Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Illuminating Gas

disulfideprotein - 5-3-2012 at 21:41

Let me know if you want more from this book. Its 130 years old! It is in separate pictures since I could not attach the pdf.

[Edited on 6-3-2012 by disulfideprotein]

[Edited on 6-3-2012 by disulfideprotein]

[Edited on 6-3-2012 by disulfideprotein]

[Edited on 6-3-2012 by disulfideprotein]

Attachment: Untitled 1.pdf (1.3MB)
This file has been downloaded 465 times

zoombafu - 5-3-2012 at 22:17

no file is attached

disulfideprotein - 6-3-2012 at 07:23

Quote: Originally posted by zoombafu  
no file is attached


You seem to be correct... It looks like it is more that 2 mb

Pulverulescent - 6-3-2012 at 08:08

I assume that the illuminating gas referred to is acetylene . . .
When burned in the correct atmosphere, it produces a very pure, white flame ─ apparently!

ScienceSquirrel - 6-3-2012 at 08:20

A long time ago I read about petrol gas. It was used for illuminating country houses.
Here is a complete description of the production and use of petrol gas.

http://ia600402.us.archive.org/23/items/petrolairgasprac00oc...

[Edited on 6-3-2012 by ScienceSquirrel]

Pulverulescent - 6-3-2012 at 10:03

1s. 6d. Daylight robbery!?!
Had'da a quick look too, and found this.

Endimion17 - 6-3-2012 at 10:41

Quote: Originally posted by Pulverulescent  
I assume that the illuminating gas referred to is acetylene . . .
When burned in the correct atmosphere, it produces a very pure, white flame ─ apparently!


Is that a joke or what?

Pulverulescent - 6-3-2012 at 10:47

What?

disulfideprotein - 6-3-2012 at 11:14

See illuminating gas is about 46% CO so I do not believe it is acetylene.

Endimion17 - 6-3-2012 at 11:33

Quote: Originally posted by Pulverulescent  
What?


Dry/destructive distillation of wood, together with examining its products is an experiment kids do in elementary school. There's no acetylene inside.

bahamuth - 6-3-2012 at 11:59

Quote: Originally posted by Endimion17  
Quote: Originally posted by Pulverulescent  
What?


Dry/destructive distillation of wood, together with examining its products is an experiment kids do in elementary school. There's no acetylene inside.


It actually says that there is acetylene present in the "marsh gas" in the text.(The "marsh gas" amounting to 1/3 of the total gas volume).

If it is the "luminous" component is rather hard to disern from the text, but it is true that acetylene burns with a almost pure white flame if the gas mix is right (I have several WW2 German calcium carbide mine lamps and the light from them is almost pure white) , and as such I believe it to be a chief component of a good "luminous gas". Do not know much of the flame color of CO but IIRC it is almost pure blue e.g. invisible or poor for illumination.

Pulverulescent - 6-3-2012 at 12:31

Quote:
Dry/destructive distillation of wood, together with examining its products is an experiment kids do in elementary school. There's no acetylene inside.

I get it!
It seems that for some reason best known to yourself, you believe I said something or other about the decomposition of wood . . . ?

Endimion17 - 6-3-2012 at 13:04

Quote: Originally posted by Pulverulescent  
I get it!
It seems that for some reason best known to yourself, you believe I said something or other about the decomposition of wood . . . ?


I really doubt there's acetylene inside, and I thought you meant to say the illuminating gas aka coal gas is acetylene which is never made by this method. My apologies if I was mistaken.

disulfideprotein - 6-3-2012 at 18:41

I agree I do not believe acetylene is in illuminating gas. I have looked this up and it is not in it.

Pulverulescent - 7-3-2012 at 00:56

Acetylene is still popular as an illuminating gas! http://carbidelamp.net/

disulfideprotein - 7-3-2012 at 01:24

In the way I am referring to illuminating gas is the way that it is referred to in the book.

marko - 7-3-2012 at 22:48

Even if it were CO, the colour the gas burns is immaterial - the setup (for the last 100+ years, at least) uses a mantle, like on a coleman lamp - the hot thorium oxide glows bright white from heat.

Before that it had to be wood or coal, things that burn bright, though.

Endimion17 - 8-3-2012 at 04:28

Quote: Originally posted by Pulverulescent  
Acetylene is still popular as an illuminating gas! http://carbidelamp.net/


Yeah, it has some advantages over electrical setups, especially for speleology. It produces more heat, which is sometimes great when you're couple of hundreds of meters in the Earth's crust, where it's very cold. One carbide lamp and a Mylar foil blanket keep you warm.