The sun as a source of ignition and fatty oils as a combustible substance when the fire poltergeist (experiment)

This article describes the results of the experiment, the essence of which is to use the concentrated with a lens the sunlight to ignite paper and cloth impregnated with various types of vegetable oils often found in ordinary apartments, and butter with a high content of milk fat.

In this experiment, we continue to look for natural causes of the phenomenon called "Fire poltergeist", in which everyday objects suddenly appear flames (sometimes this phenomenon include the decay of various materials).

General data

The duration of the preparation for the experiment 1 day
The duration of the main experiment 1 day
Date of the basic experiment 31.07.2012
Location of the experiment, Voronezh:
Deviation from Moscow time, hours: 0
Latitude: 51°40'
Geographical longitude: 39°11'
The height above sea level meters: 140
Weather conditions on the day of the main experiment +28-30 , clearly, the pressure is 752 mm Hg. St., SE wind 2m/s.
The purpose of the experiment: to Achieve the formation of the flame in the samples soaked in fatty oils under normal conditions, under the influence of sunlight and concentration of solar rays by a lens.

The technical part of it. The conditions of the experiment

Are used in the experiment:

• Lens (China, 4 fold increase)
• Samples of Wallpaper: paper with coating 2003 (preowned), as well as paper 2006 (new)
• Matches
• Statistically the most used household oil:

- Sunflower oil refined, deodorized, frozen out of the highest grade
- Olive oil first cold extracts (unrefined)
- Butter (fat content 80% )

• Samples of textile 100% cotton plain and Terry: new, pre-owned clean with a fresh impregnation and impregnation, designed time.

oil_02.jpg

The samples were taken in dark shades, because this greatly reduces the time before the emergence of a hotbed of corruption. Paper patterns and fabric, Terry samples, participated in the experiment without substrate (example shown in photo. Samples of 1.4). Samples of cotton were made in 2 versions – without substrate (example 2 in the photo) and with the backing of batting (example 3 in the photo).

As the site of the experiment has been used well and poorly ventilated area without obstructions to sunlight.
 

Additional information

Often the cause of the fire is spontaneous combustion of fats and oils of mineral, vegetable or animal origin, which are impregnated fibrous materials and fabrics.
Many of the substances in contact with air, liable to spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous ignition starts at temperature of the environment or after some (sometimes small) of their heating. Such substances include vegetable oils and animal fats. [1]

• Mineral oil (engine, diesel, transformer) are a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons and pure spontaneous combustion can not. Spontaneous combustion is possible with admixtures of vegetable oils.
• Vegetable oil (hemp, flax, sunflower, cotton) and oil of animal origin (butter) is a mixture of glycerides of fatty acids. Spontaneous combustion oils and fats occurs in the presence in their composition of unsaturated compounds, the large surface oxidation and small dissipation, a certain ratio of the amount of oils and impregnated with the material defined density.

Prone to spontaneous combustion of linseed oil and prepared linseed oil, and waste and the remains of some of the nitro lacquer. The more surface oxidation, the greater the possibility of spontaneous combustion of oils. From this point of view, and grease can ignite spontaneously, only by being dispersed over a large surface. Therefore, the spontaneous combustion of fats and oils in bottles or tanks does not occur. The most favorable conditions for the development of oxidative processes are created in cases where oil-soaked materials are folded in piles or bales, which are adjacent to one another and to heated surfaces.
About the propensity of the oil or fat to spontaneous combustion is judged by its iodine number, using the property of halides to interact with unsaturated connections, associating the place of double bonds. The higher iodine number, the more this oil is of unsaturated compounds, the more prone it is to spontaneous combustion.[2]
Give iodine number of the most common oils [3]:

• Flaxseed oil ranges from 170 to 200
• Sunflower (vegetable) 119-144.
• Corn oil – 111-131.
• Soybean oil – 114-140
• Rapeseed oil – 95-103.
• Mustard oil 96-107.
• Olive oil is 80-85.
• Butter – 22-48

Their spontaneous combustion can happen in normal temperature conditions, in the absence of open flames, heated objects, sparks, etc.
Temperature dymlenija unrefined oil to about 160C, refined Olive – 160-242С, Sunflower – 232С, Creamy 177С [4].
Flash (only extraction of oil) is from 234 to 240° C. Is the lowest temperature at which released from the vegetable oil volatiles flash on and off instantly in contact with the flame up to her surface oil. [5]

Experiment

Although the critical temperature, and time of spontaneous combustion of various materials are listed in directories – this is, after all, averages (the duration of the process of spontaneous combustion of substances calculated in accordance with GOST 12.1.044-89), therefore, we try to determine experimentally the possibility of obtaining a flame on the sample impregnated with various fatty oils.

In a previous experiment revealed the time required for ignition of the samples in static and dynamic focus lenses.
The speed of focus of the lens mounted on a tripod – 1 cm in 5 minutes. When the diameter of the focus to 4 mm maximum exposure time on a limited section of the sample obtained in 2 minutes. This heating time neither "pure" nor is impregnated with essential oils of samples of fabrics and wallcoverings of different colors was not enough to achieve the flame.

In this experiment we will try to achieve a flame formation in samples soaked in fatty oils, which are often used in everyday life.

We have produced 3 sets of samples impregnated with the specified oils. First left in a dark, ventilated room with a temperature of 29C and low humidity, to monitor possible spontaneous combustion of materials. The second was placed under direct sunlight in a ventilated area. The third set flammable with a lens.
The first two sets, after spending 3 days in advance of the main experiment and 2 weeks after it did not show.

The results of the ignition of the third set:
Despite the fact that samples of good smoldered with heavy smoke, to achieve the appearance of the flame has failed with any kind of oils.

Conclusion

1. From the experiment results we can draw several conclusions:
2. Although the spontaneous combustion of oily rags write off a large percentage of household fires, for its formation requires the concurrence of a vast number of contributing circumstances.
3. This experiment did not confirm the theory that the fiery manifestations of the poltergeist, you can make flash oiled drops on Wallpaper, walls, towels and other things used in everyday life when you concentrate on the sun's beam.
4. Also could not locate the circumstances, a favorable juncture which is able to give effect to the appearance of sudden fire outbreaks.

Thanks for the idea of this experiment Vladimir A. C.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»