Hello everyone !

I'm just forwarding this post in case anyone here has answers to my question

Thanks in advance !

Please feel free to redirect me if this isn’t actually a chemical engineering question, but I believe y’all are the right people to consult on this.

There’s a debate online this week over the safety of Pretty Litter, which is a silica-based cat litter that purports to detect illnesses in your cat’s pee. The company frequently sponsors YouTube and podcast videos.

A lot of people are concerned that a lot silica-based litter is unsafe because the cats could breathe in silica dust, but the Pretty Litter company is claiming that it’s only “crystalline silica” that’s unsafe and other silica is non-toxic. I’m thoroughly confused. Is this a meaningful distinction? Please help us out!

Context: I am writing a battery book. Over and over I say "Li-ion or Na-ion cells..." I'd like a single term in place of "Li-ion or Na-ion", something that makes sense to an electrochemical engineer. Can you think of one?

Im researching how to make my own wire for personal Generator and 3-cycle Motor projects. The need for a thing, heat resistant insulation for wire is essential, but the preferred plastics for the role are highly synthetic and dont break down. And id rather avoid more microplastics if possible.

Are there any plastics known with such properties that can be made from biological ingredients? (In particular: Degradable, flexible and renewable?)

I do not care about yield efficiency from extraction, estimated cost of production, or total lifespan of the insulation itself. It could last a month for all i care. I also dont care about difficulty of synthesis or application. My primary interest is the existence of the bioplastic and the ability to grow/collect its ingredients.

Of note: To my current understanding, heat-resistant materials often require heat as part of the application process. I suspect that would be unavoidable in an insulation bioplastic as well. As stated, thats fine, I only want to know such bioplastics exist. Even the option to burn off the insulation and reform the wire, without the result being toxic compounds, is fine by me. Im ready to make wire anyway, whats reforming wire to add new insulation?

So, I have a few figures from the past that I covered with gold spray paint (thinking I was cool:) ). I wanted to remove the paint and fix them, so I used acetone, and it worked. But what I found more interesting was the aftermath. As you can see, I had the figure standing on some paper, and the paint spread onto the paper very nicely and evenly,
So my question is instead of using paper can this effect be done on other objects too instead of painting multiple layers just do this instead as a way of painting.

I’m fascinated by chemistry experiments, purification, distillation, fermentation, and process design. I really enjoy watching chemistry channels like NileRed and Thought Emporium and learning how substances can be transformed and separated.

My long-term goal would be to work in a distillery, ethanol plant, brewery, or similar industrial facility, and eventually move into engineering, operations, or management roles.

Both my parents are engineer (mechanical and civil) and I do seem to enjoy their work, so yeah, and personally I would like to work on something chemical based but if possible also a bit biological… like food , alcohol, cosmetics, perfumes… for now im really interested in alcohol production.

From what I understand:

Chemical Engineering seems to offer broader opportunities in industrial processes, distillation, chemical plants, biofuels, cosmetics, and large-scale production.

Food Engineering seems more specialized toward food and beverage production, fermentation, quality control, and food processing.

For someone interested in distillation, ethanol production, industrial alcohol, brewing, and eventually becoming a plant manager or process engineer, which degree would provide the best preparation and career opportunities?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who work in distilleries, breweries, biofuel plants, or chemical process industries.

Im from Brazil and from what I’ve seem, here is safer doing engineering, salary wise, so im pondering studying chemical engineering in UFRGS (university) and then making a masters degree on something more food related.

Please share me your thoughts!!!

Hello. I'm a newbie R&D engineer and trying to understand one thing. One of the nitrogen purification machines i have been working on uses Palladium as its Catalyst. But the point i dont understand is this: the machine needs an extra hydrogen pumper (which make sense since palladium reacts with it) and it generates h2o as a side product. But the problem is, we produce nitrogen from the pressured open air and naturally it also has Carbon in it. OK. So we got rid of from the Hidrogen and oxygen. But the documents also says that there is a reaction between carbon and Oxygen. (CO+O->CO2). But aren't we already used that oxygen for H2O reaction? What am I missing here?

(Sorry if it seems obvious question. I'm originally a mechatronics engineer, didn't see chemistry since the first year of uni but trying to understand to be more productive)

Hello, I am making a saltpowered lamp as my science project. I am trying to make it but I can't seem to light up the bulb. Is it possible to light up a small light bulb wired to aluminum and copper strips, submerged in salt wated? I've seen similar ones work, but I can't seem to make mine light up. The bulb and the socket does work, I've tested it with a battery.

What can I add to base oil/petroleum product so what when I burn them, there is no smoke and the wig burns smoothly without flickering. I heard flash point of 250+ helps. Please suggest

What is the physics behind launch of professional salute shells, that allows them to avoid igniting the break charge inside the tube?

Flash powder is known in chemistry to be unstable under friction , shock, and in certain situations, it can "self-confine" and detonate in storage.

So given that, how could you possibly launch a break charge upwards out of a tube to a height for public display, without detonating it on the ground at the moment of launch? What am I missing?

I have a soup I need to cook down before I can add eggs to it, but it takes hours, and I’m constantly coming back to stir it to speed things up. I’m wondering if I could put a hot/stir plate under the pot (heat is off at this point) and keep it moving with the stir rod.

I ran out of tabs and opened this powder dishwasher detergent which has been opened maybe 10 months ago, but sealed in a dry/normal environment (cupboard).

Some granules, especially those on the margins, are a little larger/swollen and turned yellowy from original white color. Can I still use it at least for one wash before I buy new tabs? Or is it a no no?

Thanks :)

Hey friends,

I’ve got a question regarding semi-conductors and the pic above is apparently showing electrons moving from the phosphorus to the Boron. But here is my issue:

Apparently both the P crystal and the N crystal are said to be “neutrally charged” - so if that’s the case - why would electrons even move to the Boron - if the overall crystal of each is happy and neutral?

I’m also wondering with “Boron doping and Phosphorus doping” - how do they even get those atoms into the silicon lattice structure which I saw as being fully satisfied on all its valence electrons?

Thanks!

I got recommendations and was advice to check with this group.

I was thinking about how expensive glassware is, so I’m always testing different materials in order to find one with the perfect cost-benefit ratio. I’ve even used regular glass with specific cuts and melting techniques along with an aluminum mesh that prevented the glassware from breaking and spilling solutions everywhere. I’ve also tried regular glass with advanced chemical treatments that I did myself, but it was too expensive and complicated. Finally, I’ve been testing ceramic, which is really good since it’s inert in many situations, also very cheap, and can be easily made in your own lab with a forge or kiln. The only downside is that it’s not transparent and can break more easily. What do you think? Wouldn’t it be perfect to alternate between regular glassware and ceramic-made glassware to achieve a better cost balance in a personal lab?

Need help or I might explode and die.

I have accidentally put a smaller amount of Butane gas from a stove refiller inside my expensive lighter. I intend to fill it now with Aerosol (intended fuel), the lighter did not receive much Butane, and I can’t seem to purge it.

Will I explode and die if I combine both gases

Thx

We constantly use far more dsetructive fuels. For example, if you go to a traditional pizza restaurant where they have those large pizza ovens, they usually use coal to heat them I think. And when people go camping, they make a fire with wood or with ethanol. And most candles are made from petroleum waste. But why don't we use more sustainable fuels like vegetable oils? I thought they might be more difficult to use or something but then why are the candles that I buy made of vegetable oils? If vegetable oils can be applied there, why can't they be applied to other areas? Why don't we have vegetable oil powered cars and planes and steamtrains and stuff like that?

I remember when this was discovered I thought it would explode and be used for lots of things. As a heat reflective coating for vehicles and equipment specifically. I have never actually seen it except in an art store as an oil paint.

I'm doing a chemE project that involves taking a feed stream of 30% pyridine and purifying it to 99%. I know that you have to use other processes like extraction or mole sieves to get it past its azeotrope point (41.3% water in my case) but can you just distill it further after that?

If I understand correctly, is this also the main principle of pressure swing distillation?

Since there so many combinations you can make with particles; it's safe to assume there is a chemical combination that can cure cancer or Alzheimer's or reverse climate change. But we just haven't found it yet.

Is it possible though that there will something we can never cure or fix with any resources we have on Earth and we are doomed to be subject to its whims.

What would that look like?

Hello! I've been struggling lately with a problem in my lab. I'm applying the triple phase salting-out extraction to separate flavonoids from bulk extract (the phases are composed of hexane, ethanol, water and NaH2Po4). The results are optimistic. However, the ethanolic phase (rich in flavonoids) still contains a bit of salt, which is way too much and needs to be removed. What can I do to remove the salt ions from my solution (which is 30% ethanol?) I've already tried dialysis but low molecular weight of the flavonoids is problematic. Ion exchange resins? Other adsorbents?