Recently, interest in a chemical such as sulfur hexafluoride has grown. This was facilitated by entertainment on television, among which the best known are “Good Jokes” and “Mythbusters”. Especially many were interested in the fact that with the help of this substance you can change the timbre of the voice - it becomes very low. People decided that it was a great idea for parties, contests and other leisure activities. If there is demand, there will be offers: on the Internet it is easy to find ads for the sale of sulfur hexafluoride. But, before rushing to buy this substance, it will not be out of place to figure out what it is and how safe it is for humans.
Sulfur hexafluoride, aka SF6, aka hexafluoride, aka SF6, an inorganic chemical compound. It has been known for over 100 years and about the same amount has been successfully used by man for his own purposes. Chemical properties: inert, non-toxic, heavy gas (5 times heavier than air). The substance is absolutely colorless, has high
electrical strength and high breakdown voltage. Two ways of its formation are possible - from simple substances and upon decomposition of complex sulfur fluorides. Due to its physical and chemical properties, it is used as a dielectric in the electrical industry, as a technological medium in the electronic industry, and also as an inert medium for producing alloys in metallurgy. Recently, SF6 gas (short for "electric gas") has been used in
fire fighting as a fire extinguishing agent. These are the main uses for sulfur hexafluoride.
But entertainment television has expanded the scope of this substance and popularized it. The reason for this was his ability to change the human voice: if you inhale sulfur hexafluoride, the voice will become monstrous,
unnaturally low. I wonder why this happens? It is often possible to meet the opinion that SF6 affects the
vocal cords, causes their short-term edema and thus “lowers” the voice. It's not like that at all. The fact is that the
vocal cords themselves do not form a loud sound.
The human
speech apparatus , in addition to the ligaments, also includes resonators. One of these resonators is the pharynx. The timbre of the voice is affected primarily by the medium of this resonator. If this medium is air, then we hear an ordinary, familiar voice for all. But it is worth changing the environment, and we will hear a different, completely alien voice. This is explained by the following principle: the lighter the gas and the faster the movement of its molecules, the higher the voice. And vice versa: the heavier the gas, the slower the movement of molecules, the lower the timbre. Helium is lighter than air, so when you inhale this gas, your voice becomes squeaky, very thin. Sulfur hexafluoride, as already mentioned, is 5 times heavier, and if you inhale it, the voice will become coarse and low. That's all: such a funny effect of SF6 gas is explained by a short-term change in the resonator medium. Inhalation of this substance is not able to harm the body if it does not contain impurities.
If you want to purchase sulfur hexafluoride, the price should not be decisive for you. No one argues that this is also important, but health is more expensive. Therefore, when purchasing SF6 gas, ask the seller if it is “pure” hexafluoride, does it contain any other additives. This will protect you and your guests, whom you are going to entertain with SF6 gas, from unexpected and unpleasant surprises.