July 3, 2007

Ir recycling step 3

Many of the higher boiling solvents and other nasties (mineral acids, oils, phospines, etc.) are still present and the waste residue currently has the consistency of chunky fondue. Unfortunately the smell doesn't resemble fondue in the least. Many of the bad smelling, high boiling residues left are removed by extensive heating in a crucible to 300 - 350 C using a heating mantle and sand bath. This was also a good time to throw in the tissue papers I used to clean up a few spills. No worries, as all of the organics are being decomposed in the hot acid and will be fired off in the next step.

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