November 27, 2024, 11:47:46 PM
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Topic: Question, re: roommate, kind of a jerk, just want some input. Hopefully its nil  (Read 2654 times)

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Offline thebarbaricnoodle

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Red Iron Oxide
Fuses (10's foot)
Acetone, TSP, other items related to auto restoration
Sodiunm Hydroxide
Sodium Nitrate
Commercial grade 99% pure Urea 46% Nitrogen content
numerous beakers, glassware
Potassium Hydroxide
Other lye product
Potassium Permanganate
Potassium Nitrate
Ammonium Dichromate
Zinc Oxide
Calcium Hypochlorite
Centrifuge (800-1)
Aluminum Oxide
Aluminum Powder
Hexamine
DMSO liquid
Verious superfine graphite rod
Glycerin, food grade
Methanol
Hyudrochloric acid
Nitric acid
Sulfuric Acid (93%)
Concentrated sulfuric acid (98%)

I'm writing because I've been renting a place in Draper for a while now and have learned that there has been an ongoing situation in the house where one of the tenants has been violent and abusive to some of the others. Not to me, and this is not something that I've witnessed myself, but it is definitely something that has created a situation where the owner (we are all renting) has decided to sell. As I had been talking with some of the other tenants, I learned a few stories about times when one of the tenants (T) had screamed at some of the others, broken a number of things in a rage, and more.

I have bene living here since June of last year, and I have occasionally had to access the detached garage in the backyard to access tools and parts for my car. Whta I had seen out there I didn't think much of, but as I started to do a little research I began to get worried that some of the intentions of the owner of this stuff might be somewhat nefarious. Perhaps I have just seen too much Breaking Bad, and I certainly didn't learn enough in phyics or chemistry classes to know what or how all this stuff could be used for, but I do believe that I have qualified that some of the stuff can be used to manufacture items such as fireworks, etc.. Since the items seem to belong to the one tenant that has a history of being violent, I just wanted to speak to someone to try to determine if this is stuff that we need to be worried about. It may simply be that this is just a hobby or that it could be school-related, but since I'm moving out and since the owner has decided to sell, I feel that it would be irresponsible of me not to say anything. I'm sure that by way of this note that someone can be engaged to help assuage a few of my worries, but I definitely don't want to have said nothing and then find out later that something had happened.

This is all stuff that is in that garage, which is pretty much a common area, but it's not at all a subject that I know anything about, and so just wanted to send out feelers. I've started to post to get some more details from anyone 'in-the-know', and the truth is that after hearing stories about this guy that has me thankful I never saw some of his behavior, but I worry about the guy and hope that he's alright, or at the very least that he gets whatever help he needs to adjust his attitude. But the stuff in that garage, I just have no idea about.

Any suggestions or commends are welcome.

Thanks,

Offline Mitch

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I don't see any breaking bad chemicals there, however, some of those on your list can be used to make explosives when combined correctly. My main concern would be how they are stored, is there separation of acids and bases, is there separation of oxidizers from the organics. Probably not. Hurry up and get the hell out of there.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2019, 09:25:12 PM by Mitch »
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Offline Borek

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As Mitch wrote, definitely some pyrotechnical combinations here.
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Offline Corribus

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Plus the fuses are kind of a giveaway.
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

Offline Enthalpy

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The fine graphite rods can be an alternative to fuses, with a more convenient voltage and current.

The diversity of oxidisers suggests the tenant had a passion for explosives or for pyrotechnics. Dichromate serves more for flares than for boom, aluminium powder too, for instance in combination with iron oxide, also with zinc oxide. Nitrates would rather combine with sulphur for explosives, but I don't see sulphur in your list.

Permanganate and glycerine can make hours or days-long retarded fuses. Far less convenient than electronic fuses, but they fit a different knowledge and leave less obvious evidence. However, they have individual uses too.

Depending on where you live, this activity can be a perfectly legal hobby. In the German Democratic Republic, pupils learned to make explosives in chemistry classes. Presently in Germany, buying just glycerine attracts nosy questions from unofficial police collaborators. Flares and explosions in you own backyard are said to be legal in parts of the US.

"Violent and abusive" doesn't relate to a planned attack I believe. Anders Behring Breivik didn't get noticed before his attacks.

I too recommend to separate the compounds.

Separate urgently
Permanganate, nitric acid
from
Glycerine, hexamine, methanol
as they catch fire by contact, and then your stock may explode. Or if they react without catching fire quickly, some resulting products are shock-sensitive explosives.

Separate all oxidisers and acids from the fuels and aluminium.

In case pyro hobby is legal where you live, why shouldn't you ask the previous tenant to remove his stock?

Offline Enthalpy

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To my understanding, the diversity of the compounds, which don't serve to synthesize one explosive but to make many mixtures, indicate a year-long hobby, not a planned attack.

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