Resource Baking Soda and Citric Acid Test [Results]

[yellowsouled]

TL;DR: Perhaps be careful if you try this?

(Resource perhaps isn't the best flair, but I'm not certain of a better option.)

I ordered citric acid powder to test the method of that + baking soda to make mass amounts of CO2, as there's been at least one successful CTB with it, and a large amount as opposed to minor buildup can induce unconsciousness in seconds rather than minutes.

I added 2tbsp (~30ml) of each into a ziplock bag plush about 4tbsp (~60ml) total of water. It bubbled for a bit, and when the reaction slowed, I perhaps erred. I thought I could try breathing it to see if the CO2 amount directly could make me dizzy, and since I was holding the bag in my hands, if I felt sick or passed out or whatever, I'd just drop the bag and be fine.

I don't know if it was a result of the CA specifically or the proximity or what (because the smell of the CA alone was "sharp" to me), but breathing it in was physically painful. I don't mean like "panic response" pain, because as a teen I did impulsively just try to slap a bag over my head to CTB, I mean the same sharp sensation you get of inhaling pool water by accident or shooting soda out of your nose or whatever else. Mind, it was no longer bubbling, so this wasn't an issue of that, and while it was "close" to my face, it was over 1ft out.

Luckily, there was no horrible chemical burn or anything. It was just for a few seconds. I did get vaguely dizzy after the fact and have a mild headache, but the immediate pain and the 0-100 escalation ensured I didn't retry.

Perhaps someone will have better luck with, say, putting it in a large trash bag as a test so they're not as close to the source, but that was legitimately jarring as I expected CO2 related pain, not "you just breathed in chlorine water" pain. CA itself may also be the issue because, as I said, just smelling that itself was somewhat uncomfortable.

 

[Loaf of bread]

Interesting, other threads do not report anything remotely similar.

Thank you for sharing

 

[yellowsouled]

Interesting, other threads do not report anything remotely similar.

Thank you for sharing

It's highly possible the distance was the issue. May retest in the future with something larger than "largest ziplock I can find".

 

[NegevChina]

It's highly possible the distance was the issue. May retest in the future with something larger than "largest ziplock I can find".

Turns out CO2 inhalation can be very painful when the concentration is high. I read this article (its long) :
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1258/0023677053739747
100% CO2 will cause you to pass out after 10 seconds but is very painful to inhale. Some people pass out at around 30% with out to much suffering but takes longer time. it says a linear relationship was found between CO2 concentration and pain sensation. Average individual tolerance thresholds ranged from 40% to 55% CO2.
Its probably the reason this method is not so popular.

 

[maniac116]

The elevated C02 will cause the body to become desperate for oxygen. It will kick SI into high gear & you will fail.
Lack of oxygen ironically doesn't cause us to gasp for air. Its actually C02 elevation that causes it.
I never say never but I think this method has overwhelming odds of failure

 

[yellowsouled]

The elevated C02 will cause the body to become desperate for oxygen. It will kick SI into high gear & you will fail.
Lack of oxygen ironically doesn't cause us to gasp for air. Its actually C02 elevation that causes it.
I never say never but I think this method has overwhelming odds of failure

I know that. But there was a proven successful CTB using the BS+CA (it's a scientific / medical paper), and if the concentration is high enough the panic is meant to last seconds VS minutes.

 

[idhayam]

TL;DR: Perhaps be careful if you try this?

(Resource perhaps isn't the best flair, but I'm not certain of a better option.)

I ordered citric acid powder to test the method of that + baking soda to make mass amounts of CO2, as there's been at least one successful CTB with it, and a large amount as opposed to minor buildup can induce unconsciousness in seconds rather than minutes.

I added 2tbsp (~30ml) of each into a ziplock bag plush about 4tbsp (~60ml) total of water. It bubbled for a bit, and when the reaction slowed, I perhaps erred. I thought I could try breathing it to see if the CO2 amount directly could make me dizzy, and since I was holding the bag in my hands, if I felt sick or passed out or whatever, I'd just drop the bag and be fine.

I don't know if it was a result of the CA specifically or the proximity or what (because the smell of the CA alone was "sharp" to me), but breathing it in was physically painful. I don't mean like "panic response" pain, because as a teen I did impulsively just try to slap a bag over my head to CTB, I mean the same sharp sensation you get of inhaling pool water by accident or shooting soda out of your nose or whatever else. Mind, it was no longer bubbling, so this wasn't an issue of that, and while it was "close" to my face, it was over 1ft out.

Luckily, there was no horrible chemical burn or anything. It was just for a few seconds. I did get vaguely dizzy after the fact and have a mild headache, but the immediate pain and the 0-100 escalation ensured I didn't retry.

Perhaps someone will have better luck with, say, putting it in a large trash bag as a test so they're not as close to the source, but that was legitimately jarring as I expected CO2 related pain, not "you just breathed in chlorine water" pain. CA itself may also be the issue because, as I said, just smelling that itself was somewhat uncomfortable.

This is the method that I will hopefully CTB with. Through my test rounds, I've found that the concentration of CO2 is what matters the most. I'm aware that it will hurt, but by increasing the concentration to as high as possible, the time it takes for you to gain unconsciousness decreases, so you will feel the immense pain for a lesser amount of time.

I have practiced this enough, so I am fully aware of the pain I will get, but the duration that I will withstand it for all depends on how much CO2 I manage to fit in. I've already filled as many as twenty ziplock bags with CO2, and the last thing I need to figure out is how I will open them all as quick as possible before I can make my final attempt.

 

[maniac116]

I know that. But there was a proven successful CTB using the BS+CA (it's a scientific / medical paper), and if the concentration is high enough the panic is meant to last seconds VS minutes.

I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[Jarni]

Thank you for sharing your experience.
I think it was question of breathing only by mouth with this method.

 

[Darkover]

i am thinking of attempting this method in my bathroom it's 1.7 meters width 2.2 meters length and 2.2 meters high
2kg citric acid and 2.5 kg baking soda and 18 liters of water enough to make 80,000 parts per million co2 mixing it in the bath
would have to duct tape the window, extractor fan ,door and plug holes then it's just a matter if i can pass out before the symptoms set in and survival instinct kicks in

 

[Loaf of bread]

@charaunderground I read this thread again, perhaps the low amount of reactants used was the issue?

If I remember correctly, 1kg of citric acid + 1.0-1.3kg baking soda in 1.0-1.5L of water = 75L CO2 (Sources differ, I added the variations). You used 30mL of each, which should only generate about 2L of CO2, maybe way less since in the few seconds you stayed not all has reacted?

So depending on the size of your bag and the time elapsed, the amount of CO2 generated may not have been enough to trigger the painless hypercapnic response, instead triggering the pain response from lower CO2 levels?

Just a guess

 

[L'absent]

To achieve a sufficient concentration of CO2 that could cause rapid unconsciousness, you would need to increase the amount of citric acid and baking soda and use a sealed container where the gas can accumulate. The more contained the reaction, the higher the CO2 concentration will be. However, even then, the risk of suffocation or other serious harm is high, and the method is neither safe nor reliable for achieving the desired effect. High concentrations of CO2 can cause respiratory difficulties, panic, and damage before reaching unconsciousness.

 

[Darkover]

Carbon monoxide (CO) is less likely to cause a painful or distressing response compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂) because it does not directly trigger the body's respiratory response. However, CO is far more dangerous due to its stealthy nature and the severe, potentially fatal consequences of exposure.

could you just use a petrol electric generator indoor to have a fast painless death