One of me mates is a hero, although at the time he was arrested for it
Bit of an unusual one this; my friend "J" works in as an Environmental Technician for a certain Steel plant in the area. As part of the company policy they need to ensure that any chemical waste or hazards which are located locally are identified and dealt with appropriately in conjunction with the police.

One particular day they get a call on the "Bat-phone", stating that a tanker on it's way to a factory nearby had jack-knifed and split it's contents out on the road. The police had closed the road and were awaiting the cleanup team. The chemical involved in the spill however, was not a general run of the mill one. The name of it eludes me, but apparently it was very inert to most materials, but incredibly corrosive to biological matter. Apparently it's been known for people to accidentally spill a drop of it on their hand, and before you realize what's happened the droplet has fallen to the floor with a nice new gaping hole like you're a Jesus wannabe. Basically it's not good stuff.

Anyhows, that's enough background stuff; J takes the call and his team are sent out to assess the situation. He turns up with his colleagues to find that the Police had blocked off the road and a few officers were talking to the driver nearby. As J gets closer however he notices that one officer was examining the vehicle, while standing in an inch deep puddle of this shit leaking out of the back of it. The only thing that was saving him was the soles of his shoes, and that wasn't going to last long.

Without saying a word he marches up towards the policeman who sees him coming and asks him to stay away. Ignoring this, J grabs the copper by his collar with both hands and drags him tip-toed out of the puddle before dumping him about 5 foot away from the spillage. The other coppers see this and leggit over to J, who is instantly grabbed, pinned down and handcuffed, before being thrown into the back of one of the policecars. J tried explaining what he just did but they ignored him and read him his rights....that was until J's boss found out what happened and had the local Police Chief down there to investigate.

Apparently the Chief turned up, ordered the release of J (as they were still sorting out some details before carting him off to the local clink) and after being ordered to carefully remove any footware he was wearing he was formally rollocked for standing in the stuff and made to give J a formal apology. It was only after this that J was able to explain just how potent this stuff was, to the point where if his shoes gave way all they would have found was a uniform in a puddle, that the copper finally took the hint and aptly shit himself.

Hell of a day at work, getting paid to with rough up coppers, I want his job :D
( Jeccius Steam Borderlands 2 junkie, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 10:13, 13 replies)

Hydrofluoric acid?
Mind you that wouldn't be transported in great big lorries as it's a bit too dangerous. Plus it dissolves metal. And most other things.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 10:34, closed)

Unless of course the tanker was powered by dilythium crystals
at which point the tanker rupturing would've caused an unstable warpcore breach and would've taken out the entire road as well.

*national typing bollocks day*

Unsure if it was Hydrofluoric, I think it was something else.
( Jeccius Steam Borderlands 2 junkie, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 10:37, closed)

I believe that HF
is best only kept in certain polymer containers and most certainly wouldn't be carried by the tanker load. Could be fluorosulphuric acid.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 10:52, closed)

Yeah
Besides, HF doesn't really burn flesh. The molecules are so small that they diffuse through and attack the bone.
( MatJ LOOK, Sat 19 Jun 2010, 11:56, closed)

oleum? (edit: sort of dehydrated sulphuric acid)
tis sort of ok unless it gets hold of too much water, if I recall correctly (and indeed I might not).
(haberman is singing in the changes, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 11:54, closed)

More likely some chemical that reacts with water to make a strong acid
So it'll be fine in the tanker and on dry stuff, but burn right through anything damp.
Though from what I remember HCl is a gas, so wouldn't be transported by tanker, and the same is probably true for HF
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 14:18, closed)

Eep...
The idea that this stuff even exists is frightening! Is it a man made thing or might I accidently dissolve whist experiencing a bit of nature?
( e.m.m.y. foxtrot uniform charlie kilo india tango, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 11:02, closed)

I'd imagine it's synthesized
or if it is naturally occuring refined and purified for a specific need.

The way they make it is by finding a small pond near a council housing estate and adding a potent mix of lost shopping trolley, empty can of cherry coke and 2 litres of rottweiler piss.
( Jeccius Steam Borderlands 2 junkie, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 11:18, closed)

Bolton?

(Psymon_Spark Jesus Saves! The rest of you take 4d6 damage, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 11:47, closed)

possibly
it's also a chief export of Hull and Swansea.
( Jeccius Steam Borderlands 2 junkie, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 12:06, closed)

carbon disulfide
would have been more fun!
(imallamallama looking forward to llamageddon on, Sat 19 Jun 2010, 0:15, closed)

Dihydrogen Oxide?
implicated in 1000s of deaths every year.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Sun 20 Jun 2010, 15:28, closed)

I better be careful
I have a bottle of that on my desk...
( e.m.m.y. foxtrot uniform charlie kilo india tango, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 13:04, closed)