Re: [DIYbio] Freezer colder than -20C, but warmer than -80C

Obligatory warning, that Liquid Nitrogen can be quite dangerous for two main reasons:

..so it can be a risky thing to work with at home especially in settings where someone might have a little lab in a small back-room with inadequate ventilation for Nitrogen.

Note also that asphyxiation due to an anoxic environment can occur without any sensation until you simply lose consciousness. The feeling of "gasping for air" is the sensation of CO2 build-up in the bloodstream, but if you are breathing oxygen-free gas such as nitrogen or argon, you will not feel that you are asphyxiating and will simply pass out and die.

In fact, argon asphyxiation is widely considered the most humane way to euthanise research animals.

So, take DIY nitrogen, either produced by a professional company or made at home, as a somewhat risky route for home refrigeration.

Dry Ice can also lead to asphyxiation but with dry ice, you'll know it's happening because it's CO2! Though, by the time you feel the asphyxiating effects of CO2, your brain will not be working very well so you may be prone to making mistakes and failing to mitigate the risk as well as you thought you would. So bear that in mind, too. At least until you get CO2 poisoning and stop bearing it in mind, that is.

Gasses: nature's answer to scientists.

14 Apr 2021, 11:49 by sjamesparsonsjr@gmail.com: