[TheForge] Re: Cool Fact: Hottest Flame

[Dave Brown]

I was going through my folder of stuff I keep so I call look things up and 
pretend to be a know-it-all, and this tidbit struck a resonant chord for 
today.  So, I thought I'd pass it along so that others on this list can 
become know-it-all's too.

Dave "Call me Bullwinkle" Brown

>                   What's the hottest kind of flame?
>
>The hottest flames known to science are made by burning a mixture of
>oxygen and acetylene (C2H2).  The flame of an oxyacetylene torch can
>reach a temperature of more than 3300 degrees Celsius (5972 F), hot
>enough to melt metal even underwater or in the extreme cold of
>Antarctica.
>
>Why does acetylene produce such a hot flame?  The secret is in the
>molecule's structure:  It contains two carbon atoms joined by a high-
>energy triple bond, with a hydrogen atom capping each end of the
>molecule.  When the triple bond is attacked and broken by oxygen
>atoms, a very large amount of energy is released.
>
>Because of its extremely high energy content, acetylene is also one
>of the most explosive gasses.  Even a small amount, if it explodes,
>can create a shock wave intense enough to kill a person and flames
>hot enough to inflict severe burns.
>
>A prize-winning essay about acetylene:
>http://www.chem.yorku.ca/hall_of_fame/essays97/acetylene/acetylen.htm
>
>How dangerous is it?
>http://www.cganet.com/Pubs/Free/SAAcet.htm