On Sun, 14 Oct 2018 at 18:12, Sean Breheny wrote: > I've bought CaC recently for chemistry experiment / demonstration purpose= s. > It has quite a foul odor even before you react it with water and the gas > produced upon reaction with water has a strong garlic odor - somewhat les= s > so after you burn it. From what I've read, pure acetylene is odorless and > the garlic odor is from substituted phosphines (PH2X where X is some othe= r > group - probably containing sulfur). Unfortunately these impurities are > rather poisonous so I've had to limit the demos (if done indoors) to only= a > couple of grams of impure CaC at a time. > > I never noticed any ill effects from the by products. But, then .... :-). > It does make a very bright yet sooty flame. Deep-ends how much air is mixed with it. "SOME" air included here. Stoichiometric mix utterly not recommended. Don't try this at home YMMV / Your mileage may vary: If a Facebook account holder https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3D874402359299927&set=3Da.332312240= 175611&type=3D3&theater If not: https://scontent.fakl2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/11222334_874402359299927_1= 327445015603323981_o.jpg?_nc_cat=3D108&oh=3Dfce8b29a93f897ce046f0c4ed336e91= b&oe=3D5C57DB06 Russell Text on FB page: Photo: Rev Royce Luck. Muppets Swedish Chef aka yours truly. "Tenderised Licorice Cricket Flambe" - Pot lid is the flat shape at right above pot and heading right and up. Add carbide to water in pot. Set lid slightly offset to leave small gap. Carbide in water in bottle lit from candle stage left off. Wave bottle variously with squeezes for flame gouts with Swedish Chef patter. When pot deemed ready squeeze flame gout over opening, and ... . Fireball is as or more impressive for Chef as for audience. Boom boom! Lack of death or even injury probably fortuitous. --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .