Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hydrogen Peroxide

["Captain Nemo" <vulcania@interpac.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <SJSVOB@aol.com>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2000 1:11 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hydrogen Peroxid


> "I'm wondering if working with H2O2 is any more dangerous than working
with liquid oxygen?  I'm assuming the only problem with H2O2 is that you
must prevent it from becoming contaminated."

I guess they both have dangers.  We've all seen those high-school
experiments where things like claw-hammer heads shatter like glass after
being frozen in liquid nitrogen or oxygen.  I sure wouldn't want to get any
of the stuff on me; and if it got loose on the inside of a submarine hull
under water pressure, it seems an implosion could easily result.  Of course,
any kind of pressure-tank system is dangerous to a degree.  The guys at
AIRCO said the liquid stuff was safe as long as it was handled in the right
way, and stored in the right equipment (a Dewar jar).  But yeah: if it got
loose, I can see where it it could really spoil the dive.  These are some of
the reasons why I decided to stay with conventional pressurized gaseous tank
storage.  Just a lot easier, safer, less problematic and less expensive to
use.  Not saying liquid O2 doesn't have appealing aspects: but for my
purposes, the regular stuff is good enough most of the time.

And oh yeah: IMOHO, the points other guys have made here about the
difference between medical grade and industrial gasses is totally important
when we're talking about life support systems.
>
> http://spin.com.mx/~jmlozano/peroxidoi.html
>
> "This page describes how a guy uses H2O2 to power his rocket bike."

This, I gotta see!   ;-)

www.total.net/~launch/ss67b3.htm
>
> This page shows a mixture of 50% H2O2 mixed with gasoline.  It dosen't
react when in contact with it.

Well, that answers my earlier question about detonations when mixed with
petroleum products.  But I still remember reading something about the
Germans having problems with contamination / explosions during tests of the
Walter subs; and I'm waiting for Carsten's reply about that.  He's pretty
hip about the Walter projects; he'll probably know what the dangerous
contaminant was.  But like I was saying, (as I seem to recall when the
Alzheimers isn't in control of my cerebral cortex) if SEAWATER is a
contaminant that can set this stuff off, we REALLY don't want to use it in a
sub.  (Isn't there some sort of marine emergency flare that self-ignites in
contact with sea water?  What's the working agent there: pure magnesium?
Could there be some kind of relationship here?).

Anyway, that's all the E for me today.  Gotta hit the weights, and then I'm
going SCUBA diving.  Have a good one!

Pat