Posted on 07/12/2010 12:47:45 PM PDT by rstrahan
We all take automotive refrigerant (R-12/R-134) as part of the car. But this stuff can KILL YOU. Found out the hard way. Wife was in the car, AC failed, dumped all the freon into the cabin of the car. She got a big shot of it. 30 minutes later, she is very dizzy, very sick. An hour, she's flat on the floor, throwing up blood. Got her to the ER, they started work. She's home now and recovering. But if we had not got her to the ER, she could have died. You do research, the medical articles say "if you survive 72 hours". YIKES.
So, if you get exposed to this stuff, get to the ER immediately. It is NOTHING TO FOOL AROUND WITH.
“There were kids back in high school that used to huff this stuff to get a high.”
Ype, I mean “yep”. :(
Glad you’re wife is ok, rstrahan. I hope there are no lingering effects. :~)
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/poison_gas_and_world_war_one.htm
Phosgene is about 3/4 the way down. Nasty.
See post #24
Burn it as it comes out of the can with a propane torch and you have mustard gas.
Burn it as it comes out of the can with a propane torch and you have mustard gas... actually, phosgene which is very similar.
I would not advise it.
Because of the war crimes charges you’d receive?
Yes, phosgene was one of the very nasty gases used in WWI.
‘Freon’ also breaks down to HFl. hydrofluoric acid. Another very nasty chemical.
Having worked around ‘freon’ and torches many times I can tell you one whiff of either will almost knock you down.
Ever struck a match and got a whiff of sulphur dioxide? Takes you aback. Similar to HFL and phosgene.
The lubricating oils that are used with R-134 are synthetic and are more toxic than the mineral oil R-12 used.
Neither is something you'd want to breathe in. I can't stand the PAG or Ester oils on my fingers, they absorb the moisture and cause the outer layer of skin to fluff off, so I wear chemical barrier gloves when handling it.
So glad your lovely wife is safe and sound!
Yes. I used to do AC/refrigeration and brazing copper you could see if there was latent freon; it would burn green. I nearly got myself once working in a confined area.
Nothing to fool with.
Me too. Commercial
I have been hacking control software for about 20 years. Before that I did commercial HVAC. Got out about the time they started all the reclaim stuff.
I’ve used R-12 for years.. at room temperature, in liquid form, formed the base of a prosthetic adhesive.. gluing latex parts to the body.
Stuffed worked great and as I said, used it regularly for years. Of course its use was banned by the EPA, not the FDA.. for “being dangerous to the OZONE layer.”
Having said that,, there is one situation where it becomes toxic. Freon, in the presence of red hot copper and flame becomes fozgen (spelling?) AKA mustard gas.
I've been in the HVAC biz for three decades. Something else happened here, but it was not just freon. Side note,, stupid kids trying to get high will try stiffing freon,, since it displaces oxygen,, it can kill you.
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