Pouring gasoline, alcohol, or other fuel over a flame can cause a ten-foot fireball to shoot out and engulf an unsuspecting victim. This week on Reactions, we’re explaining the science of flame jetting and why it happens. Also, if you’re a chemistry teacher: the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety issued a safety alert, which recommends that the Rainbow Demonstration (performed on an open bench using flammable solvents like methanol) be discontinued immediately. This demo presents an unacceptable risk of flash fires and deflagrations that can cause serious injuries to students and teachers. Alternative experiments are available that demonstrate the same rainbow colors but don’t use flammable solvents on an open bench.
Safety alert
Alternate demos
We made this video as the ACS contribution to a collaboration by a number of groups committed to helping prevent flame jetting incidents: US Chemical Safety Board, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), BEAR, Inc., Sterno Products, LLC, Office of Congressman Mike Thompson, ATF Fire Research Laboratory, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, American Burn Association, Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, Lamplight Farms, Jensen Hughes, Battelle, Health Canada and the Portable Fuel Container Manufacturers Association (PFCMA).
Sources:
- Dangers of Flaming Drinks After Woman Catches On Fire While Having Shot
- ATF Fire Research Laboratory Flame Jetting, 2 Gallon Container, 300 ml gasoline, Front View
- The Whoosh Bottle
- The Science of Flame Jetting
- Flame Jetting 101
- Dangerous ‘Flame Jetting’ Phenomenon Kills Hundreds Every Year
- Gasoline at home
- The Problem
- Hydrocarbon-Composition-of-Gasoline-Vapor-Emissions from Enclosed Fuel Tanks Draft
- Upper Flammable Limit (UFL)
- Flammability limit
- An Experimental and Modeling Study of the Flammability of Fuel Tank Headspace Vapors from Ethanol/Gasoline Fuels
- Toxicological Profile for Automotive Gasoline
- 3.1 CHEMICAL IDENTITY
- AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE CAS # 8006-61-9
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