HIGHLY Flammable Oxygen!!!

[Hkindiana]

I just watched a channel 6 news report where the announcer warned the public that oxygen is "HIGHLY FLAMMABLE". Why do news agencies, and people, insist on repeating that lie. Oxygen IS NOT FLAMMABLE!!! It IS necessary for OTHER things to burn, and in high concentrations, OTHER THINGS will burn hotter and faster. I have even seen a sign in a hospital: "warning, flammable oxygen in use". Say what? There is NO SUCH THING AS FLAMMABLE OXYGEN! OK, rant over.

 

[JettaKnight]

 

[Leadeye]

When you get the gas torch out for use it will be hard to light with the oxygen first.

 

[JettaKnight]

Probably easier than saying, "WARNING: Everything you possess, including you, will be more highly flammable when burning in the presence of this pure oxygen inside this tank."

 

[KJQ6945]

Way back when, my metals shop class teacher filled three balloons. One with oxygen, one with acetylene,and one with a perfect mix. Then he lit each one. It was a learning experience.

 

[rvb]

[video=youtube;Q8mD2hsxrhQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8mD2hsxrhQ[/video]

 

[Hkindiana]

Probably easier than saying, "WARNING: Everything you possess, including you, will be more highly flammable when burning in the presence of this pure oxygen inside this tank."

Yeah, but it is easier (and just as WRONG) to say "guns kill people" too . . . . . . .

 

[Kutnupe14]

Lol +1

 

[scott delaney]

just like politician trying to explain how a gun works

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

A combination of scientific incompetence and sensationalism. In fairness, however, in a pure "fuel" atmosphere like propane or acetylene, a stream of oxygen can be made to ignite and burn, just like fuel in an oxygen atmosphere. You have to really want to do that, though. Interestingly, the acetylene tank isn't just a tank they compress acetylene in, it's full of acetone or dimethylformamide, into which the acetylene dissolves. It tends to explode when overcompressed.

 

[Hkindiana]

A combination of scientific incompetence and sensationalism. In fairness, however, in a pure "fuel" atmosphere like propane or acetylene, a stream of oxygen can be made to ignite and burn, just like fuel in an oxygen atmosphere. You have to really want to do that, though. Interestingly, the acetylene tank isn't just a tank they compress acetylene in, it's full of acetone or dimethylformamide, into which the acetylene dissolves. It tends to explode when overcompressed.

In a pure fuel environment, a stream of oxygen will APPEAR to burn. However, it is actually the FUEL that is burning in direct contact with the oxygen. The oxygen stream allows the surrounding fuel to ignite and burn. The majority of the fuel dies not ignite because it is not in contact with any oxygen.

 

[Cameramonkey]

In a pure fuel environment, a stream of oxygen will APPEAR to burn. However, it is actually the FUEL that is burning in direct contact with the oxygen. The oxygen stream allows the surrounding fuel to ignite and burn. The majority of the fuel dies not ignite because it is not in contact with any oxygen.

Correct. There is a cool video where a guy "burns oxygen". He creates a vacuum and replaces the atmosphere in the chamber 100% with a flammable gas. As he introduces a stream of oxygen he ignites it. so there is an "oxygen flame" surrounded by an atmosphere of pure gas.

Granted its purely academic...

 

[HoughMade]

In a pure fuel environment, a stream of oxygen will APPEAR to burn. However, it is actually the FUEL that is burning in direct contact with the oxygen. The oxygen stream allows the surrounding fuel to ignite and burn. The majority of the fuel dies not ignite because it is not in contact with any oxygen.

Like this:

[video=youtube;8jmX-TUQkx4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jmX-TUQkx4&t=303s[/video]As an aside, I have had a couple of intraoperative fire cases. The thing they had in common was that they were both face surgeries with a mask to deliver pure oxygen for the patient, but because if the location of the surgery, there could not be a good seal over the nose and mouth resulting in the pure O2 leaking out around the mask and saturating the draping around the surgical site. Stuff that usually does not readily burn becomes VERY easily ignited in that environment. You don't even need alcohol or anything you would consider an accelerant. Plastic sheeting and cotton cloths will flash into a fire with a spark from an electrocautery.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Thats the one. I didnt click on it to share because I didnt recognize the thumbnail.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Like this:

[video=youtube;8jmX-TUQkx4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jmX-TUQkx4&t=303s[/video]As an aside, I have had a couple of intraoperative fire cases. The thing they had in common was that they were both face surgeries with a mask to deliver pure oxygen for the patient, but because if the location of the surgery, there could not be a good seal over the nose and mouth resulting in the pure O2 leaking out around the mask and saturating the draping around the surgical site. Stuff that usually does not readily burn becomes VERY easily ignited in that environment. You don't even need alcohol or anything you would consider an accelerant. Plastic sheeting and cotton cloths will flash into a fire with a spark from an electrocautery.

but doctor why did you not intubate the patient to reduce risk of this happening?

 

[HoughMade]

but doctor why did you not intubate the patient to reduce risk of this happening?

The lack of:

a) The ability to see the future, and/or
b) A time machine, and
c) The significantly higher risks of general anesthesia over MAC

I'll take all 3 for the winning argument!

 

[hoosierdoc]

The lack of:

a) The ability to see the future, and/or
b) A time machine, and
c) The significantly higher risks of general anesthesia over MAC

I'll take all 3 for the winning argument!

fair points, all of them. I withdraw my statement

when I was in school a friend was in a surgery case. The attending was talking about how Bowel gas can ignite with cautery. The resident operating was later using it to make a small opening in the bowel and the surgeon yelled “BOOM!”

i guess you want to make sure the surgeon isn’t jumpy when starteled?

 

[russc2542]

Sometimes it's just not worth the effort of trying to get people to understand things. We have a manager here that whenever I talk to him I feel like the news stream from the starship troopers movie: "here's the 20 second summary... would you like to know more?"

 

[spencer rifle]

My wife worked at a home care (which included oxygen) supplier in CA long years ago. The building they were in was relatively new, the last one being blown up by an employee who was giving a warehouse tour to his family and lit up a cigarette.

 

[HoughMade]

fair points, all of them. I withdraw my statement

when I was in school a friend was in a surgery case. The attending was talking about how Bowel gas can ignite with cautery. The resident operating was later using it to make a small opening in the bowel and the surgeon yelled “BOOM!”

i guess you want to make sure the surgeon isn’t jumpy when starteled?

I'm a defense lawyer. If I can't at least come up with an argument, it's time for me to move on.