- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmit.online
- hackernews@derp.foo
- technews@radiation.party
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmit.online
- hackernews@derp.foo
- technews@radiation.party
“Real Water” that poisoned dozens contained chemical in rocket fuel — An expert witness testified hydrazine was likely formed during an electrolysis process::An expert witness testified hydrazine was likely formed during an electrolysis process.
Did you know regular water contains a chemical used in rocket fuel, too? Yeah, Oxygen. Saying it “contained chemicals also found in rocket fuel” is just click bait. Not saying Real Water didn’t have issues or should be forgiven, just that sensationalist headlines are dumb.
Well yes, but that stuff contained hydrazine. It’s not that sensationalist.
I’m just surprised the people making it didn’t get jail time.
Yeah, this ain’t “dihydrogen monoxide lol11!”, hydrazine is really really nasty stuff.
They can say it included a highly toxic chemical. Whether or not it’s used in rocket fuel is completely irrelevant.
They could say that, but a primary use for hydrazine is rocket fuel, so I’m not sure why I should find the headline outrageous.
Because we’re not talking about making rockets - we’re talking about water.
Some mushrooms contain hydrazine (Gyromitra esculenta), just because its used as rocket fuel doesn’t mean IT’S rocket fuel.
Legitimately serious chemical, but the “cOnTaInEd cHeMiCaL iN rOcKeT fUeL” bit of the headline is sensationalist clickbait.
On the contrary, hydrazine is nasty stuff. If anything, the headline missed out on being more sensational than it could be.
Hydrazine (from Wikipedia)
Hydrazine is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula N2H4. It is a simple pnictogen hydride, and is a colourless flammable liquid with an ammonia-like odour. Hydrazine is highly toxic unless handled in solution as, for example, hydrazine hydrate (N2H4·xH2O).
Hydrazine is mainly used as a foaming agent in preparing polymer foams, but applications also include its uses as a precursor to polymerization catalysts, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals, as well as a long-term storable propellant for in-space spacecraft propulsion. Additionally, hydrazine is used in various rocket fuels and to prepare the gas precursors used in air bags. Hydrazine is used within both nuclear and conventional electrical power plant steam cycles as an oxygen scavenger to control concentrations of dissolved oxygen in an effort to reduce corrosion.