Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 09:09:50 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <esf**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <esf**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Re: Spill kit portable vs. fixed

From: "Paul Harrison" 
Date: April 7, 2006 9:07:49 AM EDT
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Spill kit portable vs. fixed

I don't have a lot of experience with HF, but should point out, as a
chemist, first that there is NO WAY that fluorine gas could be evolved
from HF; just think about your level I redox chemistry.  Second, I
would imagine that calcium carbonate or hydroxide is a good idea
because CaF2 is insoluble in the water that would be used for clean-up
(it is the natural rock form of fluorine: fluorite, as I recall).

Using sodium carbonate would generate NaF which by contrast is
water-soluble, and thus harder to dispose.  Presumably, another feature
of calcium salts is that the excess spill agent is also
water-insoluble, as opposed to sodium salts.

Best,
Paul Harrison

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