
mean the kind that literally dissolves if you get it wet?  For that
reason I've stayed totally away from those and use the "hard" kind that
don't seem compromised should they get wet.
    

Elizabeth, you're thinking of starch packing peanuts.  These things
readily dissolve in water and are a great solution to the problem of
the space taken up in landfills by used packaging. 

I don't use those, if they have some give, which I think they do, they would be fine. I will send a photo of the ones I use. I bought a giant bag of the from the UPS Store. I'm sure they would be cheaper elsewhere, I just got them there because I was in a hurry.

 I think Julie is
recommending the white styrofoam beadboard for shipping boxes.

No, see above.

  If you
look at it closely, you'll see that it is made up of little spheres
pressed together.  The other stuff is blue styrofoam, which is denser,
harder, mechanically stronger and has a higher insulation value
(R-value).  The white styrofoam beadboard is more readily crushed, so
absorbs bashing rather than transmitting it to the contents better,
while the blue stuff is better for the walls of your house to save on
heating and cooling bills!  The beadboard may also be somewhat
permeable to air if it isn't very thick.
  

There's some nice "combined" type peanuts too that mixes up this stuff and soft type too.

Regarding fumes from styrofoam released by heat packs -- one advantage
of reusing packing peanuts, in addition to the fact that they're free
and a good thing to keep them out of landfills, is that they've
probably outgassed most of their fumes by the time you get them.

Most heat packs work by the catalysed oxidation of iron (to rust).
This process absorbs oxygen.  IIRC there have been problems when people
shipped big massive pythons in small boxes with heat packs, with the
snakes being injured or killed by not getting enough oxygen.  This
shouldn't be a problem with small animals like geckos and a few holes
punched in the sides.

I welcome any corrections to the above by the more knowledgable!

Thanks for your input Bev!

Julie B.