Oxyhydrogen flame
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An oxyhydrogen flame is the flame caused by the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen, and is very hot. Hydrogen gas readily burns in oxygen or air with the formation of water. According to Julius Thomsen it makes 34,116 calories of heat for each gram of hydrogen burned. How and where this process happens does not affect this quantity but does affect the temperature of the flame. It obviously is highest in the firing of pure "oxyhydrogen" gas (a mixture of hydrogen with exactly half its volume of oxygen, the quantity it combines with in becoming water, German Knallgas). It is lower when the "oxyhydrogen" is mixed with excess of oxygen or hydrogen, or with an inert gas such as nitrogen, because there the same amount of heat spreads over a larger quantity of matter.
[edit] Uses
- The oxyhydrogen flame is used in the glass industry under the name "fire polishing".
- In making jewelry, under the name "water welding" or "water torch" [1].
- Welding
[edit] History
Many forms of oxyhydrogen lamps have been invented like limelight, but the explosive nature of the gas mixture rendered them all more or less dangerous at that time. It acquired considerable application in platinum works, this metal being only fusible in the oxyhydrogen flame and the electric furnace; and also for making limelight, as in optical ("magic") lanterns. But these applications have been superseded by the electric furnace, and electric light.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
