tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post2395395363639146950..comments2024-03-27T21:23:40.339-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: Any good theories about the airbag recall? Chemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-88463294803611180002014-11-20T09:41:31.174-05:002014-11-20T09:41:31.174-05:00Old post, but there's a NY Times piece today t...Old post, but there's a NY Times piece today that says the airbag problems may be because they cheaped out and starting using ammonium nitrate, instead of tetrazole or guanidinium nitrate. (My phone isn't letting me paste the link)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-1621735873138971182014-10-28T10:32:05.826-04:002014-10-28T10:32:05.826-04:00Wow! Yet another thing missing from my safety chec...Wow! Yet another thing missing from my safety check list.... Always learning....SJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-45704444161098225842014-10-28T10:16:47.395-04:002014-10-28T10:16:47.395-04:00Here's a link to Ruth's post explaining th...Here's a link to Ruth's post explaining the issue: http://www.thechemistryofcars.com/?p=188Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-29158418586891664872014-10-28T10:06:11.486-04:002014-10-28T10:06:11.486-04:00Huh, that's a very interesting bit of informat...Huh, that's a very interesting bit of information! Thanks. Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-70838764633430517472014-10-27T22:57:58.553-04:002014-10-27T22:57:58.553-04:00I saw the innards of an air bag made in 2003. The ...I saw the innards of an air bag made in 2003. The propellant was housed in a half-filled heavy-walled steel tube. Both ends were closed and small vent holes were drilled toward the end of the empty half. Presumably the restricted vents slowed down the gas expansion to prevent ripping the bag.<br /><br />I can imagine that a bad design or manufacturing problem could result in rupturing of the steel tube sending shrapnel through the bag canvas.SJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-55911048762499415202014-10-27T22:25:00.423-04:002014-10-27T22:25:00.423-04:00It looks like they were unique in using ammonium n...It looks like they were unique in using ammonium nitrate in their airbags. Bad seals in high humidity climates allowed water to get in and produced more gas than intended.Ruthhttp://www.thechemistryofcars.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-54870206962123193132014-10-27T13:49:45.451-04:002014-10-27T13:49:45.451-04:00Now I don't know what the canister material is...Now I don't know what the canister material is made of, I assume some sort of metallic compound. It could be that moisture and the NaN3 is leaching out some heavier metals and forming a heavy metal azide which is probably shock sensitive. This used to happen in the lead piping of older labs, especially those who used NaN3 as a bactericide and poured the waste down the sink. over the years lead azide built up confusing the plumber who had to fix the leaks!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15287977920784124907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-8122844571425396252014-10-27T13:19:09.414-04:002014-10-27T13:19:09.414-04:00also, I don't think hydrazoic acid release is ...also, I don't think hydrazoic acid release is the culprit - my guess would be more likely a corrosive action of the propellant on the canister material, which would weaken it over time especially if some moisture seeps inmilkshakehttp://orgprepdaily.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-31461297084303453242014-10-27T13:15:20.639-04:002014-10-27T13:15:20.639-04:00sodium azide (with a sensitizer additive) was used...sodium azide (with a sensitizer additive) was used in older air bags, I think it is now being phased out in favor of aminotetrazole + oxidizer combo, because of concerns about azide toxicitymilkshakehttp://orgprepdaily.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-72973626988526316342014-10-27T12:30:37.357-04:002014-10-27T12:30:37.357-04:00The authors of this paper - http://pubs.acs.org/do...The authors of this paper - http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ol5027975 - report a gram-scale synthesis of triazoled by heating sodium azide and tosic acid in DMF. If a little moisture and some sodium azide is enough to cause an explosion via hydrazoic acid, I would hate to be working in proximity to these guys.<br /><br />Interestingly, they note in the paper "Due to the explosive and toxic nature of hydrazoic acids, Brønsted acids should not be mixed with NaN3", then proceed to do just that. Brave, or just crazy? I can't decide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com