Silicones

An interesting new article came out a couple of weeks ago in the latest Chemical and engineering news.
What does everyone think about this? Overblown? Worth considering?

Twin Cities Society of Cosmetic Chemists Meeeting

I had this post worked up in my drafts folder, but was unhappy with it. Well, seeing a new issue of C&E news, I'm adding it in.
C&E news did a piece on plasticizers, particularly pthalates, and some of the negative press they've been getting. Do they deserve that bad press? The article implies no, and I do generally support the ACS in saying that no, not everything "chemical" or made in a lab is dangerous, and plant derived compounds can kill you just as well. But, here is the link
though you have to be a member.
However, bad press leads to interesting new discoveries
A bit over a month ago I went to a meeting of the Twin Cities Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.
The talk was about a company, Segetis. They make a variety of levolinic acid ketals. They make a variety of compounds that can be used for plasticizers and solvents. They do not make them through fermentation, as many green companies do, they make them through thermochemical conversion. This allows a much simpler scale up process, and generally a cleaner distribution of products. Their process creates an alternative to petroleum products.
This chemistry is green, and hopes to replace some toxic plasticizers like pthalates.

coming back

After some time away, start watching this space again-I have been looking for new and exciting things to put here.
One idea-blogging about the periodic table and elements has already been done excellently by
It's not new, but go check it out

Unconference

So, this coming Friday and Saturday, I'll be attending the She's geeky unconference in the twin cities. I'm hoping for some networking opportunities, and just to meet and support cool women doing science and technology things. Check out for more information, and come say hi if you're there.

Trying to figure out what to keep doing, and nifty series

As you can tell by the lack of posting, I'm trying to decide how personal I want this blog to me, and how much strictly chemistry. I like the idea of strictly chemistry, but my writing tends towards the personal. Still working on the decision.
That said.
there's an interesting series over at www.slate.com blogging the periodic table. Well dang, now I can't do that because they did. But check it out.

Science writing

So, after about three months of employment, I reached the end of my temp contract and am once again looking for work. I'm looking at ways that aren't 100% laboratory work all the time, as much fun as that can be. Trying to branch out for a while. So far, what I have come up with bites on seems to be writing. I'm editing the newsletter for my local section of the ACS, and am supposed to be writing some articles for a magazine specifically focused on green living. More details later as I get more facts to pass on. This isn't a very long post, since I don't currently have a lot to say, or a lot going on. I'm looking into a couple of posts in the future that will be more hard chemistry based, but the thing is, to to those right takes time and effort. Which is being put in.

Best demonstration ever of Le Chatlier's principle.

Just in case someone wants to show this to a student or someone who's doubting.
In the course of my work, I had to dissolve some CaCO3 in acid. No real problem here, that works quite well. Giving off CO2. I was doing this in a plastic tube with a lid. To control the reaction, and keep bubbles from going over the side, I could close the lid. Shut down the reaction after maybe 15 seconds. No new bubbles form. When I opened the cap, there-1 a hiss of gas sometimes. and 2. the reaction starts dissolving the powder at the bottom. Lovely, self-contained, and I would think cheap.