Condy`s Crystals Commotion

[Stan 386]

What a farce ! 12(at least) firepersons, numerous police persons

Three fire engines parked up outside the shop including one vehicle from the environmental protection unit and police also arrived to block off one lane of Mansfield Road while work was carried out.

Developing an effective multilateral effort focused on potassium permanganate has proved difficult because of the vast illicit uses of this chemical.

Potassium permanganate, an oxidizer, is the primary precursor chemical used in producing cocaine. It is used to remove the impurities from cocaine base. It has many legitimate industrial uses, including waste water treatment, disinfecting, and deodorizing. Potassium permanganate also can be combined with pseudoephedrine to produce methcathinone, a synthetic stimulant that is also a controlled substance.

I for one would be very interested to know why an hypnotic (temazepam) and potassium permanganate (a virtually obsolete chemical in modern retail pharmacy) should be mixed! Life in Nottingham becomes ever more interesting.

[mick2me 3,033]

It was included in my toy chemistry set and used to colour water?

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

I hope to find out more as I know someone who works at Boots in Nottm.

Colin

[Limey 242]

It was also a staple in school chemistry labs.

[StephenFord 866]

Eventually someone will tumble to the fact that you can make an almighty explosion with a bag of ordinary flour, freely available on the shelves of a supermarket near you - and then I guess we shall all be forbidden from making our own bread, cakes or Yorkshire puds. I remember attending a seminar when the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations were first brought it. The speaker (who had a nice sense of proportion, and his feet firmly planted on the ground) pointed out that there were actually very few substances that are not hazardous to health if misused - "Such as water," he said "...if it's deep enough."

[mick2me 3,033]

Very true, but the explosive properties of substances such as flour require a correct Fuel/air mixture to be produced.

[Limey 242]

You can make an explosion with almost anything that is flammable - flour (or grain dust) is not uncommon, there have been grain elevator explosions in the states since I have lived here. Cotton dust is another good one!

The problem is, you have to get the flour/dust/whatever well mixed with the air in a confined space, then add an ignition source - it is not easy to do!

As an aside, sailors on the grain freighters on the Great Lakes used to carry miner's flame safety lamps (Davy Lamps) to inspect the holds - for the same reason that miners used then - to avoid explosions!

[Stan 386]

Can anyone explain to me why Temazepam (in chemists in simple tablet form) and Potassium Permanganate be mixed together in a `normal' retail pharmacy outlet? I think not.

Acetic anhydride is used to synthesize morphine base into heroin, and potassium permanganate is used as an oxidizer in cocaine production. Both chemicals are targeted (by drug enforcement agencies) because they are the chemicals most often preferred, and most widely used, by illicit drug manufacturers.