Why do metals smell?

[Chris Bradley]

Well, maybe it's not lactose, the memory begins to fail, but there's something about cow's milk that makes it fatally different to human milk in a [now] tiny number of cases. I'll be looking out for the citation...

But back to the topic; you've discussed the single-molecule thing more than anyone, so if it is so silly as to be unworth of mentioning, then you can drop it, if you like.

The other side to this isn't about the nature of the vapour pressure of metals, but that the nose detects smells [as I understand it] from the shape of the molecules it detects. Seeing as it can detect huge polymer molecules, what is the objection that the nose can detect ultra-fine metallic dust, as was mentioned before about having chunks of atoms coming off. In such a case, I would expect such small particles to have a uniform crystal structure and, so, would each have a distinct smell according to the crystal shape most likely to come off the metal as an aerosol.

[Richard Hull]

This thread seems to have been milked to death.

Richard Hull

[Charles Snyder]

But the thread isn't really complete until we realize...

...no one will ever smell metal in this lifetime and possibly never because mother nature does not give up her smells easily unless the "lucky donkey" just happens to smell it one day.

I couldn't help myself after reading so many threads where Mr. Hull offers the final cripling blow to all of my fusion enthusiasm

[JohnCuthbert]

Indeed, but it would be a shame to close it without giving Doug a chance to respond.

[Carl Willis]

Indeed. What a thread.

Anyone ever "feel lucky" on teh Google (or even look at the goddamn thing anymore)?

1. Type "why do metals smell?" into Google. 2. Click "I'm Feeling Lucky." 3. An authoritative answer fills your screen. 4. About thirty posts of contention, low-information, non-information, and mis-information on a specialty hobby forum is thereby avoided.

-Carl

[Chris Bradley]

Carl Willis wrote:
> Indeed. What a thread.
> Anyone ever "feel lucky" on teh Google (or even look at the goddamn thing anymore)?
> 1. Type "why do metals smell?" into Google. 2. Click "I'm Feeling Lucky." 3. An authoritative answer fills your screen. 4. About thirty posts of contention, low-information, non-information, and mis-information on a specialty hobby forum is thereby avoided.
> -Carl

You appear to be declaring that handling metals is also an answer to why metals can be smelt when machining them and why John F. can smell such after his ion implanting work.

Carl, please do read the material rather than applying your usual dour distain for what you don't find interesting. It's easier not to say anything... especially here as this thread appeared to have already come to its own end as, other than the handling issues which had been drawn out (from internet info, as stated - did you miss that bit?) there was no new information coming on the issue of metallic smells *not* consequent to 'non-handling' events.

[Carl Willis]

I'm not declaring anything other than what I wrote.

To rephrase: Your "question," as posed, as apparently intended, insofar as it pertains to vacuum compatibility of copper gaskets (the evident crutch for putting it in the Vacuum Forum), is answered definitively and very completely by Google. By "I'm Feeling Lucky." By a single mouse click, requiring at most a few attojoules of personal effort.

True, lots of folks have swung the bat at this pinata of idiocy, scattering nuggets of diverse flavors all over the place. We have comments about ion implantation, we have comments about machining, we have comments about lactose intolerance, about quack theories of smell, and on and on. That's just normal undisciplined human behavior. I don't intend to follow suit and provoke a further shower of riffraff from the swinging wreckage by addressing those tidbits (some of which may be interesting to individual readers, some of which may be accurate). I am addressing the original question, and how a non-lazy self-directed learner might have gone about answering it.

-Carl

[Chris Bradley]

Carl Willis wrote:
> To rephrase: Your "question," as posed, as apparently intended, insofar as it pertains to vacuum compatibility of copper gaskets (the evident crutch for putting it in the Vacuum Forum), is answered definitively and very completely by Google. By "I'm Feeling Lucky." By a single mouse click, requiring at most a few attojoules of personal effort.

a) This was done, and it mentioned nothing but in regards iron.
b) this was done, and it mentions nothing about metals that aren't handled
c) this was done, and it mentions nothing about vapour pressures, or other vacuum issues
d) if we believe everything we read on the internet without asking anyone else, then i) it appears you may believe all wordly knowledge already exists on the internet and there is nothing to add to it, ii) you doubt nothing you read on the internet either in truth, or whether it answers questions fully.

For a guy who beats up on folks when they make a modest jump in a conclusion, you've gone from interpreting something you've read on the internet about handling iron, to what that means for machining copper. Quite a big leap - quite a hypocrisy?.

But, hey, you have it your own way. It's your forum to decide what discussion topics are permitted, right? - and you can arbitrate over whether something is an unreasonable jump of logic when there is a tiny break in someone else's logical argument, but different metals and different environments, hey, just the same aren't they, providing it's your argument!??

We thought this thread was all over before you pitched in... it is now! QRT.