Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Replace the oil in an oil burner with chemical mixtures?

gnitseretni - 9-1-2007 at 08:47

hi there,

i was wondering.. does anyone know which chemicals, when mixed in the proper ratios, will burn both long AND hot, hot enough to melt aluminum in a crucible that sits in an insulated furnace? I have a centrifugal blower (240CFM) that can blow air to the equation if needed to supply some oxygen.

I normally use a mixture of oil/air to melt the aluminum, but since i developed a sudden interest in chemicals, i'd like to try that for a change. Something new.. and interesting.

So any suggestions? :-)

h0lx - 9-1-2007 at 08:57

Any hydrocarbons should be the ideal choice when extreme temperatures are not needed, as their decomposition heat values are high. So just stick to oil, other stuff is just more expensive. But if you want to try different stuff, maybe benzene?

EDIT: How about hydrogen or acetylene?

[Edited on 9-1-2007 by h0lx]

gnitseretni - 9-1-2007 at 09:38

Quote:
Originally posted by h0lx
Any hydrocarbons should be the ideal choice when extreme temperatures are not needed, as their decomposition heat values are high. So just stick to oil, other stuff is just more expensive. But if you want to try different stuff, maybe benzene?

EDIT: How about hydrogen or acetylene?

[Edited on 9-1-2007 by h0lx]


it's not meant as a replacement fuel, so it doesn't matter if it's more expensive. It's just for fun really.. and curiosity. Also i had solids in mind, like aluminum and rust(thermite), but then something that burns less hot and can be made to burn longer.

I saw a thread on things one can do with potassium permanganate, i'll take a look at that, i remember i can get that stuff at ACE hardware. Or is KMnO4 useless for what i'm trying to do?

Bromine - 9-1-2007 at 10:09

Maybe some sugar+potassium nitrate? It bruns about 600-1000°C hot.

gnitseretni - 9-1-2007 at 11:00

Quote:
Originally posted by Bromine
Maybe some sugar+potassium nitrate? It bruns about 600-1000°C hot.


yes, i found a site that uses sugar and KNO3 to make rocket propellant. I could adjust his formula to try and suit my application. Whether it works or not it'll be fun anyway :-)

vulture - 9-1-2007 at 13:28

A stoichiometric oil flame will easily produce temperatures in excess of 1000C...

h0lx - 9-1-2007 at 13:35

Ofcourse depends on your oil, fat, hydrocarbon etc.