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Theodoric · 05-01-2006, 20:28

According to this link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...ds/4585714.stm
20 tons of resorcinol are ablaze. The local fire brigade say that the cloud produced by the fire contains elements of sulphur and nitrogen. But where does the sulphur and nitrogen come from? Resorcinol is m-dihydroxybenzene and contains only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. OK, one method of making it is by alkali fusion of sodium m-benzenedisulphonate, which could explain the sulphur, but where does the nitrogen come from?

And I am surprised that, just for once, the name of the chemical is actually given. Normally all we get is that a fire has occurred at a chemical factory with essentially zero information as to what has caught fire.

05-01-2006, 20:28	#1
Theodoric Inactive Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: London Posts: 2,974	Especially for chemists According to this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...ds/4585714.stm 20 tons of resorcinol are ablaze. The local fire brigade say that the cloud produced by the fire contains elements of sulphur and nitrogen. But where does the sulphur and nitrogen come from? Resorcinol is m-dihydroxybenzene and contains only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. OK, one method of making it is by alkali fusion of sodium m-benzenedisulphonate, which could explain the sulphur, but where does the nitrogen come from? And I am surprised that, just for once, the name of the chemical is actually given. Normally all we get is that a fire has occurred at a chemical factory with essentially zero information as to what has caught fire.