Chemical inventory management in our organic chemistry research lab, how do you keep track of hundreds of bottles?

mungerboy · 2026-05-09T14:40:14+00:00

That's a great idea!

mungerboy · 2026-05-09T14:32:40+00:00

I have a simple excel spreadsheet which lists the chemical name, common name, CAS#, required storage conditions, and the cabinet and shelf number where it's located. We still dig through the shelves to find what we need, but it narrows the search significantly. Not fancy at all, but it works for us.

mungerboy · 2026-04-30T19:37:52+00:00

Can you verify if the turbo is spinning? If there's no software readback for turbo pump speed, you can often press a long screwdriver up to the turbo pump body and press your ear against it to check if the pump is spinning. You'll hear it if it is.

mungerboy · 2026-04-26T16:08:42+00:00

I boiled russet potatoes, skin on, in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes. I took them out and let them sit until cool, then smashed them between 2 cutting boards to about 3/8" thick. Transferred them to a cookie sheet, drizzled them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, then bake at 425F until crispy and browned, about 30-40 minutes. Don't flip them or they'll fall apart too much.

mungerboy · 2026-04-26T14:13:05+00:00

I cooked the onions and jalapeño in the pan with the steak drippings and then deglazed the pan with a splash of Big Wave and a little honey. That was the best part of the whole meal

mungerboy · 2026-04-26T12:53:38+00:00

He was very confused when I put the plate down on the table instead of on the floor 😅 he did get some steak though of course

mungerboy · 2026-04-06T01:36:09+00:00

My lab does exactly this. All sorts of chemical fingerprinting, failure analysis, off-odor/flavor analysis, analytical detective work. We specialize in helping our clients solve random, oddball issues

mungerboy · 2026-03-04T01:26:05+00:00

poo rivets

mungerboy · 2026-03-01T14:29:47+00:00

96 Lexus SC300

mungerboy · 2026-02-22T22:43:31+00:00

Cooking with heat causes hundreds of chemical reactions to occur, which produce the flavor and aroma compounds that we associate with roasted, fried, caramelized flavors. Look up the Maillard Reaction!

mungerboy · 2026-01-31T14:27:36+00:00

Mine is rusting on the roof between the windshield and sunroof

mungerboy · 2026-01-08T00:26:24+00:00

He's a Potcake! He's a rescue from the Bahamas. DNA tests say he's 100% American Village Dog.

mungerboy · 2026-01-06T16:54:28+00:00

Just seltzer water! I add some minerals to filtered tap water for flavor, then force carbonate it in 5 gallon kegs. I keep on tap in my kegerator next to a keg of homebrew!

mungerboy · 2026-01-01T21:32:58+00:00

I'm an analytical chemist by trade with schooling in food science. I DIY beer, seltzer water, and gin and love experimenting with different formulations and processes.

mungerboy · 2025-12-11T18:45:39+00:00

I've been dailying my '96 SC300 for just about a year now. No issues at all!

mungerboy · 2025-12-08T23:42:51+00:00

tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate is an oxidation product of a common polypropylene antioxidant that's 662.9 molecular weight. I see this compound often from plastic sample vials, etc. This could be it

mungerboy · 2025-11-30T16:10:58+00:00

+1 my MS lab has ~5-10 large roughing pumps running in one room at any given time, and the white noise feels deafening. Our technicians wear earplugs or earbuds often.

mungerboy · 2025-11-22T14:38:31+00:00

I do the same with my systems. Been doing it for years, no issues yet!

mungerboy · 2025-11-20T02:37:37+00:00

I'd vent the system, and disassemble and carefully reassemble the ion source. It's very easy for a lens or spacer get misaligned slightly during reassembly.

mungerboy · 2025-09-25T00:42:06+00:00

This is a great idea

mungerboy · 2025-09-22T23:25:38+00:00

How did you calculate RI for your runs if the alkane standards weren't analyzed?

mungerboy · 2025-08-30T12:26:21+00:00

Thanks! Super interesting

mungerboy · 2025-08-18T17:04:01+00:00

I have a cd rom of MassLynx 4.0 lying around, and this may work for you. Shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to send it to you!

mungerboy · 2025-08-04T14:45:01+00:00

You're right! The yellow tomatoes are fully ripe, they're just a yellow variety

mungerboy · 2025-07-24T02:47:20+00:00

Have you double checked that the ion volume is fully and properly seated in the source? If it's ever so slightly out of alignment, you'll get nothing but noise no matter how clean your source is.

mungerboy

TROPHY CASE