Perhaps our definitions of explode are different. I believe all that happend was the the H2O2 came out of solution, like a soda or coke does, and the pressure built up until the bottle broke. I don't believe the H2O2 exploded, but the bottle simply broke due to the pressure. If you put a soft drink in the same bottle the same thing would happen if you heated it.
3% H2O2 is unstable in that it will quickly evolve oxygen and reduce to water, especially in the prescence of certain chemicals and heat. Higher percentages of H2O2 can however really explode, where the rapid evolution of oxygen can be triggered by a shock wave generated by rapid evolution of oxygen. In this case you do not need a closed container that simply ruptures, but it could actually be open and still explode. I have seen pictures of rail cars split wide open by this. Marshall Richard Harris wrote: > Hi Marshall, > Thanks for all the good info you and others offer us newbies on this and > other sites. In Jan. 1946, I returned from the Pacific where the Marines had > sent me to fight the Japs as an infantry officer. I needed to reattend U of > FL to complete my senior year in Pharmacy, which I did in July. I needed to > get some required Drugstore experience so worked with my pharmacist uncle in > St. Augustine. In June, the FL sun was beating down and ultra-hot Burns > Drugstore had a sliding door open-front on US Hwy 1 which had just been > newly tarred and the heatwaves rolled into the open front merciless and > unhampered. (Air conditioning came a few years later}. I was standing behind > the soda fountain, sweating and pretending that the weather was Not > unbearable. Suddenly, I heard Jap knee mortar shells exploding across from > me & grabbed an ice cream scoop, dropped to the concrete floor and began > digging a foxhole! Then there was another explosion and another. As I lay > there, reality set in and I mentally explained to myself: You big dummy, the > war is over; we won; that can't be mortar shells--what is it? It dawned on > me that at certain conditions and temperatures, Hydrogen Peroxide 3% can and > did explode. I rushed over to the shelf with a cardboard box and quickly > placed the several remaining glass bottles inside the box and rushed them > out to the trash bin, with no more exploding incidents. Upon my uncle's > return to the store, I related the shelling incident. I don't recall whether > or not he began storing H2O2 in the refrigerator thereafter. With later > store air conditioning, bottling in plastic and prompt shipping, the problem > has lessened, but remains real. H2O2 at all 3 strengths is explosive under > the proper conditions. Handly carefully. > Best regards, > Richard Harris, 56 yr FL Pharmacist > > -----Original Message----- > From: Marshall Dudley [mailto:mdud...@execonn.com] > Sent: Monday, October 06, 2003 9:58 AM > To: silver-list@eskimo.com > Subject: Re: CS>RE: sick from cs > > Under what conditions would 3% H2O2 be explosive? > > Marshall > > Richard Harris wrote: > > > Hi Nenah, > > The other 97% is purified water--the 3% is Stabilized Hydrogen peroxide. > > Unless you purchase the 35% food grade and dilute with distilled water, > you > > are using regular medicinal H2O2 which is fine and much easier and safer. > > The food grade, 35%, is highly explosive; the cosmetic grade, 6%, is > > explosive as is the medicinal grade, 3%. Handle each carefully, without > > shaking and keep away from heat. I believe they store it in dark plastic > > bottles, since flying glass bottles in explosion is so dangerous. > > Best regards, > > Richard Harris, 56 yr FL Phamacist > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Stuff [mailto:st...@laguna.com.mx] > > Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 5:02 PM > > To: silver-list@eskimo.com > > Subject: Re: CS>RE: sick from cs > > > > At 05:56 PM 10/2/2003 -0400, you wrote: > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: <luut.verb...@freeler.nl> > > >To: <silver-list@eskimo.com> > > >Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 4:41 PM > > >Subject: Re: CS>RE: sick from cs > > > > Does anyone know what the other 97% consists of? > > > > >I always clean my silver electrodes with 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide. > > It > > >works for me. > > > > > >Nenah > > > > > > > > >-- > > >The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. > > > > > >Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: http://silverlist.org > > > > > >To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com > > > > > >Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html > > > > > >List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
