Osmium tetroxide
 

For those who are interested, the melting point is 40 C and the boiling point is 130 C, which means that it is pretty volatile. How stable it would be in an explosion, I don't know. It is extremely poisonous; my faithful copy of the Rubber Handbook says that concentrations as low as one tenth of a millionth of a gram per cubic metre of air can cause lung congestion, skin damage or eye damage. On the other hand, I don't have a price list to hand, but I would guess that you're entering arm and a leg territory. All in all, a most peculiar choice.

Here endeth the lesson.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

If that hadn't been spelt correctly I'd have thought this was a thread raised by sir_drinks_a_lot.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

If I hadn't spelt it right I'd probably have to retire with the customary revolver and bottle of whisky. :)

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

You sound like my old Science Teacher ... er ... or was that the whole point? ;)

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

I thought it was one of the later Roman emperors myself.

Are we really so short of intelligent terrorists? OK, not a laughing matter, but really. There are several hundred better (worse?) choices to spread around London, but I think the terrorists are hampered by their wish to be spectacular, which will hopefully lead them to overlook the more obvious means of causing disruption (I'm amazed there aren't more bogus bomb scares, the IRA worked that one out years ago, it was far safer to make a phone call than a bomb).

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

$35.00 a gram according to this site, just in case you wanted to pop down and get some :disturbd:

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

so not really that expensive then! from Theodoric's first post, 1g would do a lot of damage!!!

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

and that is the problem , chemicals that are used legit can be used for causing death and destruction :(

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

Yes, but not something you buy at Boots. However, most of the laboratory supply houses would probably stock it.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

And as if airborn was not bad enough, they now advertise it in aqueas form

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

As cheap as that, eh. But at about 28g to the troy ounce it makes it dearer than gold.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

Yes, if you can get it finely and evenly dispersed and keep it in the air. Easier said than done, I suspect.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

LOL, definitely not something for Boots.

Sigma sell it, & I assume there are other UK suppliers too.


Odd choice of chemical.

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

True but you know what they say normally comes in small packages :erm:

Re: Osmium tetroxide
 

Theo what's your day job?