Did you know that radon and fluorine can form a compound?
Eyes widening more and more as she reads further on
"What. What. WHAT. NO. NonononoNONONONONO!"
"WHAT."
Regarding chlorine triflouride, and efforts to use it as a rocket propellant:
It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is hypergolic* with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.
- Ignition!, by John Drury Clark
*Ignites on contact without any external ignition source
Very entertaining read, plus you don’t necessarily need to understand too much about the topic to enjoy the author’s descriptions of the history and the mishaps