Eucalyptus oil + stone counter + unknown period of time. What reaction happened?
My Mom had an essential oil diffuser in her ensuite which leaked pure Eucalyptus oil onto the stone counter for a while (days-weeks).
The stone is glossy and black. The leak has left an area which is lighter than the rest of the counter.
She’s asked me to try to fix it but I’m not sure if it’s possible, and I’m sure I could make things worse by trying stupid remedies!
Can anyone shed some light on what may have happened chemically?
https://redd.it/1l4gni5
@r_chemistry
Are there any professors who may be able to answer some of my questions on string theory and it’s relationship to quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity?
Hey! My name is Daisy and I’m about to be a first year chemistry student. In some of my free time I’ve been researching string theory out of interest. And I’ve bought a book by Stephen Gubser that introduces string theory and it’s place in the scientific community. I was just wondering if any professors Would be able to discuss this with me as I don’t really have many people to talk about it with. Thank you!
https://redd.it/1l4d2n2
@r_chemistry
Can physical chemistry help me intuitively understand other kinds of chemistry?
My goal is to understand chemistry. Not to memorise formulas, but to know why things happen and how they happen. ls spending time on physical chemistry a long-time investment that will pay off later?
https://redd.it/1l45340
@r_chemistry
Where do I find literature values?
I am looking for the literature values of the solution enthalpy of the following in water.
* Hydrated Magnesium Chloride Powder - MgCl₂·6H₂O
* Hydrated Ferric Chloride Powder - FeCl₂·4H₂O
* Hydrated Strontium Chloride Powder - SrCl₂·6H₂O
* Hydrated Copper Chloride Powder - CuCl₂·2H₂O
* Hydrated Cobalt (II) Chloride Powder - CoCl₂·6H₂O
https://redd.it/1l44ukh
@r_chemistry
How to stick out for jobs after a PhD?
Hi all, I am starting my PhD in the fall and wanted to ask those who have gotten good careers right out of their PhD or are recruiters/interviewers what makes a job applicant stick out. I am planning on studying organic synthesis (total synthesis) and want to go into medicinal chemistry.
My fiancé keeps telling me I should do an internship (he's an engineer), while I keep telling him that's not really an option for synthesis people. What I'm trying to say is that, going into undergrad, I knew exactly what I needed to do to stand out for grad schools/careers (clubs, internships, research, etc.) and I did that. However, I'm not really sure what the equivalent for grad school is. There's not many clubs, internships would interrupt progress on the thesis, and research is obviously necessary and not an additional thing.
What makes someone among a pool of PhD-havers stand out? I want to make sure I set myself up well for jobs post-PhD. Thanks!
https://redd.it/1l41c7z
@r_chemistry
Online whiteboard for chemistry
https://redd.it/1l3ztc2
@r_chemistry
How is it that ionic bonds are stronger than covalent bonds even though atoms in ionic bonds are apparently further apart and ionic bonds can dissolve in something like water?
https://redd.it/1l3u6xb
@r_chemistry
This wine glass is now chemically certified
https://redd.it/1l3ujx4
@r_chemistry
Increasing DCM viscosity for use as paint stripper?
I’m aware of the safety concerns (inhalation/dermal absorption/ liver/cancer/all of the above) and have access to an incredibly well ventilated area (think wind tunnel) along with the proper PPE and disposal equipment to use DCM safely.
I need to strip a large amount of paint on a steel surface.
I have a gallon of 99.9% DCM.
After some experimenting, the evaporation is far too fast to act in a stripping capacity.
How do I go about gelling or otherwise increasing the viscosity of the DCM to work in this capacity?
https://redd.it/1l2vgkv
@r_chemistry
A question about thermate TH3
Thermate TH3, as many of you may know, is a mix of thermite, barium nitrate, and sulphur. Barium nitrate, to my knowledge, increases the heat of the mixture once burning at the cost of burning up some of the metal byproduct, and sulphur, again, to my knowledge, increases the consistency of the burn while lowering the starting temperature necessary to begin the reaction. Hypothetically, if I were to simply remove barium nitrate from the mix, would the thermate burn at a slightly lower temperature, yet still burn more consistently than thermite? I ask, because I'm working with thermite at an extremely small scale, and regular thermite simply doesn't burn consistently enough, yet thermate TH3 has too sudden of a reaction with not enough left over molten metal. My next best idea based on what I've researched is to use a boron metal, copper oxide based thermite, however since I already have the former, I'd hoped to make it work.
https://redd.it/1l2tkce
@r_chemistry
Diprotic acid buffer formulation question
Hi All,
I’m working on a project in lab and I’m being requested to come up with the formulation of a diprotic buffer composition, but I’m running into an issue.
My management wants me to provide the composition of the buffer in terms of the amounts of the fully acidic form (H2A) and the dibasic salt form (A-2) that need to be dissolved to get to the final buffer.
The issue I’m having is that since the buffer pH range is within the pKa2 buffering range, I’m not quite sure how to go about this. I don’t think the hassalbach equation is able to be used here but correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve tried using equilibrium coefficients and I know the equilibrium composition of the buffer but I’m stuck at how to get back to the initial concentrations of a fully acidic and di basic salt form.
At the pH our buffer will be at the acidic form is a minor (less than 5%), so perhaps I can treat this form as a strong acid in this case?
Has anyone done this or can provide some comments on the problem?
https://redd.it/1l2sc8q
@r_chemistry
How do I separate sodium metal from magnesium oxide?
I've been making sodium metal by burning NaOH with Mg in a covered container, such as in this video. This works well for producing both sodium and potassium metal, but it's always attached to MgO. I tried dropping it into mineral oil above a layer of water like in the video, but that just reacts all of the sodium. So far I've only been dropping larger pieces in (since those are the easiest to retrieve from the reaction vessel), but it's hard to see it working with smaller pieces either. I've seen someone use dioxane for separation, but I don't have anything that fancy. Is there a smarter way to separate it that doesn't require expensive chemicals/equipment?
https://redd.it/1l2nyf9
@r_chemistry
Had a blast during synthesis of molybdenum diselenide
During the hydrothermal synthesis of molybdenum diselenide, I used sodium molybdate dihydrate, selenium powder, and hydrazine hydrate as reagents. The reaction was carried out at 180 °C for 24 hours. However, the system experienced a blast within the first two hours of the process.
Suggest why this happened...
https://redd.it/1l2in0j
@r_chemistry
Leaving teaching for Chem PhD
I'm a highschool chemistry teacher leaving my job to start my chem PhD this fall. I've always wanted to do more with science than what I'm doing now and I'm unsatisfied with my job in many ways. I'm getting kind of scared about my higher education endeavors with the state of the political climate.
Is this a good time to do this? I'm worried about research defunding, surviving in this economy on the PhD salary, and securing a job that makes this all worth it in the end.
I could use some insight...
https://redd.it/1l2hi8h
@r_chemistry
i found a funny yellow bar while strolling in an abandoned soviet watchtower! is this yellow cake? can i eat it?
https://redd.it/1l2et09
@r_chemistry
Career dysphoria
Hi guys, I'm gonna get right into it, so I don't take any more than necessary of anyone's time.
So, I'm currently studying Electrical Engineering, after a studying one year of Chemistry and quitting. I'm almost at half the course and feel... empty. I quit Chemistry because I was so scared of not landing the job I wanted (to be a Uni Professor/researcher) and ending up penniless at a job I hate. Turned to EE because it's something I'm kinda fond of and has a good employment rate with good wages but... I feel off, empty. You know when you have to convince yourself every morning that this is what you have to do?
Anyway, I'm not here to ask for psychological help.
I wanted to know if it is that hard to get into the research world, especially abroad, and if Chemistry really is this low-employment-rate-low-wage nightmare I heard so much.
Thanks!!!
https://redd.it/1l4fkgr
@r_chemistry
Software for old GC and windows 11
https://redd.it/1l4ab8z
@r_chemistry
Who Are the Most Underrated Chemists in History
Mine is probably Jagadish Chandra Bose - dude was a polymath and he developed the Crescograph, a device that measured minute changes in plant growth.
What are some others? (Bonus points if they’re non western)
https://redd.it/1l46acd
@r_chemistry
What’s the most beautiful chemical reaction you’ve seen
Saw this video recently and it got me thinking
https://images.app.goo.gl/UsYHWoD91drg985g8
https://redd.it/1l40vfv
@r_chemistry
What is the atom?
Is chemistry only concerned of the atom?
https://redd.it/1l411a2
@r_chemistry
What reaction is happening with my tap water?
So the warm tap water on its own does not smell, but if I use warm tap water and mix it with iodised table salt then it smells like the inside of a first aid kit, very sterile and almost sweet. And it gives off a faint vapor.
I read that water containing chloramine can mix with iodine table salt and create hypoiodous acid which would rapidly decomposes into HIO₃ + 2 I₂ + 2 H₂O. Could I be smelling the iodine gas? Or am I reaching.
https://redd.it/1l3nsvp
@r_chemistry
From molecules to memories
https://redd.it/1l3vxaq
@r_chemistry
Got my titration lab back!!
https://redd.it/1l3m7sb
@r_chemistry
A question of making synthetic sapphires
Hey y'all I have made glass before and I was wondering about making sapphires. Doing some coursory reading Al2O3 is the base material. Chromium 3 Oxide can be used to dope it red. What other doping agents can be used to make different color sapphires. I plan to use a arc furnace to fuse it together.
https://redd.it/1l2vngk
@r_chemistry
PhD dissertation idea - figure out how to separate this enantiomeric pair
https://redd.it/1l2tpnm
@r_chemistry
Municipal water, no water treatment equipment installed. "Slight" corrosion issue
https://redd.it/1l2p2fn
@r_chemistry
Science of painting
https://redd.it/1l2mdsi
@r_chemistry
Homemade sodium iodide
https://redd.it/1l2jmzf
@r_chemistry
XRF Software??
Hello All!
Does anyone know where I might find some older XRF software? I have a Rigaku ZSX mini II that has managed to lose its computer and software. Rigaku isn’t being particularly helpful (even for $) so I am hoping someone may know where I can go to find it!
Thanks!
https://redd.it/1l2h1cu
@r_chemistry
Ozone Machine Safety
The apartment directly next to me is being treated with an ozone machine… Is this safe??
https://redd.it/1l2de5c
@r_chemistry
