On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 07:53:11 +0100, "Ian White, G3SEK"
wrote:

Roger Halstead wrote:


A lump of sodium might make one eligible for a Darwin Award

Oh, for heaven's sake.

Well, Cecil's classmate must have been a prime candidate, with his
original idea about flushing a large lump down the toilet. Can't you see
him, arriving at the Pearly Gates, still clutching the flush lever in
his hand...

I had thought of that, but thought I'd leave it be LOL Most likely
some one the next floor down would get the bath. More than one cherry
bomb and M-80 has gone "down the tubes" in years gone by.
..

Sodium is easily handled if you are familiar with the stuff.
[...]
Don't get it near water

On the north coast of Scotland there used to be a nuclear power reactor
that was cooled by molten sodium. On the other side of the main heat
exchanger was high-pressure water, separated by the thinnest possible
sheets of metal. The guys who operated the heat exchangers used to
complain about that highly corrosive liquid... but they were talking
about the water.

De-ionized water wants ions and it'll take them from any available
metal. It's particularly corrosive with brass. We had a series of
induction heating units that used high power RF. The tubes and coils
were cooled with de ionized water. A brass hose barb would crumble in
your hand after only a years exposure to the di water.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com