Re: BIG VALVES -Reply

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@poboxes.com>]

The risk of sodium  is that it reacts violently with water to produce
hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen gas
frequently explodes/burns due to the large amount of heat generated by the
reaction. Sodium itself is a metal
with a low melting point.

If you get the sodium out of the valve, somehow... don't get it wet. Now,
more than you ever wanted to know about sodium:

Sodium is stored in laboratories under light oil, or sealed in an inert
atmosphere.  If it gets loose, cover it with oil to keep the air and water
away. If you put the oily sodium into water, it sizzles, releases the
hydrogen, and it buzzes around on the surface of the water like a crazed jet
skier. It is so hot that it melts and becomes liquid sodium, and when it
blows, it spatters the liquid sodium all around, about 3-4 feet or more.
WHAP!
And then the little pieces start going off. If it gets on your skin, it
reacts with the water in your
tissues and causes a bad chemical burn. The liquid that results from the
reaction is sodium hydroxide, known
to most of us a a drain cleaner. Really dissolves grease, turning it into
soap. Does the same to the fat in your tissues, and makes your skin feel
slippery. Wash with gallons of water for about 15 minutes, and consult 
a physician.


You can dispose of  sodium metal by calling the local bomb squad, 'cause
thats what you are dealing with.

The sodium is O.K. as long as you keep it sealed inside the valve, without
access to air or moisture.

Couldn't resist this chance to save a few more lives/eyes/skin/etc. OH!
Don't touch it for any reason.
Wear safety goggles.


Doyt

86 4KcsQ   handled at least 15 pounds of sodium in my lifetime. Scares me.

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At 06:10 PM 1/7/97 -0500, you wrote:

>
><
>>I'm not sure of the part numbers, but there is an air-cooled VW app that 
>>uses 35mm sodium filled valves. they're a lot longer than the audi's, but 
>>they're cheap and your local machine shop could cut them down and do the 
>>keepers...
>
>Better watch how far you cut them down, lest that expensive (And Toxic) 
>Sodium get's out.....
><
>
>For a science experiment we broke one open in a shop a few years back, 
>were careful not to touch it, just kinda oozed and bubbled as it was 
>exposed to the air. Not blinded by science this time...
>-
>Dave
>
>
>