Re: vapor versus gas

[Gordon Smith <slipstk@OLEMISS.EDU>]

At 06:15 PM 7/25/99 -0700, you wrote:
> Carbon dioxide is a liquid at room temperature (otherwise CO2 fire
> extinguishers wouldn't work. Who says, e.g., "CO2 Vapor is responsible
> for a small fraction of the greenhouse effect"? CO2 is almost always
> called a gas at room temperature.

Ummm, the boiling point of CO2 is listed at 194.7K, well below room
temperature, much less the temperature of a fire.  I believe that the CO2
acts as a propellant for the cool foamy stuff, such as ammonium phosphate
which actually does the work.

CO2 will liquify at higher temperatures, but you also need higher pressures.

-G-

...or perhaps I am just confused about more things than I thought...


-----------------------------------------
Gordon Smith
National Center for Physical Acoustics
Coliseum Drive
University, MS 38655
slipstk@olemiss.edu