Hydrogen peroxide and tungsten.

[rrick]

I cannot believe what is happening to me right now. I'll tell you my story to see if you believe it. For about a week I burned through a $40 quart of 35% hydrogen peroxide to recover a pitiful 3 grams gold from discarded vacuum vapor deposition filaments. The process went as expected: the still clear solution was changed every day as the bubbling reaction either ended or slowed. I'm now left with a quart of a clear tungsten solution (asking in another post how to get the metal back out for kinder disposal) and a very bothersome case of metal splinter dermatitis. I think the metal splinters are from me accidentally spilling this tungsten/H2O2 waste solution on me! Case points: H2O2 solution is absorbed instantly by the skin, there are no entry points the twenty or so splinters at depths either dermal or slightly sub dermal, they seem to have gradually appeared over the last day and man, I feel it as they're slowing getting closer to the skin surface! I can't get a sliver out, they are too brittle. So adding hours to this project with lancing and tweezing.

What do you think? I'm not setting a poll because someone will eventually know.

 

[Palladium]

I would think of h2o2 got them in there then maybe a soak in diluted h2o2 should get them back out.

 

[rrick]

Yes, irony or something cyclic when searching "hydrogen peroxide burn treatment." I got almost all of the slivers yesterday, but one spot that got it the worst is right on one crease of the index finger. I think I'll be loosing a good few grams of tissue there. Every stick I give it with a clean razor causes relief and a healthy burst of lymph. I just want to know how the tungsten could be playing a role here. MSDS for tungstic acid doesn't help because lawyer speak treats it as a solid; heavens forbid we include info on how it behaves in solution!

 

[rrick]

I added a photo of the finger because I feel my description might be over exaggeration. I've been an academic chemist with close to 10 years in labs and this is by far my worst chemical injury. But I guess it's different when your doing your trade outside regular protocol. In fact, my home chemical encounters could use more care as all summer I used epoxy without immediate mishap even including a handful of skin exposures, but a few weeks ago I was moving some boxes in the garage to learn I'm now sensitized. Shoot!

 

[butcher]

I would probably pack them sores full of black charcoaled wood, it is great for sucking out infection, it may help to suck out the metal salts.

 

[watlarry]

? If you know you have tungston and gold why not just dissovle the gold with hcl and chorine and leave the tungston alone.

 

[rrick]

Gold doesn't react with oxygen so it stayed metal. Process was successful.

 

[rrick]

We still don't have any confirming evidence my slow healing burns were caused by an accidental exposure to the tungsten dissolution process. I did wear gloves and eye protection by habit, but I know things happen. I still have some of the clear solution containing only tungsten, hydrogen, and oxygen. Maybe I'll drip some on a uncooked skinned chicken breast.