Any "tame" chemists in the house?

[Rusted]

Hi,

As an alternative to the usual matt black paint I have hung weed control fabric on the wooden framework inside my plywood dome.
I reasoned that the cloth is highly breathable. So may help to reduce condensation inside the dome.

Now I am wondering if this stuff is suitable for a semi-closed environment? Though the dome is well ventilated.
Could it off-gas [say] formaldehyde?  The "cloth" seems to be a heavy, non-woven polyester. 100g/m2.
Not unlike disposable boiler suits and J-cloths in appearance but almost black, heavier and stiffer.

It burns reluctantly when lit with a match and burning drops fall as the material melts into a much smaller, black mass.
Not much chance of a fire in the dome so I am not too worried about that aspect. Perhaps I'd better buy a fire extinguisher?
Or take the cloth down again and paint the dome.

 

[andrew s]

Not sure on the chemistry but given modern safety rule, that have banned many garden products, I am sure it will be ok. I kept a roll in an enclosed garage without obvious problems. 

Regards Andrew 

[Rusted]

Thanks Andrew.

Probably pure coincidence but I had a couple of asthmatic moments in the last two days.

Normally I'm not asthmatic [at all] except when spraying WD40 in a headwind.

Thought I'd better check before it kills me.

[DaveS]

As a fully paid up Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry I would say there is very little chance of anything outgassing. The only likely source of Formaldehyde (Methanal) is old MDF.

[Davey-T]

As you say it doesn't burn very well, I've got some in the garden and blast over the area using a propane weed burner, odd bits sticking through catch fire but it seems to self extinguish.

Dave

[Rusted]

Thank you both. Very reassuring.

We lost the local dealer of blackboard paint. So I thought I'd try "something completely different."
The gardening "material" has a slight sheen but no worse than some matt black paints I have tried.
Not is it likely to flake and coat my optics with sticky bits like the last pot of blackboard paint.
Now I am off to paint the shiny new staples with a very small paint brush.
Though I'm going to try to cheat first and try a Magic Marker.

[Davey-T]

14 minutes ago, Rusted said:

Now I am off to paint the shiny new staples with a very small paint brush.

Do them red and make them a "feature" 😂

Dave

[Rusted]

26 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Do them red and make them a "feature" 😂

Dave

No!

[old_eyes]

Unlikely to outgas, and certainly not formaldehyde (that comes from bonding agents used in old MDF, chipboard OSB etc). If you are OK wearing a fleece I can see no reason why this would be different

[Rusted]

Thanks.

The formaldehyde warning came from a general polyester hate site.  

No poly-cotton bedding is safe, etc.

[Swoop1]

Chemists are never tame- they are just well controlled.

Anyone with the knowledge to knock up the odd 'interesting' brew needs to be well respected😉

[andrew s]

21 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

Chemists are never tame- they are just well controlled.

 

Or as the saying  goes "old chemists don't die they just fail to react".

Regards Andrew 

[old_eyes]

A couple of decades ago there was a merger between two major international chemical concerns. The R&D directors of all the divisions (about a dozen or so) got together for a dinner to discuss strategy and other weighty matters. As we had not all met before, someone thought it would be a good idea to go round the table and introduce ourselves. 

The third person mentioned what got them interested in chemistry and talked about home brewed fireworks. That set the rest of the table off and we spent a happy hour swapping recipes for fireworks, explosives and other things that burn in an interesting way.

it seemed that all of us got into chemistry through a desire to set fire to things and make excitingly loud bangs. So be careful around chemists. Under that calm and wise exterior beats the heart of a pyromaniac 😉

[Gina]

When i was young I was a very uncontrolled chemist.  Never lost or damaged any body parts though.

[Davey-T]

22 minutes ago, Gina said:

When i was young I was a very uncontrolled chemist.  Never lost or damaged any body parts though.

But are you sure that inhaling all those chemicals hasn't affected your brain giving you the urge to indulge in non stop sundry assorted projects 😂

Dave

[Gina]

Could be!  🤣  But I'm happy being daft as a brush!

[Rusted]

I understand Bernhard Schmidt, the inventor of the camera and telescope of the same name, was a bit of an explosives fan.

He was still able to light a cigar despite assorted missing impediments.

[tomato]

I’ve just finished a 42 year career in chemical manufacturing, as I recall I got into it as the chemical works was the closest site to me offering a job at the time.

However, I have harboured a passion for internal combustion engines which run on nitromethane, so I must have the explosives gene in me somewhere.

[Rusted]

The strange smells in the ancient and mysterious, chemistry lab of my first senior school should have fired an interest.
Had anyone survived the tyrant who was supposed to be an educator but chose sadism as his second subject.
There were a lot of the "old school" types around back then. Supposedly, highly qualified academically, absolutely hopeless teachers.
Most used parrot learning instead of inspiring already gifted youth onto greater things. This was certainly no Hogwarts.
All were "bent" on corporal punishment. Probably terrified of the oncoming tide of teenage emancipation before they could safely retire.
Insubordination remained a capital crime until my final release onto a totally unprepared world. 
Just finding a cottage, where one was still allowed to dig up the floor, was an insurmountable hurdle to freelance pyrotechnics by then.
Most had been "gentrified" with faux, concrete pavers or herringbone brickwork.