Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: eric2011 on 07/10/2015 16:48:37

Title: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: eric2011 on 07/10/2015 16:48:37

How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?

Title: Re: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: evan_au on 07/10/2015 21:22:08

Try this:

On second thoughts, don't try this at home!

Title: Re: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: ProjectSailor on 08/10/2015 13:43:46

Lots of oxygen and fine charcoal pellets... but the question needs to be more specific.. WHAT do you want to be 2500 celcius? Air, water or the flame?

Basically.. to reach the higher temperatures you need to be reacting (burning) as much of the charcoal at the same time to release the energy.. Fine pellets give you a greater surface area for the reactions to take place.. excess oxygen (think blast furnace) will allow as many reactions to occur as possible without worrying that you will run out of oxygen to burn.

Coal and charcoal dust is explosive and very dangerous to handle but that would most certainly achieve the required temperature.

Title: Re: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: Bored chemist on 08/10/2015 22:12:44

Well, according to this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiabatic_flame_temperature#Common_flame_temperatures
 you won't easily get there with air- you will need an oxygen blast.


Why do you want 2500 C (and how will you know if you get it?)

Title: Re: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: ProjectSailor on 09/10/2015 10:08:57

Yes this empirical data sometimes confuses me since I met a fellow who could actually achieve that temperature in a furnace without oxygen which has always bothered me.. (he might have been lying and using some form of oxygen pump but I couldn't see it) and he just said he chopped the pellets he had up a bit smaller..

(edit) oops I read a bit further and saw that this was based on 1 atm.. so he must have been pressurising his furnace.

But yes.. there are other means of achieving 2500 degC without going to all that trouble (oxy-acetylene kit is VERY easy to come by)

Title: Re: How to create 2500 celsius with charcoal or coal?
Post by: Bored chemist on 10/10/2015 00:28:13

Quote from: ProjectSailor on 09/10/2015 10:08:57

... I met a fellow who could actually achieve that temperature...

How do you know?