Cold fire: several ways to surprise guests

For sure, every person saw how people in the cinema or circus hold flames on their hands, or even juggle or throw them. And if the film special effects can be created using computer graphics, then in the circus it looks like a real miracle. In fact, this phenomenon has a completely scientific explanation and the chemists got the name "cold fire". If you want, you can surprise the guests with a spectacle on the holiday, making it yourself.

Define in terms of

Under non-burning flame, chemistry implies a chain reaction of oxidation, in which glow is observed. So if strictly follow the terminology, a cold flame is not a flame. It is used to create very spectacular special effects and some varieties of fireworks. To give a cold flame is capable of a number of esters and acids, both organic and inorganic. Most often, ethyl boric acid is used.

Often, under cold fire, and mean "visual bluff", in which the combustion process as such is absent. It is usually used not for tricks, but for design purposes.

The most effective way to make a cold fire at home

If we consider the most famous variant of creating a flame that does not burn, then it will need quite affordable ingredients. Take a spoon of alcohol (medical or chemically pure, used for analysis). It is mixed with an equal volume of boric acid in the powder. Her, like alcohol, you can buy in any pharmacy. A drop of a concentrated strong acid, hydrochloric or sulfuric, drips into the solution. For the ignorant: this is poured into the batteries, so getting it is also not a problem. The dummy with the workpiece is heated. It's faster and safer to do this on a primitive water bath. When the mixture becomes noticeably warm, but not yet hot, you can start to show focus.

If you have never done a cold fire, do not burn it directly in the palm of your hand - in the absence of skill, you will get injured. It is better to roll the ball out of the thread, soak it with a compound and only after burning it. Match (lighter) thread bundle should not touch.

Caution is above all!

Cold fire remains only as long as the ether generated by the reagents burns. When it is finished, ethyl alcohol will be dealt directly - but its burning temperature is quite high. In addition, do not forget that the acid that participates in creating the flame is a dangerous substance. So you should take care of precautions:

1. Do not increase the dose of acid in any way. First, an explosive mixture can result. Secondly, you can get a chemical burn by putting the ball on your palm.
2. Make sure that there is no hair or clothing edges near the ignited glomerulus. An inexperienced magician can not catch the moment of ignition of alcohol, and the mentioned things are easily ignited.
3. Keep a nearby incombustible small container to close and put out the cold fire when it becomes hot. Or, show the focus over the kitchen sink to quickly throw it into it.

After a certain amount of training, when you learn to control temperature changes to such an extent that you do not get burns, a non-burning flame can be ignited directly on the palm of your hand.

A safer option

You can make a cold fire in another way, although it will look less spectacular, since the flame from it has a habitual, not colored greenish color. Take a small piece of cotton fabric, rolls into a ball and wraps (or, better - stitched) with threads so that it does not unfold. In a shallow bowl, low-temperature fuel is poured, for example, isopropanol. You can take the so-called gasoline for lighters, but you need to be careful: these fluids have different combustion temperatures, you can run into quite tangible. Tissue ball is dipped into fuel, pressed and ignited. A hand lump will warm, but if you roll it in the palm of your hand and between your fingers, you will feel only pleasant warmth. And if you lubricate the place of spreading the ball cream, you can keep it in one place. The only security measure - not to touch the tip of the flame - is a guaranteed burn.

Short flame

There are other techniques, like making a cold fire with your own hands, based mostly on the dexterity of a magician and small tricks. The easiest way is to implement two options:

1. Mix alcohol or acetone with water to a concentration such that the liquid burns, but does not flare. Hands are lubricated with a special fire-resistant gel (sold in stores specializing in props and drawings). The fuel is poured into the boat from the palm of your hand and set on fire. Strictly speaking, this is not a cold fire, since the combustion temperature is standard, and it is maintained painless only at the expense of the gel. But it looks impressive and convincing.
2. The thin fabric is saturated with vodka, and the vapors are ignited when the matter is spread out on the palm of your hand. The scarf lights up, but because of the low concentration of alcohol it goes out before the burns form. Additional security pledge - keep your palm as flat as possible.

Flame simulation

It remains to consider the fireplace cold fire. At home, without having the opportunity to lay out a real fireplace, many romantics do just that. In the box (you can even cardboard) the fan is placed so that the airflow from it is directed upwards. At the corners are placed LEDs and optical filters of red, blue and yellow. On the sides there are mirrors. From the fabric triangles are cut and glued to the box. The system is plugged into sockets - and a cold flame creates a cozy atmosphere in the room.