You know ... there might be better places to hide your stash ...

[eppur_se_muova]

***
Employees notified law enforcement after they found a suspicious package under the dome of a chemical rail car containing 80 tons of hydrogen fluoride. The dome has two seals placed on it when it's filled, but one of the seals had been broken.

As a precaution, Decatur City Schools evacuated five elementary schools and both high schools at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively, removing 1,300 students from potential danger in 15 minutes. Students also were evacuated from Morgan, Lawrence and Limestone counties.

The Region 6 Bomb Squad, comprised of explosive experts from North Alabama, including several from Huntsville, and a Daikin employee, waited until all schools and nearby industries were evacuated before inspecting the package and other rail cars on the property. They determined the package was marijuana and not an explosive at about 12.45 p.m.

Hydrogen fluoride, or hydrofluoric acid, is a heavy chemical and remains in liquid state below 67 degrees. It's considered stable when stored in a metal container but reacts violently with water and alkaline solutions.

The health concern was that it could become a gas and carried by wind to contaminate surrounding communities. Persons exposed to hydrofluoric vapors would need to be treated with a calcium gluconate solution and oxygen flow for 10 to 15 minutes. Morgan County EMA was in a the process of locating treatments as a precaution.
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more: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/11/police_suspected_bomb_discover.html

[Lochloosa]

1. I used to work with hydrofluoric acid. That is some nasty stuff. It will eat your bones.

Hydrogen fluoride gas is an acute poison that may immediately and permanently damage lungs and the corneas of the eyes. Aqueous hydrofluoric acid is a contact-poison with the potential for deep, initially painless burns and ensuing tissue death. By interfering with body calcium metabolism, the concentrated acid may also cause systemic toxicity and eventual cardiac arrest and fatality, after contact with as little as 160 cm2 (25 square inches) of skin.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. I've always avoided it -- can't use regular glassware, since HF attacks glass.

But it does have its uses.

Daikin does a lot of electrolysis in HF, to make perfluorocarbons, perfluoroalkyl amines, etc.

By any chance, did you used to work for Daikin ?

[struggle4progress]

2. I don't think I can find words to describe the stupidity of that

[longship]

4. HF is horrible, nasty shit!

Take it from an active Blogging research chemist, the first in a series entitled "Things I won't work with".

Things I won't touch, the first in a series of scary shit, some of it very scary! HF is one of them.