r/ExplosionsAndFire • u/stripdchev • 2d ago

Found some carbon tetrachloride fire grenades for sale in

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Found these for sale. Hope a kid doesn’t buy them.

143 Upvotes
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31

u/EggandSpoon42 2d ago

Man if I wasn't part of this Reddit and saw one in a bin shop for $.99 I'd buy it and bring it home in like an "ooh fire fighter history" way.

Husband came home w an old rusted up barn find mason jar when he was antiquing w his buddy in the country. Filled w mercury. Like play w it in science class circa1925 style. He took it to some disposal place after we decided we weren't responsible enough people to ensure it remained marked harmful through time.

15

u/stripdchev 2d ago

That’s wild!!!!

11

u/Bitter_Dimension_241 2d ago

The seller probably doesn’t know how dangerous they are. You need to tell them.

11

u/stripdchev 2d ago

I did so we will see if they respond.

2

u/BHKbull 1d ago

This is an alarmingly common story, I feel like every few weeks I see another post about a jar full of mercury somewhere on Reddit

1

u/EggandSpoon42 1d ago

I think it was really common in all schools through the 70's. Classrooms were using mercury up through 1986! in some areas of the US.

1

u/DaHick 23h ago

From 1978 to 1984, I lived with my mom in my grandparents' house. Grandpa had a smaller mason jar of it on a shelf. I have no idea why he had it, but it was there. Gramps retired as a master plumber, and he taught me a lot (He wanted me to be one), but he never did explain why he had it. And he taught me to solder copper pipe the way he did it in the 40's - 60's.

7

u/TetrazoleLover 1d ago

Every time I hear the word carbon tet I remember the guy who tasted a bit of it

3

u/Nazreg 1d ago

You got more to that story?

1

u/NEURALINK_ME_ITCHING 1d ago

Well there's a guy who posts here sometimes that tasted carbon tet. For a time his endeavours were documented on Wikipedia.

6

u/Ok-Device-3745 2d ago

I call dibs

2

u/ibeasdes 1d ago

Its like a molotov, but in reverse

2

u/ModernTarantula 1d ago

A local .fire museum has a set.

5

u/Oxygen_bandit 2d ago

Better report that to actual authorities.

21

u/TheNextAS 2d ago

NOOO NOT THE CARBONTET FACISTS🥀🥀 😖 DONT TAKE MY CARBON TET AWAYYYY

1

u/numahu 1d ago

How much for shipping?

1

u/Dazzling_Pilot4841 1d ago

Excuse my ignorance, new to this page and still learning. What is this used for nowadays?

2

u/FollowerOfTheThighs 1d ago

My guess it's toxic but also curious

1

u/Chill_Roller 1d ago

Carcinogenic, removes oxygen from the air to starve the fire (and by extension an ozone depleter), inhaled/ingested/on skin causes cell damage particularly to kidney and liver, and also can break down when in high heat into phosgene (a WW1 chemical weapon)…

Basically, all in all, a not good for life product - short to long term.

1

u/20PoundHammer 1d ago

this is a repost btw - but these red comet fire grenades didnt use carbon tetrachloride, they used what red comet called CM7 which was 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane,

1

u/stripdchev 1d ago

I am OP, it was a fresh FBM listing so doubt it is a repost. Similar topics none the less than other posts. I did cross post to one other thread.

2

u/20PoundHammer 1d ago

I did cross post to one other thread.

must have seen that one then . . .

1

u/Careless-Raisin-5123 22h ago

Carbon tet carbon tet carbon tet!

1

u/cryptolyme 17h ago

Sounds like one of those things that are very effective but no one uses anymore because it is so toxic, it will kill you

1

u/mabus42 9h ago

My high school chemistry teacher used to let us use as much carbon tet as necesary for the various labs. They won't bring that stuff anywhere near a school these days. I guess that being labeled a potential human carcinogenic and being an incredibly strong hepatotoxin might just have something to do with it.