Re: Nitrogen oxides

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Nitrogen oxides
From: "D.C. Cox" <DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 04:51:17 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com
to: Eric

The exception to this post would be coilers using stainless steel bolts as
spark gap electrodes.  Burning stainless steel in the presence of oxygen
forms very deadly gases.  Welders never weld stainless in a tank without a
lot of ventilation or a respirator for these very reasons.  Anyway,
stainless or any steel for that matter is a very good way to destroy a high
Q factor in an otherwise excellent design.  At higher powers the UV light
can be very bad for the eyes (UV burns similar to welding).

DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net


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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Nitrogen oxides
> Date: Monday, September 21, 1998 6:03 PM
> 
> Original Poster: Eric Davidson <edavidson-at-icva.gov> 
> 
> Hello all:
> 
> Been watching the messages about spark gap fumes for a while and decided
> to jump in.  An electric discharge in air will form a number of
> different compounds.  A hot arc favors the formation on various nitrogen
> oxides. Nitric oxide (NO) is colorless and odorless, it reacts quickly
> with oxygen to form the highly toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2/N2O4), this
> is the brown, odorous gas. It is doubtful the much nitrous oxide (N2O)
> is formed, and if it is, its basically harmless. Nitrogen pentoxide
> (N2O5) may also be formed, but its a solid.  The formation of ozone (O3)
> is favored by a corona discharge. Ozone is also formed by the action of
> short wave UV light on oxygen, and forms an equilibrium (2O3<-->3O2). 
> It is quite toxic, but is very reactive and unstable, and doesn't
> persist.   It is also possible that small amounts of metal are
> vaporized, but these would be quickly oxidized to the metal oxide, which
> for the most part are pretty harmless (unless of course you are using
> thallium, mercury, arsenic or some other highly unlikely metal in your
> electrodes). The brown cloud that has been seen is not vaporized copper
> but likely NO2.  And no, you can't form any metal carbonyls in a spark
> gap. In my opinion, the sensible operation of a TC spark gap does not
> constitute a health risk, at least not from any of the gases formed (I'd
> be more concerned about the pole pig you are using to power it!).  I
> wouldn't suggest running a large spark gap in a small, enclosed room for
> long periods of time, but outside or in a well ventilated garage for the
> several minutes a TC is running, is not a problem. Hope this helps.
> -- 
> Have a good day!
> Eric Davidson
> edavidson-at-icva.gov
>