[Rockhounds] attacking quartz without hydrofluoric acid

[Rik Dillen]

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of J Bryan Kramer
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 2:13 PM
To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] attacking quartz without hydrofluoric acid

I must confess to be a bit paranoid about strong bases, I had a third degree burn from cold concentrated sodium
hydroxide years ago. I did not enjoy the
experience...heh. Acids usually give you a warning, that old burning sensation, but bases do their damage without
warning. Also a bit of water rinses the acid right off, not so with the bases. BK (Bryan Kramer)

>>>>> For the most common acids, yes, but not so for hydrofluoric acid : vapours (and liquid) penetrate preferentially
between the skin and fingernails, without anything you notice (at first). Only after minutes it starts to heart so much
that you would want to cut your fingers off. Unfortunately I had that experience once (in a relatively light degree)
when I was at the university (I did resist the temptation to cut my fingers off, though). Some years ago a colleague had
to have surgery after an incident with HF in our lab : all five fingernails from his right hand had to removed !

I agree completely with the fact, however, that boiling, pressurised hydroxyde solutions are equally dangerous or even
worse...

Grts, and BTW merry Christmas !

Rik DILLEN 
Doornstraat 15,  B-9170 Sint-Gillis-Waas 
Belgium 
E-mail rik.dillen at skynet.be 
Homepage : http://users.skynet.be/rik.dillen 
 
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