Re: Table Salt a Hazard?

On Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:49:28 GMT, "NoSpam" <NoSpam@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Joe,

I do not want to further belabor the point but it is strange,
is it not, that very large suppliers of scientific equipment will
take my order for what must be small amounts for them such
as microscope slides, cover glassses, slide boxes, centrifuge
tubes etc. and I always get them with an electronic thank you
for my order.

Think about it:, it is all automated. Nobody but the stock room
actually handels the order. Everything else is done by computer,
down to charging the credit card and the printing of address labels.
Nobody ever checks whether the order is from a person or from
an institution. This is not an issue, UNLESS you order chemicals. And
then, when you see the banner for the Department of Home Security
(at Sigma-Aldrich) on the screen, then you know who is calling the
shots.

The paranoia is on the other foot, not on mine.

Now between us, I'll not tell you my age, but I am very senior and
there is no chance I canrike up a friendship with college kids
They would not want to be seen with me. And don,t tell me I
have old age dementia, my friends will tell me before you do.

Greetings
G.R.

Well, I don't know why I didn't think of this the other day (must be my pre-old
age dementia setting in - I'm old enough for AARP, but too young for SS), but I
have a couple of large bottles of reagent-grade NaCl on the shelf at work (from
Fisher, no less). I use it for calibrating humidity sensors. If you want to,
reply to me directly with an address, and I can send you several grams; I'll
include some MgCl also, if you like (I assume you're in the US). That should be
enough for you to see if the impurities are causing you problems. I've never
tried salt, as my fetish is for anisotropic crystals.

Anyway, let me know; the address in the header is mostly a spam-trap, though
it's legit - I just rarely check it. I'll keep an eye open there for a while.

Cheers,
Joe

PS - A saturated solution of NaCl produces a RH of 75%, MgCl gives you a 33% RH.
.