Playing with Self-Igniting Gases: Silane, Phosphine, and Borane | Pyrophoric Chemistry
Ғылым және технология
They say you shouldn't play with fire, so I did the next best thing: I played with gases that light THEMSELVES on fire!
There are several excellent videos already published that show pyrophoric gases to varying degrees. For example, Explosions&Fire covered silane and diborane, ChemicalForce did phosphine and diborane....even Thy Labs tried silane a while ago, so I think it's about time I joined the pyrophoric club!
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0:00 Intro
0:44 Pyrophoric chemistry
1:20 Silane
2:18 Phosphine
3:56 Diborane
4:53 BIG BOOM
5:38 Conclusion
Пікірлер: 118
"cleeeeaaarly, this should not be scaled u... I scaled it up 10 times." 😂
With magnesium silicide/silane, it's more fun (imo) to use water to get the product. You can break the test tube containing the Mg2Si and drop the solid chunks into water. They react to form bubbles of SiH4, which then burst into flame when they pop on the surface. If it doesn't want to make nice bubbles you can add a little bit of soap. It's a lot more controlled than adding acid, so you get to see the reaction more clearly and it goes several times. As a fun side effect, you can actually see the SiO2 (sand) that is the other product of the combustion as it forms on the surface of the water.
I love that you're doing that over a sanitary sewer manhole cover. I'm not going to say it's not safe, I'm not an expert on that kind of thing. I will say I'm honestly disappointed you didn't manage to launch it into the sky...
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
We'll get to that point someday, I'm sure of it.
This is why chemistry is so magical; you literally just created a "fire potion" like some kind of STEM wizard. Quick question though, at 4:03 you mention diborane having a weird Swedish odor. I've never actually been to Sweden so I don't what it smells like there, but would Swedish fish odor be comparable in scent?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Lol, I'm never gonna hear the end of that mispronunciation. I don't recall smelling the SWEETish odor myself, but I don't think it's comparable to fish of fish-shaped candy.
@marcusrobinson1778
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science am Texan would pronounce same way
@fukpoeslaw3613
Жыл бұрын
I also never have been in Sweden, but does it stink like as rotten as Denmark?
@telotawa
9 ай бұрын
i was exactly gonna comment the same thing, i know you meant to say sweet-ish but it sounded like swedish
I can’t wait to see more of these amazing reaction from your channel
You may be my new favorite KZreadr, well you and explosions and fire of course
Hyyyypppppppeeeeeee!!!!!!!
The diborane was so cool, every one of the shots was amazing.
Man that borane reaction was so aggressive.great video as usual.keep up the great work
4:30 I have never seen diborane ignite like that before! That's so cool! Good job :D
Very informative and cool!
Yay I used all 3 of these plus arsane stannane trimethyl aluminum and more to make lasing chips for Boston Lasers in the early 2000s. One happy accident is the valve that added the trimethyl aluminum fired a couple extra shots in the chamber and we rolled with it. The result was 614nm orange laser chips with a safe operating power of 250mW.
Hello good sir. This is a really interesting video. You are my favourite KZread chemistry channel. You do cool stuff. And your voice is comforting for some reason lol
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much, I appreciate the complement! Hopefully I can continue to entertain great people like you!
10 hours away, you’re killing me man
@SwampMonster1
Жыл бұрын
Awesome!
"and it has a weird, Swedish odor" is what I hear every time. Lol
Fantastic content!
You should consider making silver plating solution! It’s very hard to get hold of for electroplating hobbyists, but it’s definitely something you could synthesize to make it more accessible.
one of the best ways for some crazy chemistry demonstrations for bored chemists (+students that searching an inspiration lol '~') Keep your cool channel up 😃
That was definitely cool!😊
Wonderful.
I already know this is gonna be good
Thank god you're doing this on top of a well. Who knows what would happen if these chemicals were released into the grasslands :P
Yay Labcoatz!
5:03 ; mad scientist transition, just perfect 🤣🤣🤣
@highlander723
Жыл бұрын
Oh this is in no way mad scientist thing.... This is chemist bored on a Saturday night.
Beautiful
5:00 lol I love it
That last one with the Diborane was pretty sick
it would be great if you didn't start with obvious precursors, like borohydride. I want to see it starting from boron trioxide, phosphates, and silicates.
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I suppose I could superheat calcium phosphate with charcoal in a kiln to get the phosphorus needed to make phosphine, but making silane from silicates wouldn't make much sense, since silicon dioxide (sand) is fair more abundant. Likewise, I could make the sodium borohydride myself from boron trioxide, but that would require access to sodium hydride and methanol, so ultimately, buying sodium borohydride directly makes the most sense.
@chemistry-experiments78
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science There are ways to make borane without NaBH4, tbh, I'd like to see them more than the borohydride method
@morningstarsci
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science Boron trioxide and magnesium metal to magnesium diboride. Displacement of the diboride produces boranes. And yes, I misspoke about the silicates. Sand makes much more sense.
@cooldude7301
Жыл бұрын
Whats wrong with using borohydride?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
@@cooldude7301 Honestly nothing, it just depends on if you have better access to borohydride or magnesium powder. For me, borohydride is more available.
And boom goes the... gas!
Next up: try making some wierd polymers. Polymers have got some wierd specimens
Don't ever came into the pressure to take these videos down. In fact have a backup them somewhere and include that link in the description
You're one hell of a fucking badass you know that? I've never seen anyone pour a whole beaker of concentrated sulfuric acid in and around his RBF with such grace!🤣
Can you make a video purging the tubes with insert gas and putting a balloon over them before producing the gas. Maybe magnets or something. Then pop the balloon
Rooooocket Flaaaask! (singing to "Rocket Ship")
5:00 Nice! 😅
I once dropped Calcium Phosphide into water, each bubble of gas ignited at the surface and made a cool smoke ring
@4:03 _"...and has a weird, Swedish odor..."_ I'm not even a Swede but even *_I_* find that offensive! 😏😊
You know, some of these could make for an interesting scientific explanation for a high fantasy creature like a dragon.
Careful matey no one wants a visit from Flowers By Irene :P Stay safe my dude.
@cooldude7301
Жыл бұрын
He's not doing anything illegal
On top of the storm drain?
Make all the binary hydrides!
🤘
“Diborane has a weird Swedish odor…” “Whåt?”
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I'll never hear the end of that mispronunciation, lol...
@Grak70
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science dude no worries, I’m still giggling about it 6 hours later. 😆 made my morning.
noice! 😍
How could you make diborane without letting the reactant go through a ceramic rocket nozzle
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I'm not sure I understand the question...are you talking about putting diborane in a rocket engine? If so, it really wouldn't be a good fuel (probably why NASA rejected it), but if you want ideas, look into how they do stuff like that in hypergolic rockets.
Better living through chemistry.
Quality safe experiments can be found here! The question is there a way to harness these reactions for things?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Most of these gases do find some uses (silane in the semiconductor industry, phosphine as an animal poison, etc), but uses involving their pyrophoric properties are limited. NASA uses stuff like diborane to ignite their rocket engines during takeoff, but besides that there isn't much...might be cool to use in a weapon though!
@lightdark00
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science New chemical weapon series!!! KZread will love that!
Mad scientist
Red phosporous eh? Thanks for the heads up, that is an, um, useful reagent for, um, legitimate home chemistry, does he carry iodine crystals or some other halogen source too? Um, reasons..
@LabCoatz_Science
11 ай бұрын
Yes. Not that I know from experience or anything...
@5688gamble
11 ай бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science Of course not...
What is underneath that giant metal manhole cover you're doing the experiments on lol?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
It's just a storm drain. I use it for most of my dangerous experiments, because it happens to be in my backyard, it's decently far from the house, and if a tiny amount of something spills (like the HCl in this video, when I jerked back from the silane), I can just rinse it away.
@LogjammerDbaggagecling-qr5ds
11 ай бұрын
It's the drinking water supply for the city he lives in.
Cracking👍subbed
The small scale borane reactions looked nicer
Imagine having these gases liquefied under pressure in glass ampoules, you would essentially have enslaved fireballs lol.
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Don't think for a moment that I haven't already dreamed of doing that, lol. Maybe one day, if I can get ahold of liquid nitrogen!
@oitthegroit1297
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science Oh boy, that will be fun!
@4:03 has a weird Swedish odor 💀
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I knew somebody would make that joke, lol
5:02 I lost my shit omg
Toxic gases that burst into flames when they contact air? Sounds like a guy I used to know. How long have you known Andy?
While some people prepare for the zombie apocalypse by loading up on guns and what not, I'd much rather stick with chemists and makers who can make dangerous and flammable things out of stuff they find. Or high voltage things. Bullets will eventually run out, but if you have the know how, you can always scrounge up stuff to make weapons for hunting and defense, lol. Joking aside, very cool!
How feasible would it be to collect these gases air-free so you could actually isolate them?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I've considered doing so. It's possible to bubble the gases through water and into an inverted flask (phosphine would be best for this, since silane and diborane both react with water to varying degrees).
@ChimeraChemLab
Жыл бұрын
Silan react with water extremely fast, with water fumes too
4:02 "Toxic like phosphine and has a weird swedish odor."
Cool but but what about alane and arsine which are also pyrophoric
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I hope to do arsine sometime (once I can safely deal with arsenic vapor, lol), but alane isn't a pyrophoric gas: it's just a highly flammable non-volatile solid. Still might be fun to try though!
@Esterified80
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science Volatile organoarsenic compounds are rumored to be one of the worst smelling chemicals like Me3As
So wait, the smoke from the silane is silicon dioxide? The smoke is sand particles? If I'm not misunderstanding you, that sounds very dangerous to breathe in.
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Yep, and you're right: it's not the best stuff to breath in. It's not a death sentence by any means, but it's not advisable.
Playing with phosphine? Seriously?
You ever look into Greek fire?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I've heard of it, but I've never looked into it. Maybe I will!
Yeah, or play with hyper-toxic self-igniting substances. The only extra thing needed is a little spice of radioactivity such as Cs-137 and I-131. UPDATE: now when you also demonstrated that the reactions are way worse than playing with fire, namely explosive, what is the purpose?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
I had no purpose, I just wanted to experience working with them firsthand, like I did with thioacetone, selenoacetone, and resiniferatoxin!
4:30 looks a lot like a rocket engine... wonder if NASA ever considered it
@sokjeong-ho7033
Жыл бұрын
Yep, diborane's been tested as a rocket fuel, but ended up a) being too unstable and b) producing boron monoxide during incomplete combustion making it not super viable
I can see why they considered diborane as rocket fuel
AAC 1 bei Müller jemand hier?
Phosphine 👀
4:02 At least it isn't Danish.
Playing with phosphine ,..seriously
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Yes.
@nicholaschristodoulou5766
Жыл бұрын
Not you im concerned with its people thinking It's something they should try.if there looking for help to do it on youtube they shouldn't attempt it A kid in Sweden killed himself years ago doing just this
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
@@nicholaschristodoulou5766 Fair point. Although I'm not too concerned about people replicating this, given how hard it is to obtain red phosphorus legally...this was meant to be a demo, and not really a tutorial. I was only able to get my sample because I have a sponsor who sells it.
@nicholaschristodoulou5766
Жыл бұрын
@@LabCoatz_Science red phosphorus isn't to hard to obtain ,since last year though you are restricted to 100g a year now in the uk. Before that you could buy kilos no problem And things will get worse .I was just having a moan earlier ,one of those days im just saying be careful the things you do when your younger can and will effect you health wise when your older .there is no such thing as going overboard with protecting your health Be safe above all else but you know that.....does everyone else?
Wait wait wait, did you just say "it has a rare swedish odor" at 4:02 forward a little.....
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
Lol, I'm never gonna hear the end of that mispronunciation.
Maybe don't do these 'experiments' of a sewer cover... remember how methane can be produced?
@LabCoatz_Science
Жыл бұрын
It's just a storm drain, no worries! When I was little I used to drop fireworks down it, and I'm happy to report there have been zero methane explosions...so far...