sludgeshit - 3-1-2005 at 22:59
i want to use nitrous oxide gas in my cutting
torch instead of oxygen, is this safe and what
flame temperature is it
why???
Joeychemist - 3-1-2005 at 23:08
Well thats just plain stupid. 
Nitrous oxide is very expensive compaired to oxygen. Not only that, if you need to cut throught thick steel or you need a hotter flame there are
special torches for stiff like that.
Wrong forum, or isn't it?
cyclonite4 - 3-1-2005 at 23:46
Why is this in energetic materials?
Unless of course you are predicting some kind of fuel-air explosion to happen as a result of using N2O instead of O2.
BromicAcid - 4-1-2005 at 00:17
All I know is that an acetylene/nitrous oxide flame is over 2500C, maybe closer to 3000C, we used them in quantitative analysis for flame atomic
absorption spectroscopy for analyzing samples containing calcium. I'm sure some things would have to be changed in the conversion, but I'm
not experienced in welding. I'm sure it can be utilized in a safe manner though.
cyclonite4 - 4-1-2005 at 00:18
Well... he is using a propane torch.
If he's going to use N2O then acetylene is probably a better fuel, but whats wrong with just using oxy-acetelyne?
sludgeshit - 4-1-2005 at 09:18
we are stuck way back 500 miles in the forest
all we have is a propane cutting torch, we ran out of
oxgen, and have only nitrousoxide , we want to hook
the nitrous bottle to where the o2 was and use it
for cutting, can we do this ?
Mr. Wizard - 4-1-2005 at 11:41
Try it and see. It will burn, that's for sure. N20 will simulate Oxygen when using a glowing splint and it is used with Acetylene for
spectrographic testing. You will have to play with the pressures and mixtures. The temperature will not be as high as with Acetylene, but you can
sure pack a lot more N2O in a bottle than you can O2, as it liquifies under pressure, Propane also liquifies, unlike Acetylene which is dissolved in a
solvent Such as Acetone, carried on a solid binder like concrete brick inside the tank. The bad news is the efficiency of Propane heating metal
quickly, as opposed to Acetylene. Have you investigated the use of Calcium Carbide in a portable generator?
link to use of Nitrous Oxide
http://www.chemistry.nmsu.edu/Instrumentation/AAS_Gases.html
HNO3 - 4-1-2005 at 14:42
500 miles back in a forest and has a internet connection. Cool! Can I come? Would you have another building available?
sludgeshit - 4-1-2005 at 16:04
thanks mrwizard, i'm sure you are right when
you say i have a lot more liquid nitrous oxide
in the tank then would be oxygen, the propane is liquid
too so i should have enough to get the job done
Mr. Wizard - 5-1-2005 at 16:55
The use of Nitrous Oxide with Propane may not be the best way to go. Read what this site has to say about the efficiency of different fuels:
http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/protected/band_3/jk49.html
They also state the purity of the cutting Oxygen is very important.
This site however says the right torch, designed for Propane, is the way to go:
http://members.aol.com/Idcamper/All-States.html
This guy says his Gasoline powered torch is better than propane:
http://www.opetrol.com/Propane.htm
Lots of experimentation needs to be done.