From sci.chem Tue Nov 19 13:56:57 1996
From: wpenrose@interaccess.com (William R. Penrose)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Lab Accidents.......
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 1996 22:13:13

>I had acquired some hydrochloric acid from a central hood and taken it
>back to my bench to use it for a titration.  I sat down on a stool and
>was a little sloppy transferring the HCl into the buret -- some
>dripped onto the bench and onto my pants. 

As W.C. Fields once said, "Ah, yesss...that reminds me of another story:"

I was working with a carbon monoxide gas sensor which sprung a leak and 
dribbled 4M sulfuric acid all over the knee of my jeans.  I rushed to the sink 
and blotted the cloth extensively with water, then just to be sure, I rubbed a 
little bicarb into it.  They dried with no apparent effect, not even 
discoloration.

The next day, wearing the same pair of jeans, I embarked on a 12-hour train 
trip.  Shortly after departure, I noticed a slightly cheesy feel to the cotton 
of my jeans.  By about the sixth hour of the trip, the cloth had turned white 
and pulled apart, leaving the bottom half of my trouser leg hanging by a few 
inches of cloth, and no opportunity to change.

Yes, I know tattered jeans are highly fashionable, but only if you're under 
21.  For a 48-year old (at the time), I just looked skid row.  Too bad I 
didn't have the presence of mind just to cut both legs off and go in shorts.

Bill


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email wpenrose@interaccess.com, http://www.tsi.com
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