1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, I'm Lauren boge Bomb, and today's episode is 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: another classic from our archives. This one is a bit 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: of practical everyday science. Lots of spray canisters carry instructions 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: to shake before use, but not compressed air canisters, and 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: it's actually dangerous to do. So I'll let former Lauren 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: explain why. Hi brain Stuff, Lauren bulge Bomb here. Whether 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: it's dry shampoo or paint, or accustomed to shaking aerosol 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: canisters before we spray them, so it's only natural that 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: when we pick up a canister of compressed air to 11 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: clean a keyboard, we also want to shake the can 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,319 Speaker 1: even if it's label clearly says do not shake. But 13 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: is this force of habit potentially harmful? In a word, yeah, 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: Compressed air canisters are not really canned air. Rather, these 15 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: canisters contain a compressed liquefied gas that propels its own 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: vapors through a nozzle. Most of the time, the liquefied 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: gas is one of two types. One is di fluoro 18 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: ethane or HFC one two A, which is found in 19 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: canisters marketed for computers and electronic equipment, and incidentally, is 20 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: also known as free on, that same gas that helps 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: make refrigerators and car air conditioners cool. The other type 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: of gas is tetrafluoro ethane or HFC one thirty four A, 23 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: which is recommended for use when flammability might be an issue, 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: such as with hot surfaces or spark producing equipment. However, 25 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: some types of can there may also contain butane, the 26 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: same liquefied gas found in cigarette lighters. According to three M, 27 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: which manufactures and cells compressed air canisters for dust removal, 28 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: shaking or tilting the can may result in propelled liquid 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: instead of vapor. If this happens, the liquid may come 30 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: into contact with skinner eyes and cause frost bite because 31 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: the chemical will freeze your skin at room temperature. If 32 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: this happens, medical attention may be warranted. But first three 33 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: M recommends washing affected areas of skinless soap and water, 34 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: or flushing eyes with copious amounts of water. But what 35 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: about all those other airsol canisters that do recommend shaking 36 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: before use. Unlike the liquefied gas and canned air that 37 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: propels itself out through the nozzle, everything from dry shampoo 38 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: to spray paint requires a little mixing, the product inside 39 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: the can separates into layers and must be shaken to 40 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: mix with the propellant before use, otherwise only the propellant 41 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: would come out. Today's episode is based on the article 42 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: why compressed air canisters shouldn't be shaken on how stuff 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: works dot com, written by laure L da. Brain Stuff 44 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: is production of I Heart Radio in partnership with how 45 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: stuff works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. 46 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 1: Or more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart 47 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: favorite shows.