Archive for April 24th, 2006

Aluminum / bromine reaction: lighting fuse not necessary; just get away!

Monday, April 24th, 2006

Let’s say you don’t want to do the thermite reaction, but you still want to see some very neat looking violent chemistry. The reaction between aluminum and bromine might fit the bill.

2Al(s) + 3Br2(l) –> 2AlBr3(s)

It’s a very simple reaction, but it’s also very exothermic, and can put on an impressive show. Not only is enough heat generated to melt the aluminum metal, but the heat also vaporizes some bromine, producing huge clouds of white and orange smoke. For obvious reasons, this reaction should be done where you’ve got very good ventilation. I used my hood for these pictures and this video.

Here’s a still image of the reaction vessel containing only liquid bromine.

[Liquid bromine in a beaker]
Liquid bromine and its vapor.

Bromine is the dark red liquid at the bottom. Bromine is quite volatile, and you can see orange bromine vapor in the top of the beaker.

About ten seconds after adding some torn aluminum foil, things look more like this.

[Aluminum bromide reaction]
Reaction!

A little later …

[More reaction]
Things begin to heat up! (Click to enlarge)

Oh yeah!

[FIRE!]
Now we’re cooking! (Click to enlarge)

Want to see the video? Here are a few links to a 30-second video file with audio:

The aftermath of the reaction is interesting. Some of the aluminum foil melted and fused with the bottom of the beaker.

[Aluminum burned to a beaker]
Aluminum fused to the beaker

Needless to say, we won’t be using this beaker again.

You can see the aluminum bromide product on the sides of the beaker.

[Aluminum bromide]
Aluminum bromide (white / yellowish solid) on the beaker

The aluminum bromide formed will react with water, causing the release of hydrogen bromide (very nasty to breathe – acidic vapor), so you need to be careful disposing of the product! That reaction is also very exothermic, so touching the product or adding water to it is not recommended. Leave it out long enough, though, and it will absorb water from the air on its own.

Ain’t science neat?

Disclaimer: Do not try this reaction at home. In fact, do not try this reaction at all! You were warned.

Updated with more pictures and video: 04/25/2006

Posted in Science, Science education | Comments Off on Aluminum / bromine reaction: lighting fuse not necessary; just get away!

South Carolina BBQ – Antley’s of Orangeburg

Monday, April 24th, 2006

Chances are, if you’ve heard the words “South Carolina” and “Bar-B-Que” mentioned in the same sentence, you’re going to think about Maurice Bessinger’s BBQ. Bessinger’s BBQ is pit-cooked pig, flavored with a strong mustard sauce. To people who live in the middle of South Carolina, Bessinger and his “Piggie Park” are synonymous with BBQ.

[Maurice Bessinger's BBQ Pit Stop]
Bessinger’s Orangeburg location

But there’s more to South Carolina BBQ than than just Bessinger’s, and you can find BBQ to rival or even beat Bessinger’s in other parts of the state. I’m from Orangeburg, and BBQ in Orangeburg is still pit-cooked pork. The main difference is the sauce – which is much milder than Bessinger’s yellow mustard sauce. If you’re in the Orangeburg area, you might want to stop in Orangeburg and eat at Antley’s.

[Antley's sign]
Patty and Rick’s grandmother Annelle in front of Antley’s

Walk into Antley’s and you’ll be in the buffet line. Unless you want a carry-out, the $7 buffet is the best way to eat. You’ll be provided with a plate, silverware, and a glass of ice. Sweet tea is available at each table, or you can get water or (horrors!) unsweetened tea. You can go to the buffet as much as you like, although you may have trouble eating more than one or two plates. If you’d like to make a sandwich out of the meat, bread it provided on the buffet.

[Inside Antley's]
A view from the table

What’s on the buffet? BBQ (of course), slaw, hush puppies, hash and rice, fried chicken, beans (green and baked), and sauce. This is, after all, a BBQ place. You didn’t come to eat seafood, and you won’t find it here. When you’ve piled up your plate, it might look sometning like this.

[Rick's plate]
Rick’s plate

I had rice and hash (What’s in hash? Don’t ask. Just eat it.), some green beans, a few hush puppies, and BBQ with sauce. The main attraction is, of course, the pit-cooked BBQ. The rest of the plate serves mainly to give your tastebuds a rest after eating the BBQ. You miight want to avoid the hush puppies, though – flavorless. The meat, though, is excellent – very tender and full of flavor (even if you eat it without the sauce).

Looking again at that picture, I might have been a little skimpy on the sauce. When I was a kid, I’d wouldn’t stop putting on the sauce until it was running off the side of the plate! (Danger: Do not try this with Bessinger’s sauce!)

If yuo want something cooler to go with the meat, you might do like Patty did and get a little slaw on the side.

[Patty's plate]
Patty’s plate – a little blurry since I didn’t use a flash

Want some BBQ to go? You can order it inside, or just go to the outside walk-up (not drive through) window.

[Outdoor menu]
Order at the walk-up window

We ordered two pounds of BBQ (which came with a pint of sauce) to take home, and got it within five minutes. The price wasn’t bad, either – $6 per pound.

Hungry yet? Antley’s is at 1370 Sims Street in Orangeburg, and is open from 11 AM till 9 PM. Be careful, though – like many small South Carolina BBQ restaurants, they’re only open three days a week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Now after writing all this, I’m hurgry again. Good thing we have that BBQ and sauce in the fridge!

Posted in Food | 9 Comments »

Marlboro Midgets

Monday, April 24th, 2006

The Marlboro Man is a bit shorter than I remember him.

[72 mm Marlboro Men]

Posted in The Stupidity Photoblog | Comments Off on Marlboro Midgets