Chemical Education Today
Letters Liquid Oxygen Hazards A recent article in this Journal ( J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 356) suggests an experiment that uses liquid oxygen. No mention was made of a potential hazard that was brought to my attention by George Ewing: if liquid oxygen comes in contact with organic materials, such as grease, a detonation can result. Here is a sample of some relevant Web addresses I located in a search for the phrase “liquid oxygen hazards” (accessed Jan 2003). 1. http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infohs/lasermanual/documents/section7.html 2. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/cryogenic/
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cryogen1.html#_1_5 3. http://www.minerals.csiro.au/safety/liqcool.htm 4. http://www.matheson-trigas.com/msds/00225011.pdf
Literature Cited 1. Nyasulu, F.; Macklin, J.; Cusworth, W. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 356. Jonathan Mitschele Saint Joseph’s College 278 White’s Bridge Road Standish, Maine 04084
[email protected] Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 80 No. 5 May 2003 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
