[RASMB] Volatile buffers in AUC question

[John Philo]

Oh, you didn’t say you meant combustion after being expelled through the vacuum pump, so I thought you were talking about combustion inside the chamber. I tend to doubt a flash of the vapor coming out of the vacuum pump is very likely, or that the amount of energy from 40 microliters (< 1 cal I think) would do much anyway, but that is way outside my expertise.

Regarding the Allergan rumor, yes they did build a fume hood around their centrifuge in case there was a leak of Botox, but I’m virtually certain they never trashed a centrifuge because there was one.

John

From: David Hayes [mailto:drdavidbhayes at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 10:46 AM
To: jphilo at mailway.com; RASMB <rasmb at rasmb.org>
Subject: Re: [RASMB] Volatile buffers in AUC question

 

Hi John,

 

I was told that the outlets of the vacuum pumps went right into the inside of the centrifuge:  so the leak from the cell would be expelled as a vapor into the chassis of the centrifuge.

Similarly, if a botox sample cell leaked, the toxin could go just about anywhere and they would have to throw away the centrifuge:  (a second hand apocryphal story from Allergan).

 

Kind Regards,

 

David

 

 

 

  _____  

From: John Philo <jphilo at mailway.com <mailto:jphilo at mailway.com> >
To: 'David Hayes' <drdavidbhayes at yahoo.com <mailto:drdavidbhayes at yahoo.com> >; 'RASMB' <rasmb at rasmb.org <mailto:rasmb at rasmb.org> > 
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 1:21 PM
Subject: RE: [RASMB] Volatile buffers in AUC question

 

David, if it were leaking into vacuum (no oxygen), how could it burn? Am I missing something?

 

John

 

 

From: RASMB [mailto:rasmb-bounces at list.rasmb.org] On Behalf Of David Hayes
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 9:59 AM
To: RASMB <rasmb at rasmb.org <mailto:rasmb at rasmb.org> >
Subject: [RASMB] Volatile buffers in AUC question

 

Hi all,

 

I have a sample where we want to run in a buffer with 10% IPA.

In general, because of the possibility of ignition of flammable components if there was a cell leak, People at AUC workshops say not to run organic solvents in the Beckman XLA/XLI instruments.

Should I be worried about this buffer with 10% isopropyl alcohol?  

Even if a cell leaked and 40 micro liters of IPA evaporated along with the aqueous components, how big of a flash would it be?  Could it damage the instrument?

 

I know that polymer chemists also run AUC and wonder if there is any actual experience with organic solvents and any verified incidents of cells leaking and causing fire damage.

 

Kind Regards,

 

David Hayes

 

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