Thread: Good burning liquid material?

Hello folks,

I've just registered because I started my photography course in college and I have to do photo which will present the opposites in some way. I have an idea with water and fire, but I can't find materials which will be burning for longer than 3 secs.
I basically looking for liquid material which is going to burn much longer and eventually offers bigger fire.
I could give you a link to show you what I mean but forum stops me somehow. I want to fill the glass of water and I want to upper edges of the glass to burn. I've used sugar and salicylic alcohol but that didnt work for me.
I need other liquid material so I started topic to looking for answer here.

Thanks for reading and eventual help
Michal.

Originally Posted by pawlik32

Hello folks,

I've just registered because I started my photography course in college and I have to do photo which will present the opposites in some way. I have an idea with water and fire, but I can't find materials which will be burning for longer than 3 secs.
I basically looking for liquid material which is going to burn much longer and eventually offers bigger fire.
I could give you a link to show you what I mean but forum stops me somehow. I want to fill the glass of water and I want to upper edges of the glass to burn. I've used sugar and salicylic alcohol but that didnt work for me.
I need other liquid material so I started topic to looking for answer here.

Thanks for reading and eventual help
Michal.

I am too little advanced both scientifically and mentally, to comprehend precisely what it is you wish to accomplish. Glass will not burn. A "glass", defined as a vessel from which drink is rendered, might be of plastic very combustible.

My thought is to use a pellet of sodium metal about 2ml, the solid, dropped into a "glass" half-full of water in which a teaspoon of NaOH crystals is dissolved (the other "solid), if the hydrogen gas produced thusly fails to ignite, repeat by holding a burning match attached to a LONG stick, above the "glass". jocular

I am too little advanced both scientifically and mentally, to comprehend precisely what it is you wish to accomplish. Glass will not burn. A "glass", defined as a vessel from which drink is rendered, might be of plastic very combustible.

My thought is to use a pellet of sodium metal about 2ml, the solid, dropped into a "glass" half-full of water in which a teaspoon of NaOH crystals is dissolved (the other "solid), if the hydrogen gas produced thusly fails to ignite, repeat by holding a burning match attached to a LONG stick, above the "glass". jocular

Thanks for your hasty reply. I will try that in 100%.
Still waiting for another ideas in case if that one will not suit to my 'project'

Thanks again and looking forward for ideas guys!

Hi there, try Greek Fire, Greek fire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by jocular

Originally Posted by pawlik32

Hello folks,

I've just registered because I started my photography course in college and I have to do photo which will present the opposites in some way. I have an idea with water and fire, but I can't find materials which will be burning for longer than 3 secs.
I basically looking for liquid material which is going to burn much longer and eventually offers bigger fire.
I could give you a link to show you what I mean but forum stops me somehow. I want to fill the glass of water and I want to upper edges of the glass to burn. I've used sugar and salicylic alcohol but that didnt work for me.
I need other liquid material so I started topic to looking for answer here.

Thanks for reading and eventual help
Michal.

I am too little advanced both scientifically and mentally, to comprehend precisely what it is you wish to accomplish. Glass will not burn. A "glass", defined as a vessel from which drink is rendered, might be of plastic very combustible.

My thought is to use a pellet of sodium metal about 2ml, the solid, dropped into a "glass" half-full of water in which a teaspoon of NaOH crystals is dissolved (the other "solid), if the hydrogen gas produced thusly fails to ignite, repeat by holding a burning match attached to a LONG stick, above the "glass". jocular

I have another question, where can I order such material? Im from europe, so can I order that on eBay or Amazon? If yes, can you link it to me? I would really appreciate it! I would look for it by myself, but I won't to order something not proper. Im not chemist so I hope you understand me

Originally Posted by Ascended

Hi there, try Greek Fire, Greek fire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I going to check it out as well. Thank you for that.

It seems the formula for Greek fire is somewhat a mystery.

If you just need a still photo, 3 seconds ought to be enough. You just have to rig something up that will ignite it and trigger the shutter within 3 seconds.

Here's another thought. Grain alcohol looks like water. Who'd know the difference?

Greek Fire Recipe - the Ingredients

The Greek Fire recipe for Greek fire included the following ingredients which are defined as follows:

• Quicklime - Quicklime also known as calcium oxide (white, caustic, lumpy powder )
• Saltpeter - Saltpeter aka Sodium nitrate is a type of salt which has long been used as an ingredient in explosives
• Bitumen - Asphalt and tar are the most common forms of bitumen. The city of Carthage was easily burnt down due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.
• Sulpher (Sulfur) - Sulfur is a soft bright yellow solid. Unlike most other liquids, increases with temperature due to the formation of polymer chains. Because of its flammable nature, sulfur also finds use in matches, gunpowder, and fireworks.
• Resin - Resin is a sticky liquid produced by most plants. Some reins contain heptane which is explosively flammable
• Pitch - Pitch is a thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing.

Of course though the actual exact proportions of the original ancient Greek fire are still somewhat of a mystery, this doesn't however stop you from making a modern day approximation, this said caution is strongly advised as it is notoriously hard to extinguish.

Dude...if you burn off your eyebrows...please don't sue us.

How about something a little less volitile, like charcoal lighter fluid?

SAFETY WARNING!!!

Playing with fire can cause severe burns and property damage. Only attempt outdoors, away from structures and under the supervision of someone who isn't an idiot. Keep a fire extinguisher and a large box of baking soda around in case things don't quite work. DON'T USE WATER ON AN OIL FIRE!

Originally Posted by pawlik32

Originally Posted by jocular

Thanks for reading and eventual help
Michal.

I am too little advanced both scientifically and mentally, to comprehend precisely what it is you wish to accomplish. Glass will not burn. A "glass", defined as a vessel from which drink is rendered, might be of plastic very combustible.

My thought is to use a pellet of sodium metal about 2ml, the solid, dropped into a "glass" half-full of water in which a teaspoon of NaOH crystals is dissolved (the other "solid), if the hydrogen gas produced thusly fails to ignite, repeat by holding a burning match attached to a LONG stick, above the "glass". jocular

I have another question, where can I order such material? Im from europe, so can I order that on eBay or Amazon? If yes, can you link it to me? I would really appreciate it! I would look for it by myself, but I won't to order something not proper. Im not chemist so I hope you understand me [/QUOTE]

"Greek Fire" constituents are very nearly similar chemically to black gunpowder, the chief oxidizing material being "niter", Potassium Nitrate,. KNO3, which was at one time extensively used as a food preservative called "saltpeter". It has been mostly supplanted by Sodium Nitrite, NaNO2, and actually, Sodium Nitrate, NaNO3, may be used as a replacement oxidizer for Potassium Nitrate, nearly as effectively. The other ingredients shown constitute combustibles reactive with the oxidizer, sulfur being a "starter" for the burning reaction.

Sodium Metal, on the other hand, is a dangerous substance which must be kept absolutely dry, avoiding moisture, as it reacts directly with water almost explosively. It is stored submerged in kerosene or other light oil, to exclude exposure to air. At one time Sodium was widely available here in the U.S. at any chemical supply store. Today is likely another story, however, with restrictions having been implemented with regard to possible use of such materials by terrorists. I have no knowledge firsthand of such availability in Europe. Perhaps one of our European Members may provide information regarding that.

NaOH crystals which I mentioned above are known commonly as "lye", a widely-used material to keep sink drains open and flowing. It is a highly basic material, having very high Ph when dissolved in water. It's efficiency as a drain cleaner results from it's ability to dissolve and loosen greases, fat, and hair; thus it is dangerous to expose the human body to it. There are many ways to generate hydrogen gas, but use of it to achieve results which you described as desired, would be rather difficult to carry out.

As an "aside", I discovered quite by accident at about the age of 11, working with my home "Chemistry Set", that a mixture of Sulfur and Sodium Nitrite burns extremely vigorously and spectacularly when ignited. This process I have never seen mentioned in my literature on Pyrotechnics, probably because Sodium Nitrite is quite hygroscopic, and draws water from the air, becoming a rather wet mass when so exposed for any length of time. jocular

Originally Posted by Ascended

Greek Fire Recipe - the Ingredients

The Greek Fire recipe for Greek fire included the following ingredients which are defined as follows:

• Quicklime - Quicklime also known as calcium oxide (white, caustic, lumpy powder )
• Saltpeter - Saltpeter aka Sodium nitrate is a type of salt which has long been used as an ingredient in explosives
• Bitumen - Asphalt and tar are the most common forms of bitumen. The city of Carthage was easily burnt down due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.
• Sulpher (Sulfur) - Sulfur is a soft bright yellow solid. Unlike most other liquids, increases with temperature due to the formation of polymer chains. Because of its flammable nature, sulfur also finds use in matches, gunpowder, and fireworks.
• Resin - Resin is a sticky liquid produced by most plants. Some reins contain heptane which is explosively flammable
• Pitch - Pitch is a thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing.

Of course though the actual exact proportions of the original ancient Greek fire are still somewhat of a mystery, this doesn't however stop you from making a modern day approximation, this said caution is strongly advised as it is notoriously hard to extinguish.

You seem to have excluded "naphtha", another ingredient mentioned in "Greek Fire", one which obviously carries a higher "fire quotient" than any of the others you listed. joc

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Dude...if you burn off your eyebrows...please don't sue us.

How about something a little less volitile, like charcoal lighter fluid?

SAFETY WARNING!!!

Playing with fire can cause severe burns and property damage. Only attempt outdoors, away from structures and under the supervision of someone who isn't an idiot. Keep a fire extinguisher and a large box of baking soda around in case things don't quite work. DON'T USE WATER ON AN OIL FIRE!

Charcoal lighter - good idea. I don't know why I didn't think of that.