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Re: [Phys-L] Garbage can explosion



Garbage can launching:


On 2013, Aug 03, , at 18:40, Chuck Britton <cvbritton@mac.com> wrote:

In a similar vein - I have used Dry Ice to explode a soda bottle which has the added advantage of letting folks actually see liquid CO2 before the bottle fails.


Yes, I agree w/ the importance of the liquid CO2. IIRC, heating a tube of liquid CO2 is used to show the critical point at UCSC.

And I've got many of you beat. < 1948 (Probably in third grade) I'd place chips of calcium carbide in a small can of water on my sand pile. Then place an inverted larger can over the small can pushed slightly into the sand. I'd use a match on a stick to lite the mixture thru a hole in the can's side next to the top (bottom as inverted). Unreliable, as the gas mixture not controlled. Best result reached the top of the nearby hotel, IIRC six storeys. [verified by street view]

bc not sure sealing the bottom w/ sand important.

An interesting exercise? Compare the energy content (per mole?) of acetylene and self pressurized (on warming) solid CO2 and LN2.

Burst of PET bottle: 9.5 bar:

01.01.2001: Burst Tests of PET bottles with a video

http://waterrocket.uh-lab.de/lr010101_bursttest.htm


note wider explosive limits than H2:

Gases - Explosive and Flammability Concentration Limits

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/explosive-concentration-limits-d_423.html