17 replies to this topic

[fikus01]

i appreciate that its not flammable in its self but if u get a backfire in the manifold when you're running nos you have the extra oxygen in there to make it burn hotter and faster!! and thats what i was referring to!!

[Silicon Skum]

NITROUS OXIDE DOES NOT EXPLODE , it is not even inflamable

OK, not picking on anyone here, just sorting out a few facts about N2O, too many people already think this stuff is perfectly safe and almost inert.

N2O is an oxidizing agent, that means it produces or contains an available source of oxygen during chemical or pyrolysis (burning) reactions. This means that something that wont normaly burn or oxidize well / at all in normal air at atmospheric pressure, WILL in the pressence of a strong oxidizing agent, often with considerable reaction rate and heat.

Strictly speaking, O2 - Oxygen also will not burn and is not explosive, UNLESS there is a fuel source for it to react with. A good example of what an oxider can do to something that does not normaly burn or react strongly to normal atmospheric air, is that of the LOX pump and reaction vesel of the space Shuttle main engines, the liquid Oxygen (LOX) is so reactive, even at minus 183°C the metal parts (especially the Aluminium parts) of the O2 pump assembly, pipework and injector of the reactor vessel of the engine can begin to burn away.

Another example of an oxidization reaction is the fire that killed the APOLLO Astronauts in 1967 when the pressurised pure oxygen atmosphere (~15PSI over Atmospheric) caused the Velcro pads (which normaly wont even smolder when heated in air), used all over the capsule and pressure suits, to burn VERY fast and produced toxic smoke, along with many other plastics and fabrics used in the craft. This was also the LAST time a pure oxygen atmosphere was used.

To see what an oxidizer can do, try pouring neat concentrated Hydrogen Peroxide (yep the stuff used to dye hair) over a bit of cloth or an old towl. Within seconds it will spontaneously combust, and burn VERY intense. Actually DON'T try this at home!

So just because N2O is not explosive, or flamable in it's self, does not mean it can't cause an explosion or fire!

Trust me, I know my chemical reactions and I (unfortunatly) know all to well about explosive chemical reactions and things that go BOOM real good. :'(

SS

[Big_Adam]

NITROUS OXIDE DOES NOT EXPLODE , it is not even inflamable

Yeah but if you crack the top off one you got yourself a handy dandy metal rocket!

Had a welding teacher who's been about when the top of an oxygen cylinder came off when it fell over. One of the big tall bottles. Went from being 1-1/2 tall to foot long after going thro a few walls.