Not exactly "safe". The precursors are ethylene and chlorine. Chlorine everyone knows about - it's quite a bit more of a problem when it spills than vinyl chloride.
Ethylene is a "colorless and combustible gas used to fumigate some agricultural products, sterilize medical equipment and in the production of other industrial chemicals. The gas is a carcinogen that has been linked to breast, lymphoid, leukemia and other types of cancers."
Ethylene is transported as a cryogenic liquid, which means when it leaks it immediately boils to gas form. Once released it takes 2 to 4 days to break down in the atmosphere. Chlorine takes years.
The precursors are more accurately acetylene and hydrogen chloride. But acetylene can be stored and transported as the solid calcium acetylide (aka calcium carbide), which releases acetylene by reaction with water. So this is potentially easier than you made it sound.
I’m not a chemistry expert; Do the precursors’ properties necessarily matter here?
Like Table salt for example: sodium chloride. Sodium spontaneously ignites in AIR and is explosive in water. Chlorine is highly toxic and poisonous. But you bond the two chemically and you get a stable, safe, delicious flavor enhancer.
Edit: Perhaps I misunderstood your comment. Are you saying that transporting the raw chemicals required to make it on site wouldn’t be any safer to transport?
Accujack|3 years ago
Ethylene is a "colorless and combustible gas used to fumigate some agricultural products, sterilize medical equipment and in the production of other industrial chemicals. The gas is a carcinogen that has been linked to breast, lymphoid, leukemia and other types of cancers."
Ethylene is transported as a cryogenic liquid, which means when it leaks it immediately boils to gas form. Once released it takes 2 to 4 days to break down in the atmosphere. Chlorine takes years.
scythe|3 years ago
The precursors are more accurately acetylene and hydrogen chloride. But acetylene can be stored and transported as the solid calcium acetylide (aka calcium carbide), which releases acetylene by reaction with water. So this is potentially easier than you made it sound.
McSwag|3 years ago
Like Table salt for example: sodium chloride. Sodium spontaneously ignites in AIR and is explosive in water. Chlorine is highly toxic and poisonous. But you bond the two chemically and you get a stable, safe, delicious flavor enhancer.
Edit: Perhaps I misunderstood your comment. Are you saying that transporting the raw chemicals required to make it on site wouldn’t be any safer to transport?
candiddevmike|3 years ago