Talk:2023 Boksburg gas leak

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Nitrate oxide?

Latest comment: 1 year ago4 comments4 people in discussion

Nitrate oxide doesn't exist. Is there any clarification if they mean nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or nitrogen dioxide? 64.106.111.102 (talk) 17:38, 6 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

I noticed that too. It’s probably a colloquial term used by the zama zamas, as a corruption of whatever the actual scientific name of the compound is.

Most likely it’s a byproduct of ammonium nitrate, which is commonly used in mining applications, and which (although not itself a gas) decomposes into nitrous oxide and water vapor when heated. That would explain why they called it nitrate oxide. But we’d need some confirmation of that. Other recent gas incidents in South Africa have sometimes been described as explosions, which would also be consistent with amNO3 as it can detonate under certain conditions. 2604:2D80:6984:3800:0:0:0:BCC8 (talk) 23:05, 6 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

Well perhaps none of the above. Perhaps the ore was treated with nitric acid and gave off hydrogen sulfide. The gas bottles were getting their bottoms cit off, pairs welded together and then holes cut in the side to make something called pendukas. They were then used to process the ore. So the gas in the bottle may be irrelevant.^[1] Graeme Bartlett (talk) 04:51, 12 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

Agreed. I have updated the description using the City Press reference. Zaian (talk) 10:33, 12 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

References

^ Coetzee, Noxolo Majavu and Earl. "Boksburg gas leak: What is nitric oxide and how does it affect the body?". City Press.

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[1] Coetzee, Noxolo Majavu and Earl. "Boksburg gas leak: What is nitric oxide and how does it affect the body?". City Press.

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