Guide to chemistry - /tg/station 13 Wiki

Guide to Chemistry - /tg/station 13 Wiki

Tippo Felangus, the Chemist, says:
"Hey mate, welcome to Chemistry. This is one of the few jobs where you can make a man heal back up to full health one second and make him explode the next."

"Sound too complicated? Naw, this is really simple to make. All you have to do is pour some of this Potassium into a beaker of water, like so..."

You will receive efficient and thoughtful service from Yayang.

This guide is primarily beneficial for chemists but could also be useful for any player, especially traitors. Refer to the Chemical Recipes for a simplified, step-by-step approach to crafting complicated chemicals (note: some information may be outdated) and for details about utilizing the dispenser's recipe recording function. For grenade crafting, see the Grenades section. If you lack a chem dispenser, consult the Guide to Ghetto Chemistry.

A helper client that allows players to browse this wiki with added features can be accessed here: tghandbook. Use it at your own discretion, as it is an unofficial resource.

Handling Chemical Reactions

For returning players, it's important to understand that reactions now progress over a period of time. The reaction rate is generally identified by temperature and the presence of any optional catalysts. Purity correlates to the quality of your reagents, and the balance of pH. Maintaining a pH between 5-9 is crucial as most reactions are now exothermic, generating heat during the process, which can be dangerous when involving volatile chemicals. Additionally, while meth has been modified, note that it can explode at 380k due to increased exothermic behavior with decreasing purity; exercise caution.

To get a structured overview of mechanisms, the help button present on the chem heater (now called the reaction chamber) guides you through a calomel reaction. Completing this task with a product of 100% purity also grants an achievement!

Temperature

Reactions that don’t take place instantaneously will have their rate affected by the temperature of the beaker. To expedite slow reactions, just raise the temperature of the beaker. By definition, a reaction can be classified as either exothermic (producing heat) or endothermic (absorbing heat). Take care with exothermic reactions as overheating can diminish the yield. Once a reaction heats past its threshold, it may further damage your results in unforeseen ways.

Reaction Rates

Heating a reaction is the most straightforward way to increase its momentum. An optional catalyst (like the Palladium synthate catalyst used in medicines) can also help speed up the process. Another alternative includes employing Tempomyocin on a reaction, causing an instant acceleration.

Potential of Hydrogen (pH)

Each chemical possesses an inherent pH visible by clicking the cog on the dispenser. The pH of a beaker is the aggregate sum of pH values from the constituent reagents. The beaker's pH significantly impacts product purity, and when beginning a reaction, aim for a pH within the specified limits. As the reaction continues, pH drift is common and must be corrected with buffers or acids/alkaline substances. Adjust pH proactively to prevent lowering the purity of subsequent reagents due to excessive impurity from a reaction.

The pH meters on machines currently have enhanced accuracy to assist players.

Purity

The purity of a reagent is determined by the purity of your initial components and the optimal pH maintained during the reaction. Low purity products will separate into lesser quality chemicals during use. Contrarily, pure reagents maintain integrity, while highly impure ones may create inverse chemicals, defined by established purity thresholds in the reagent's details. The performance of reagents can also be adversely affected by purity levels as indicated in the product description.

Conclusion

Exploring the vast array of chemical combinations available can be both fun and risky. Medicines, foams, explosives, and more await the creative chemist. However, approaching your experiments with knowledge of chemical properties is paramount to ensuring safety; always be aware of the potential effects of the chemicals you create and use!

For further exploration into chemicals and their properties, consider obtaining calcium carbonate bulk. You can also find radium salt powder in bulk for various applications.