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Poisonous gas from vinegar and cadmium??

tkent02

tkent02

Forum LongTimer
Past Site Supporter
Pulled the case bolts from the 550, some aluminum corrosion, some rust, some grease and grundge. Put them in the ultrasonic parts cleaner, looking for some liquid to fill it with. There's an old jug of vinegar, threw it in. Ran it a cycle, heater on, let it sit a half hour. (forgot about it, the game was on) Good and hot. Took it to the sink, took the lid off, got a whiff of the steam. That **** hurts! Still feels a little burnt in the throat and maybe a lung.

It also turned the bolts a very dull gray. Good and clean though.

I think they are cadmium plated bolts? Anyone know about this?

Am I going to croak?

Maybe get to call in sick for a week or so?
Grow my hair out and become a hippie?
Or a vegetable?
 
The bolts will be zinc coated. Vinegar is basically denatured and flavoured alcohol. IMO nothing poisonous but i know what you mean...

Many years ago i worked for an outfit which manufactured yeast and vinegar - DYC for the benefit of the aussies and Kiwis...When we had a vinegar brew going, you could lift the access hatch and take a whiff at your own risk...Great way of losing the nose hairs...
 
Vinegar is not an alcohol. It is an acid, specifically acetic acid. Household vinegar is typically 5% acetic acid. The pure stuff is highly corrosive.
 
I know it's acid. That's why it eats rust. What I inhaled is just acid fumes, not some nasty reaction to the metal coating on the bolts?
 
maybe give it a few more tries , and get back to us (or not ;))
 
Hmmm, good plan except I'm out of vinegar. I'l go cook up some battery acid for further testing.
 
Tom, I don't know what the physical damage to your lungs would be, but it would be explosive as it would be hydrogen gas that is generated. Very much like a lead acid battery off gassing.
 
OK, well it didn't explode so I guess I got away with that.

Still breathing OK, so maybe not make the Darwin list just yet.
 
An update from a chemist friend.

It appears vinaigre at about 5% would not likely react.
That said she mentioned that she never really worked with cadmium.

So you will live until you die as the saying goes.
 
The boiling point of acetic acid (~114C) is slightly higher than that of water. If the water content of the vinegar was boiling off, the concentration was increasing. Wouldn't take much to make it very irritating.
 
You only die if you're welding steel and forget to remove the zinc coating.(and inhale the fumes) Or if you spray carburetor spray on metal, then weld without cleaning it.
 
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