Hydrogen Sulfide from kiln wash

[beaconglass]

I had mixed some kilnwash a couple of months ago, and rather than rinsing the haik brush out, I left it in the kiln wash in a closed, plastic container (an old kiln wash cup). When I went to use it recently, I was almost overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg smell). The haik brush was covered with mold. I soaked the haik brush in a bleach solution (almost as good as new ) I had to air out our house to clear the sulfide fumes, despite it being about 45 degrees outside. Has anyone encountered this before? I've left kiln wash in a closed cup before, but without a haik brush in it. I'm guessing the organic matter from the haik brush was the source of the sulfer, since I don't think kiln wash has sulfer. Just curious. (I used it again today, but took it outside)

[Kevin Midgley]

You didn't leave it long enough.
it is supposed to turn green and slimy.
Just what did you expect to happen?

[jim burchett]

got to love science experiments

[rosanna gusler]

You didn't leave it long enough.
it is supposed to turn green and slimy.
Just what did you expect to happen?

Damnable Kevin. Now I have to clean coffee of my keyboard. Ha.

[Kevin Midgley]

I used to use Snyder glass Seperator. Spelling is correct.
It was the forerunner of BE's kiln wash.
Left the brush in it all the time in the open container.
It would turn greenish and slimyish and it still worked.
Tried not to breath too much of the fumes when the kiln heated up.
Got rid of visitors pretty quickly.
Spilling coffee again Rosanna?

[Bert Weiss]

There is no sulphur in kiln wash ingredients, alumina hydrate and EPK. Hydrogen is as close as it gets.

[rosanna gusler]

well there is organic stuff in whatever binder they use and whatever the chinese haik brush contributed, i do know that my epk/alumina hydrate /cmc mix will go rotten eggy. i used to use a low grade of gum arabic as a binder in kw. whew! toe cheese bugs in that binder. r.

[Laurie Spray]

Yes! My Haik brush.....rotten.....rotten....rotten smell. Now I leave it on top of the lid with the bucket closed.

[Bert Weiss]

well there is organic stuff in whatever binder they use and whatever the chinese haik brush contributed, i do know that my epk/alumina hydrate /cmc mix will go rotten eggy. i used to use a low grade of gum arabic as a binder in kw. whew! toe cheese bugs in that binder. r.

EPK is the binder in standard kiln wash, which is 50/50 alumina and EPK, by weight. I didn't look up CMC. Primo is alumina and some sort of gum binder.

[Brad Walker]

My vote is for the haike brush, coupled with being in a confined space. I don't see how it could be the kiln wash. I leave my haike brush in the kiln wash with no lid and have never experienced the problem.

BTW, but I think it's unrelated, CMC will mold if left too long.

[Morganica]

Hydrogen sulphide or sulfide, whicheverway you spell it, AKA "swamp gas," is a byproduct of either organic decomposition or the nasty thing that happens when you mix hydrochloric acid with a metal sulfide such as marcasite, iron pyrite, etc. (you basically produce a deathgas generator that way)

You can produce it by contaminating your haike brush with bacteria, algae or mold, closing up the container and keeping it in a nice warm place long enough for the little organisms to meet, have dinner, fall in love, make babies, and die. If the kilnwash or brush contains any type of starch or sugar (for example, adhesive on the brush, or possibly the organics in EPK), that'd be more than enough for a few dinner dates, and there you go.

[beaconglass]

I looked up sulfur content of bamboo and it can be pretty high, so that appears to be the source of the sulfur, with the microbiological experiment inside the closed bucket being the cause. No more haik brushes left in the bucket for me! Happy Thanksgiving glass people!