Klarinet Archive - Posting 000421.txt from 1995/02

From: Pat Flannery <pjfnefro@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: H2O2: Fountain of Youth?
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 15:21:04 -0500

[Boy, this looks like a North Carolina clarinet reunion. What with me at
Duke (don't blame me for the basketball team, I went to Carolina) about to
add my $0.02 to a discussion by two folks from Catawba College, but here
goes.]

My dear Dr. Miderski:

You were doing great explaining the logic (or chemistry) of using H2O2 to
clean and disinfect "dead" reeds right up to your last sentence. In the
interest of full and complete accuracy, I'd like to ammend your last
statement to read "since oxygen supports combustion (it's not flammable in
the sense that it will not burn) it may not be a pretty sight." I hope I
haven't scarred away too many musicians with all this Scientific talk. 8-)

-Pat Flannery
Professional chemist and amateur clarinet player

Dr. Carol Miderski (>) responded to Jeremy Krider (>>) (both of Catawba
College in beautiful Western NC):

>> I have rejuvenated some old reeds by overnight soaking in hydrogen
>> peroxide, and I wondered if maybe a briefer but more frequent soaking
>> would keep reeds like new for a long time.
>>
>> My guess is that the hydrogen peroxide dissolves out crud that accumulates
>> in the pores of the reed. It should help with the problem of fungus
>> growth that some people have, too. A warning for those who want to try
>> it: use a fairly fresh bottle. The strength decreases within a few months
>> after opening. You should see considerable fizzing around the reed.
>>
>
> Peroxide generates highly reactive free radicals (like Cl from
>CFC's relative to the ozone layer). These free radicals attack
>pretty indiscirminately but the greatest effect is on small organisms
>like bacteria and molds and such since a little damage to a very tiny
>organism adds up quickly. This is why peroxide is such a good
>disinfectant. Peroxide is also a good bleaching agent since it breaks
>color molecules into smaller pieces which do not absorb color in
>the same way (see: M. Monroe?).
>
> Short soaking should kill any saliva enzymes or bugs (bacteria)
>trying to help digest the wood fibers without the peroxide attacking
>the wood itself. Long soaking is probably not a problem since most
>of the available chemical activity will probably be used up before
>any noticable change in the wood accumulates. If you're looking to
>do this frequently, a 2-5 minute soak will probably kill all the bugs
>and minimize possible damage to the reed. If you're only doing it
>now and then, a longer soak is OK.
>
> The chemical reaction for the fizz is primarily
>
> 2 H2O2 ---> O2 + 2 H2O
>
>This process would be catalyzed by acids or ions present from the
>saliva and such, hence more fizzing on the reed than in the bottle.
>The process will occur by itself which is why fresh and adequately
>sealed is important. It is very similar to a sealed soda bottle
>slowing the release of CO2 from dissolved H2CO3 better than an open
>bottle. It is also important to store peroxide in plastic since ions
>from metal or glass containers also catalyze the reaction. In a
>tightly sealed metal or glass container there is potential for
>explosive pressure buildup and since oxygen is flammable it may not
>be a pretty sight.

   
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