Can you neutralize sulfur odor while burning keratin?
August 20, 2020 5:25 PM Subscribe
Suppose I want to immolate some hair in a small fire, and I don't want onlookers to know that the fire has hair in it. Is there anything I can add to either the hair or the fire to neutralize or disguise the burning hair smell? And if it's a chemical additive, how would it work? (This is idle curiosity born of a fictional scenario.)
Best answer: Setting off fireworks; it’s also a sulfur compound that’s burning, and I think one could plausibly be mistaken for the other in a “when you hear hoofbeats don’t assume it’s a zebra” kind of way. The fireworks would definitely draw attention away from a little fire.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:52 PM on August 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:52 PM on August 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
Best answer: The burning hair smell is largely caused by sulfur compounds. Fireworks (as suggested above) or sparklers will have a relatively similar scent and would definitely mask burning hair (unless you're burning a LOT of hair). Heavy incense could potentially mask it, but it'd have to be a LOT of incense to mask that specific crispy organic sulfur scent. Ever walked into a hair salon that smelled heavily of scented hair product but still had an acrid odor? That's what incense or perfumes over "burnt hair" usually smells like.
Also, would your scenario be indoor or outdoor?
posted by erst at 6:22 PM on August 20, 2020
Also, would your scenario be indoor or outdoor?
posted by erst at 6:22 PM on August 20, 2020
Best answer: You could soak the hair in a strong solution of potassium perchlorate and allow the solution to dry out in contact with the hair.
If it didn't explode upon ignition (I doubt it would, though it might burn pretty rapidly), the sulfur in the hair would have a good chance of oxidizing all the way to the SO3 state which has no odor, though it would turn into sulfuric acid when it came into contact with mucus membranes, but I'm pretty sure there couldn't be enough to cause burns.
posted by jamjam at 8:28 PM on August 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
If it didn't explode upon ignition (I doubt it would, though it might burn pretty rapidly), the sulfur in the hair would have a good chance of oxidizing all the way to the SO3 state which has no odor, though it would turn into sulfuric acid when it came into contact with mucus membranes, but I'm pretty sure there couldn't be enough to cause burns.
posted by jamjam at 8:28 PM on August 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The classic thermite reaction is Fe2O3 + 2 Al → 2 Fe + Al2O3. Plus heat. Like, a lot of heat. Really a lot.
It has no smell of its own, that I can discern. The things around it will smell because SO MUCH FIRE. Nobody witnessing a high-mass thermite reaction will notice burning hair, because they're blind, sunburned, and probably alight.
As a disguise, it is technically perfect but, in practical terms, may face some drawbacks.
posted by sourcequench at 8:41 PM on August 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
It has no smell of its own, that I can discern. The things around it will smell because SO MUCH FIRE. Nobody witnessing a high-mass thermite reaction will notice burning hair, because they're blind, sunburned, and probably alight.
As a disguise, it is technically perfect but, in practical terms, may face some drawbacks.
posted by sourcequench at 8:41 PM on August 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
+1 kerosene, which I've had legit reasons to burn plenty of outside. the character could simply fake-overpour when starting a large campfire.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:55 PM on August 20, 2020
posted by j_curiouser at 9:55 PM on August 20, 2020
Dropping other, admitted, visible hair into the fire would do it. Character could sacrifice the end of a long braid or beard.
posted by clew at 10:03 PM on August 20, 2020
posted by clew at 10:03 PM on August 20, 2020
Best answer: Hair and skin and bone burning all smell the same to me. I'd fire up a barbecue and throw on some pork shoulder with the skin still on it and a bunch of lamb chops that are very bony. I'd do a damn bad job at it, using lots of barbecue starter fluid, not cleaning the grille before I started, glollopping the meat with barbecue sauce made from unusual curry pastes and garlic and then charring the heck out of everything. I'd claim that was a doing an authentic foreign ethnic dish to anyone who would listen to me and go on at length about lemon grass and pork rendang.
And because of the replies above I would have sparklers and curried eggs at my barbecue also.
Also, I'd set a homemade wool potholder smouldering. It wouldn't catch fire because it was wool, but it would char horribly.
All this would be so memorable the cops would ask, "Did you ever smell..." and then the neighbours would interrupt with, "Omg, we had to close the windows!" thus leading the cops to immediately suspecting this incident as relevant to their investigation.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:45 AM on August 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
And because of the replies above I would have sparklers and curried eggs at my barbecue also.
Also, I'd set a homemade wool potholder smouldering. It wouldn't catch fire because it was wool, but it would char horribly.
All this would be so memorable the cops would ask, "Did you ever smell..." and then the neighbours would interrupt with, "Omg, we had to close the windows!" thus leading the cops to immediately suspecting this incident as relevant to their investigation.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:45 AM on August 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Huh, burning hair with fire has such a distinctive smell to me that I can differentiate the various smells of meats and spice products on the grill. So I am not sure that the pork shoulder would be effective in completely hiding the smell.
But I have disposed of hair using drain cleaner/caustic lye. The fumes of that chemical reaction did not remind of hair burning per se but of a simple chemical itch. Again, depending on how much hair you're burning would give us a better idea of masking smells.
posted by jadepearl at 6:16 AM on August 21, 2020
But I have disposed of hair using drain cleaner/caustic lye. The fumes of that chemical reaction did not remind of hair burning per se but of a simple chemical itch. Again, depending on how much hair you're burning would give us a better idea of masking smells.
posted by jadepearl at 6:16 AM on August 21, 2020
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posted by Splunge at 5:37 PM on August 20, 2020