WARNING! This process deals with deadly Sodium Azide and the opening of a dangerous article. DO NOT COPY THIS VIDEO!
I am not responsible for any injuries, deaths, property damage, or other issues associated with copying acts depicted in this video. YOU COPY AT OWN RISK!!
In this video i very carefully and slowly disassemble two different Gas Generator units commonly found in older cars (Pre 2001) from both Ford and Holden GM, to recover the gas generation pellets that fill the airbag in the event of accidents, and separate NaN3 from the silicon dioxide that is used in their manufacture.
There was also potassium nitrate used in these pellets, however since both NaN3 and KNO3 are both very water soluble and soluble in common solvents i could not find a good way to *easily* separate the two without forming other more dangerous azide compounds.
Fractional crystallization does come to mind but losses of azide trapped in crystals of potassium nitrate may be too high to be of any use. potassium azide may form too, or may even have done so already .
Chlorinated solvents are also out of the question due to boomboom hazards.
Anyway the differences between the units construction was a surprise, with the GM unit containing a substantial amount more pellets than the ford but smaller shiny pellets. the GM pellets were not in a secondary housing like the ford and the GM unit could not unscrew. it was also lightly pressurized with perhaps Argon or nitrogen and when the foil was punctured there was a gentle hissing.
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