Diethyl Ether

[recursive]

Does anybody know where an individual can buy diethyl ether (60-29-7), in quantities that are reasonably unlarge (not more than $50)?

 

I know about how most vendors will only ship it out to "educational institutions" and businesses, but if you can but 80% ether as starting fluid, it seems ridiculous that nowhere is there any 90% or 95 or... you get the idea!

 

Thanks for helping!

[hermanntrude]

perhaps you should buy the 80% stuff and use a warm day's sunshine to distill it. it boils at 35°C

 

otherwise, no. It's not very safe, see... it forms explosive mixtures with air and knocks people out. bad combination.

 

what do u need it for?

[DrP]

I once saw a 2.5 L Winchester bottle of this stuff just break apart into 3 bits on the bench. It really made the guy who was using it jump. He was about to open the bottle and before he even touched it it just fell apart! About 1.5L of diethyl ether spread accross the bench and floor. It looked really weired - like looking through intense heat distortion as the stuff evapourated. Guessing their was a weakness in the bottle and the stuff had got warm (sunny day you see) and pressure had built up thus cracking the bottle. Very dangerous - good job there was no bunsen alight!

 

I stood by the door getting fresh air and kept an eye on him (in case he passed out from the fumes) as he was cleaning it up.

[hermanntrude]

I once saw a 2.5 L Winchester bottle of this stuff just break apart into 3 bits on the bench. It really made the guy who was using it jump. He was about to open the bottle and before he even touched it it just fell apart! About 1.5L of diethyl ether spread accross the bench and floor. It looked really weired - like looking through intense heat distortion as the stuff evapourated. Guessing their was a weakness in the bottle and the stuff had got warm (sunny day you see) and pressure had built up thus cracking the bottle. Very dangerous - good job there was no bunsen alight!

 

I stood by the door getting fresh air and kept an eye on him (in case he passed out from the fumes) as he was cleaning it up.

 

holy crap. That wouldnt have been a good day for the fellow who cleaned it up. Ether gives me a headache. not as bad as chloroform, though. I remember once i was distilling dichloromethane ona rotary evaporator with the water-bath at maybe 50°C, and the flask fell off the end of the distillation tube and upended itself into the water-bath. Of course, since DCM is more dense than water it sank and then proceded to boil explosively, throwing the water and lots of super-heated DCM out of the waterbath onto the floor at my feet. The fumes gave me two black eyes. My method for cleanup was simple. Hold my breath, open the windows, get out, close the door, come back after lunch.

[John Cuthber]

From time to time I hear about a tragedy where someone has entered a tank or well or some such and been overcome by fumes- his friend has gone in to help and has also been rendered unconsious then died too. Sometimes a third "wannabe hero" dies before someone catches on and gets the help of the fire service or someone who has breathing apparatus.

 

Cleaning up an ether spill is potentially lethal for at least 2 reasons. The fumes can incapacitate you, and the stuff is damn near spontaneously flammable.

OK, so there's no bunsen burner. Unless the guy was naked there's a severe risk of static elctricity from clothing causing the last spark he ever needed to worry about.

 

Hermanntrude's solution to the problem was better, but the bit about holding his breath gives the game away. If you need to do that they there's not enough air.

If there's not enough air then you shouldn't be there.

 

If this sort of thing happes again leave the area and make sure everyone else does, sound the fire alarm if there is one. Let people who have air tanks and fireproof clothing worry about it.

If you have any doubts about this advice, call your local search and resue or fire dept. I'm sure they will explain they would rather turn up to open a window or two than to recover a body.

[recursive]

From time to time I hear about a tragedy where someone has entered a tank or well or some such and been overcome by fumes- his friend has gone in to help and has also been rendered unconsious then died too. Sometimes a third "wannabe hero" dies before someone catches on and gets the help of the fire service or someone who has breathing apparatus.

 

Cleaning up an ether spill is potentially lethal for at least 2 reasons. The fumes can incapacitate you, and the stuff is damn near spontaneously flammable.

OK, so there's no bunsen burner. Unless the guy was naked there's a severe risk of static elctricity from clothing causing the last spark he ever needed to worry about.

 

Hermanntrude's solution to the problem was better, but the bit about holding his breath gives the game away. If you need to do that they there's not enough air.

If there's not enough air then you shouldn't be there.

 

If this sort of thing happes again leave the area and make sure everyone else does, sound the fire alarm if there is one. Let people who have air tanks and fireproof clothing worry about it.

If you have any doubts about this advice, call your local search and resue or fire dept. I'm sure they will explain they would rather turn up to open a window or two than to recover a body.

 

And just think... In the late 19th century, people used to drink that stuff!

Going out for a smoke, and then your torso spontaneously combusts! That definitely qualifies as one of the most dangerous things to do with ether.

Actually if you drank hot coffee right after that, I think that would cause it to boil. A lot.

 

So anyways... it would be slightly less exploding-in-your-face if some ethanol and BHT were added. Plus I don't have to keep it around forever... Actually, I could top off a jar with liquid nitrogen. That would stop peroxides...

 

Does anyone know if fisher scientific sells to individuals?

 

There seems to be kooky medicinal places talking about it. It would be great to order moderately not-unpure ether from a quack! In fact, that would be the preferred source!

[ars3n]

A little bit confused about your question... 80%?, 90-95%? Are u talking about ether purity?

 

I believe diethyl ether in the market almost always goes about 99+%. ACS grade usually about >99.8% with minuscule amount of stabilizing agent such as BHT.

 

***

 

And, no people did NOT DRINK ether in the past. They use it via inhalation. There was time when ether was populary used as an anesthetic of choice. Today, in some parts of the world, where more novel anesthetic agents are unavailable, people sometimes still use diethyl ether.

 

Does anybody know where an individual can buy diethyl ether (60-29-7), in quantities that are reasonably unlarge (not more than $50)?

 

I know about how most vendors will only ship it out to "educational institutions" and businesses, but if you can but 80% ether as starting fluid, it seems ridiculous that nowhere is there any 90% or 95 or... you get the idea!

 

Thanks for helping!

[iNow]

[John Cuthber]

"And, no people did NOT DRINK ether in the past."

Sure about that?

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-eth1.htm

[ars3n]

LOl, that's very interesting indeed.

 

"And, no people did NOT DRINK ether in the past."

Sure about that?

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-eth1.htm

[jdurg]

I've had some bad experience with diethyl ether. Spilled about half a liter on my coat in organic lab many years ago. Let the ether evaporate in the fume hood, so I thought.

 

A few hours later, lab ended, I put my coat on now numb to the odor, and went outside to light a cigarette. Quickly lost my eyebrows and any exposed hair on my body. Flash fire from the fumes coming off my jacket. Barely even felt it. Just got this warm feeling and then noticed my hair was gone.

 

Ether is VERY flammable stuff.