dewitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> spaketh thusly:
> Commercially, potassium permanganate is used to preserve flowers
through oxidation of ethylene. The reactions are given here:
>
> http://www.sorbentsystems.com/epaxtech.html
>
> Permanganate is capable of staining almost anything it touches a
coffee-colored brown. I suspect the ethylene removers are packaged to
reduce exposure unless wetted or cut open.
>
I also expect that the potassium permanganate is carefully packaged.
It is a very strong oxidizing agent. For example, mixing potassium
permanganate and glycerin will result in spontaneous combustion, which
is much worse than a brown stain. . .
It's a decent oxidizer. The USPS apparently allows limited
shipments under Publication 52 (pages 201 and 304, "up to 1 kg"), and 49CFR
says it may be shipped as ORM-D. The glycerin-permanganate reaction is
exploited in lighting backfires for wildfire control using helicopters.
Ping-pong balls, each with a bit of permanganate in them, are loaded into a
hopper in a helicopter. When over the appropriate area, they are ejected at
altitude after being injected by machine with a squirt of glycerin. They
can be used to create a fire line with some degree of safety- at least
moreso than the giant drip torches slung under a helo loaded with Alumigel
and gasoline.
It is also quite useful in the intermittent maintenance of fish
ponds at up to 4 ppm. Overdose is very serious, but may be cleared with
hydrogen peroxide or sodium thiosulfate (hypo clearing agent, for those of
you that did or do your own b/w prints). The local pet store wants $2-5 for
a bottle of sodium thiosulfate solution that contains less than a penny's
worth of active ingredients.
Now, for a REALLY good oxidizer, one has to resort to other
compounds- perhaps a nice mix using AP, such as that used in the Shuttle
SRBs, or something along the lines of using liquid oxygen (LOX) in a
Sprengel-type explosive or the sort of BBQ that Dave Barry would be proud
of. I personally prefer peroxides; 70% hydrogen peroxide plus a little
silver mesh is colloquially known as "shaking hands with Jesus." Of course,
some will quibble and ask about liquid fluorine, but one may have ethical
objections to the chemical equivalent of the neutron bomb. Or perhaps
bromine trifluoride, which eats holes through concrete with little gouts of
flame, and is neutralized by pouring excess into a box of sand. I think it
was General Leslie Groves who was so entertained with fluorine's properties
during the Manhattan Project, boring holes through concrete.
Aaron's had some fun jobs in the past. Oh, yes, he has.
Cheers,
-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ
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