little known facts of Napalm

[jackhammer]

I didn't know whether to put this in pyrotechnics or battlefield chemistry, so I decided to play it safe and put it in the water cooler. One of the interesting attributes of napalm is that it does not need to burn you to kll you. Because of the heat and length at which it can burn, napalm can suck all the oxygen out of the air around where it ignites, and replace it with poison gas (like carbon monoxide). The problem with this is the amount needed to be effective, and how to distribute that. So my question is, hypothetically, would this technique be of any use to someone outside the military? Could a person or group of people construct a device capable of say, detonating a rocket over a house or building, killing those inside without even having to burn it to the ground?

[mongo blongo]

Dude, any kind of fire will use up and displace oxygen in that way. It's going to be a very big rocket to get that much napalm inside it. Hardly practicle. It was a good idea not posting this anywhere else.

[ossassin]

Try searching for threads on atomized particle explosions. The military uses these to "suck the oxygen out of the air." It's basically like when you light fine particles of flour in the air...WOOSH! :)

[Tended Tripod]

I suggest searching for FAE (fuel air explosion). While it's the same thing FAE seems to be a much more common term. This way you won't come asking for help if you don't find very much with atomized particle explosion.

[jackhammer]

Dude, any kind of fire will use up and displace oxygen in that way. It's going to be a very big rocket to get that much napalm inside it. I know any fire uses up oxygen, but napalm consumes more than something like wood. It burns hotter and consumes more rapidly. Also, the point is that you don't have to get the napalm inside the building. In WWII, they found bunkers where napalm bombs had exploded nearby or overhead. Everyone inside would be dead, but not a hair was singed. The scene looked similar to the aftermath of a volcano, where the ash and poison from oxygen free carbon monoxide ridden air kill more than lava and fire.Try searching for threads on atomized particle explosions. Will do. Thanks.

[static_firefly]

Yeah apperently FAEs can be set off over a bunker to suck the air out and kill everyone inside.

[gliper]

any gas is just a bunch of atoms, nearly all of the flamable ones are poisonis in sufisiant quantities and easyest to spred.

[Blackhawk]

That wasn't the point though, the idea is that the explosion would use all the oxygen in the area and the people would suffocate. I have seen this technique used to stop oil fires in the Middle East, where they use a bulldozer type vehicle with a very long arm to place a box filled with HE's into the plume of the flame, once detonated it sucks out all the Oxygen and the fire goes out. I'm not sure how practicle the idea would be for killing people though, wouldn't the intense heat of the FAE or napalm just kill them before the oxygen deprivation?

[jackhammer]

I'm not sure how practicle the idea would be for killing people though, wouldn't the intense heat of the FAE or napalm just kill them before the oxygen deprivation? It might, but if they had any good kind of cover their chances of surviving the heat would be pretty good. Thanks for the FAE tip.

[vulture]

The oil well fires were not put out of oxygen shortage by the explosion, merely by the effect of the shockwave. Just like you need to blow harder to put out a bigger candle than a smaller one.

The massive air blast diluted the hot combustion gases very fast, making it unable to reach the ignition temperature of the fresh oil.