Chemical Fire #1
- potassium permanganate
- glycerin
- water
Add a few drops of glycerin to a few crystals of potassium permanganate. Accelerate the reaction by adding a couple of drops of water.
Chemical Fire #2
- acetone
- sulfuric acid
- potassium permanganate
Soak a tissue with acetone to make it more flammable. Draw sulfuric acid into a glass pipette. Dip the pipette into potassium permanganate so that the tip of the pipette is coated with a few crystals. Dispense the sulfuric acid onto the tissue. The potassium permangante and sulfuric acid mix to produce manganese heptoxide and fire.
Chemical Fire #3
- sodium chlorate
- sugar
- sulfuric acid
Mix a small amount of sodium chlorate and sugar. Initiate the reaction by adding a few drops of sulfuric acid.
Chemical Fire #4
- ammonium nitrate powder
- finely ground zinc powder
- hydrochloric acid
Mix together a small amount of ammonium nitrate and zinc powder. Initiate the reaction by adding a few drops of hydrochloric acid.
Chemical Fire Safety
If you are performing a demonstration of chemical fire using any of these reactions, use very small amounts of the chemicals listed for each project. Wear proper safety gear and work on a fire-safe surface.
