Potassium permanganate: uses

When I was in the Chemistry Biz, many decades ago, we purchased Potassium PerManganate at the local Chemical Supply House... If you have a Compounding Pharmacist in your area, he likely would have the USP Grade on hand...

 

During WWII, the OSS used a Detonating Device based on PerMaginate & Glycerine as the Timing Element in the initiator, that set off a Charge of Mercury Fulminate... Timing was determined by the Temp of the Glycerine, once you broke the Glass Vial that separated it from the PerManganate... Very simple to use, and cheap as dirt...If you wanted a faster Timing you held the device in your ArmPit to warm it up... Slower was done by dunking the device in cool water... There was a small thermometer built-in the device, to measure the temps... The devices were eluded to, in the Film, “ Guns of Navarrone” when David Niven, (the Explosives Expert, on the Mission) was telling the others in the cellar, that all his “Long term Time Pencils” were missing, as well as his “Mercury Fulminate” stash..... The reaction Timing is very Temperature depended, as well as, very repeatable, given the same Temps of the devices....

 

I can’t, The “Media” is so FuBar, they don't know if they are coming or going.. Never trust ANYTHING a Talking Head tells you, because they have NO IDEA what they are reporting themselves, but are only “parroting” the thoughts of someone else, who they rarely identify, and. that guy is just as likely to not be conversant, or knowledgeable, in the Field of Study... How many times have Talking Heads been quoting some PHD in Philosophy, on an Engineering Question? They just try and pass it off as this source has a PHD, so he must be knowledgeable, but never identify the Field of his Studies... One glaring example comes to mind, during the 9/11 aftermath... This BYU Philosophy PHD, started a whole Conspiracy Theory based on the “Thermate” residue on the recovered Steel Beams... Total BS, BUT STILL Going Strong on the Internet in some circles.. Then there is the British Vaccine Researcher that started the whole Anti-Vaccine movement on Totally made up Research... They canned his A$$, stripped him of his MD, PHD, and kicked him out of all the British Scientific Societies....... Always go to the actual Source Documents, and individal Researchers, and judge their creditability, FIRST....

 

There were these two Wise-A$$ed kids, that rode their bikes down to the Freight Yards of BN, many decades ago, then named Great Northern Railroad... They, in the dead of night, would pack some Thermite around a Railroad wheel, and track section, put a strip Of Magnesium in it and coat the free end of the strip, with a mix of PM and Glycerine... Then ride away, as queit as Church Mice... Then would sit up on the overlooking hill, the next day, and watch the Yard Apes, try and move that string of Rail Cars.. Great fun with hours of enertainment... Silly Boys...