[TheForge] Orange smoke (was: Petrogen Torch Yak)

[Bruce Freeman]

For lack of better information, I will speculate that the orange smoke
was  white particulate matter (fumes) "colored" by nitric oxide - or,
more precisely, its dimer, dinitrogen tetroxide.  I don't know where the
nitrogen came from.  Possibly, at the temperatures involved it came from
the air.  Maybe its formation was catalyzed on one of the hot surfaces. 


If this be true, then the residue would not be orange.  The nitric
oxide would remain a gas and dissipate.

Nitric oxide IS VERY orange.  Maybe a slightly brownish orange, but
intense.

Bruce
NJ

>>> frosty at customcpu.com 9/2/2004 12:58:35 AM >>>
When I got my All States torch the guy who demoed it said he was
demoing the
oxy lance for the fire dept a couple days later and I should come by.

Part of the demo entailed him burning 3" +/- holes through a jersey
barrier.
As far as I know there was nothing special about it, just concrete and
rebar.

I expect the burning lime was about as reactive as it gets. There were
undoubtable other minerals present in the form of the aggregate in the
concrete but the smoke was a uniform VERY orange so I don't think there
were
significant adulterations.

I don't know if it was noxious, the FD guys were avoiding it like the
plague
so I did too. I imagine getting coated with hot quick lime would be . .
. .
"unpleasant". <grin> Asuming it was quick lime.

I didn't notice any residue but wasn't looking. Seeing somebody blast
through about a foot of concrete in a few seconds was distracting.

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>


> Orange smoke?  Hmmm...  Bright colors mean "active" electrons, which
may
> mean reactive or toxic chemicals.  I don't know why the orange
color,
> though.  Maybe nitric oxide?  Does it leave an orange powder behind?
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
> >>> frosty at customcpu.com 8/20/2004 3:30:30 PM >>>
>
> <snip>
>
> Second is an oxy lance's ability to burn virtually anything, so you
> can
>

>
> Burning concrete produces VIVID orange smoke. <grin>
>
> Frosty
>

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