WARNING: "SS" scrubbies falling apart leaving black residue

[shadylane]

But I do know this.....glass works!

I hate to say it, but not all glass is safe.

[Coyotey]

But I do know this.....glass works!

I hate to say it, but not all glass is safe.

You guys said "read until your eyes pop out" so I read until my eyes popped out! I could't be made to remember where even if you threatened to pull my nails out but I came across some research claiming that glass (cheap glass as often used in marbles) often incorporates lead in some way as either an ingredient or catalyst.

Since I've only read enough to make my eyes pop out (not yet bleed) I won't bring up HETP and low ceilings...

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Commonly leaded glass was used to make it more "clear" (give it better index of refraction). In marbles, I don't know, but in drinking vessels, it hasn't been used for quite a while. I'm not sure if I would be worried, but to each their own. Buying glass marbles from china, caveat emptor.

[zapata]

SPP of course is the best packing, maybe not pound for pound but certainly height for height. Is it obscure enough that your customs guys wouldn't recognize a bag of tiny springs? Due to its ridiculously low HETP you probably wouldn't even need your column extension. Of course it's pricey though.

If you really can't get or order copper or ss mesh/scrubbies, what about lava rock?

[Coyotey]

SPP of course is the best packing, maybe not pound for pound but certainly height for height. Is it obscure enough that your customs guys wouldn't recognize a bag of tiny springs? Due to its ridiculously low HETP you probably wouldn't even need your column extension. Of course it's pricey though.

If you really can't get or order copper or ss mesh/scrubbies, what about lava rock?

2L of SPP shipped from Poland yesterday
I got to reading about their characteristics and that was the last nail in the scrubbie coffin for me! Found a guy who makes them in Poland. This guys sent them the next day so luckily he's not the one people are complaining about who sits on your money for 2 months before he bothers to react.

He claims the following about his SPP's:

material – acid-resistant stainless steel AISI 304
specific weight – 880 g/dm3
dimensions – 4,4 x 5,5 x 0,24 mm
specific surface (p/v) – 1900 dm2/dm3
free volume – 0,89
maximumheat load – 115 W/cm2
HETP – 1,6 mm

So I guess I'm smiling Worked out that for my 80cm column I'll need around 1.6L. I read that it is possible to reach azeo with a 50cm column packed with these (ofcourse assuming that the still itself is capable of producing azeo) and everything over 50cm just makes it more stable - they still recommend 100cm though - starting and ending with a scrubbie. Can't wait to try it out!!

Ofcourse today I came across an article saying that SPP from this part of the world are inspired from designs leaked from Soviet cold war heavy water production in the 60's!! haha and I was worried about copper packing getting through customs! - Just kidding - I agree that this should be obscure enough

Thanks again for your advice Zapata!

Skål!

[zapata]

Nice, now I'm jealous!

[contrahead]

RedwoodHillBilly's link to “SS 201 scrubbies : work great and real SS where others may not be... Some copper scrubbies too are just electroplated steel.

Speaking of packing, it has been my ambition for a while to build a new still with a riser partially packed with copper pennies. I want as much copper in the vapor path as is feasible. I'd solder plates of pennies together, then slant the thinly separated and unaligned plates at an angle within the column.

There are a few problems with the idea however. Firstly, pennies are awfully heavy for the surface area they would provide. Scrubber packing could fill in between sections of plates though. Secondly, they stopped making real copper pennies in the U.S. in 1982. There are still some in circulation, although rare. The fake pennies they make now are electroplated “Zincolns”, which are 99.2% zinc and only 0.8 % copper. A real Cu penny weighs 3.11 grams and a zincoln weighs 2.4 grams.

I've been saving up real copper pennies lately but only have about a hundred so far. I'm hesitant to use the fake zincolns for packing; they might be perfectly adequate or they might preform like your fake stainless steel or copper plated scrubbers.

[cob]

they stopped making real copper pennies in the U.S. in 1982. A real Cu penny weighs 3.11 grams and a zincoln weighs 2.4 grams. I've been saving up real copper pennies lately but only have about a hundred so far. I'm hesitant to use the fake zincolns for packing; they might be perfectly adequate or they might preform like your fake stainless steel or copper plated scrubbers.

"real" copper pennies are alloy too.
1947–1962 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) 48 grains 3.11
1962–1981 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc) 48 grains 3.11

copper sheet, pipe, and wire are closer to pure copper than any pennies.