I think I have enough chemistry background to field a few of these.

<Where is there a roomful of "room temperature" pure oxygen containing
> with no water vapor?>
>
Why would there be a room?  You test the compound in the lab to see if
there is any reaction in the presence of oxygen in a closed system
(withoout water which we know it reacts with).  If there's no reaction you
can be reasonably sure its not reacting with oxygen in the atmosphere.  Not
sure where you were going with that.


>
> <1) How is there ANY odor other than the odor of butyric acid?>
>
There is no reason that butyric anhydride cannot have an odor.  Just
because it reacts with water in the air does not mean if reacts instantly
or even fast.  There will be vapor pressure from BOTH compounds
until/if/when nearly all of the anhydride reacts.  Thus both could be
smelled.


> <2) Why is the butyric anhydride used, rather than the butyric acid, if
> the only product of hydrolysis is the acid?>
>
I can't answer definitively but it could be any number of reasons, easier
and/or safer shipping and or handling, cost for product or container, speed
of reaction may change release rate and make one version more or less
effective etc etc etc.


> <3)  Is some of the butyric anhydride NOT reacting with the ubiquitous
> water vapor in the atmosphere when exposed?  Why
>
If the reaction is favored, which based on postings by PB indicating no
anhydride residue I'd say it is, then it is reacting but takes TIME.


> <4)  How can one smell butyric anhydride in anything other than
> a moisture-free atmosphere?>
>
 Same as above, reactions require time to complete, likely after some
period of time there would be no anhydride smell, but the time would depend
on temp, moisture level, concentration of anhydride, and how finely its,
ground/spread out etc.

Jeremy
West Michigan

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html