Comments on: Is it okay to use kerosene and ethanol near a bunsen burner in science? http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/ Just another WordPress weblog Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:51:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: electric_spooky http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-901 electric_spooky Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:01:29 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-901 Those two solvents shouldn't be anywhere near an open flame. They are very volatile and highly flammable. Smallest spark will set it one fire . Having those compounds around a lit bunsen burner is like looking into a gas tank with a lighted match...You're just asking for trouble! Those two solvents shouldn’t be anywhere near an open flame. They are very volatile and highly flammable. Smallest spark will set it one fire . Having those compounds around a lit bunsen burner is like looking into a gas tank with a lighted match…You’re just asking for trouble!

]]> By: Rob T http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-900 Rob T Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:56:07 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-900 Students probably shouldn't be using kerosene for anything, period. Apart from the fire and explosion risks, kerosene is carcinogenic both from breathing the vapour and as liquid in contact with the skin. Ethanol is probably no more dangerous than lots of other things in a lab, provided that it is treated with the respect it deserves. After all, people have been distilling the stuff with home-made equipment for centuries without burning themselves to death! Taking all the risk out of science teaching is a good way to make science so boring that nobody wants to study it. You can't learn physics or chemistry just by watching videos of experiments, any more than you can learn biology without getting close to some living creatures. Students probably shouldn’t be using kerosene for anything, period. Apart from the fire and explosion risks, kerosene is carcinogenic both from breathing the vapour and as liquid in contact with the skin.

Ethanol is probably no more dangerous than lots of other things in a lab, provided that it is treated with the respect it deserves. After all, people have been distilling the stuff with home-made equipment for centuries without burning themselves to death!

Taking all the risk out of science teaching is a good way to make science so boring that nobody wants to study it. You can’t learn physics or chemistry just by watching videos of experiments, any more than you can learn biology without getting close to some living creatures.

]]> By: PaulCyp http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-899 PaulCyp Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:42:06 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-899 No, it is not safe. I had one fire in my laboratory that started in exactly that way. A tech was cleaning some utensils with xylene, a solvent similar to kerosene. She had some paper towels on the bench with xylene on them. Another tech was using a bunsen burner about 4 feet away. The vapors from the solvent traveled to the burner, ignited and flashed back to the paper towels. Fortunately no-one was hurt. Flames and flammable solvents obviously should not be used in close proximity. No, it is not safe. I had one fire in my laboratory that started in exactly that way. A tech was cleaning some utensils with xylene, a solvent similar to kerosene. She had some paper towels on the bench with xylene on them. Another tech was using a bunsen burner about 4 feet away. The vapors from the solvent traveled to the burner, ignited and flashed back to the paper towels. Fortunately no-one was hurt. Flames and flammable solvents obviously should not be used in close proximity.

]]> By: David H http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-898 David H Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:56:51 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-898 Neither will explode but you must taken great care not to spill them. If a jar of ethanol of kerosene catches on fire you just put the lid back on it and it will go out. If you spill it and it catches you have trouble. If it was a small quantity of flammable liquid and it was controlled I don't think it was very dangerous. Neither will explode but you must taken great care not to spill them. If a jar of ethanol of kerosene catches on fire you just put the lid back on it and it will go out. If you spill it and it catches you have trouble. If it was a small quantity of flammable liquid and it was controlled I don’t think it was very dangerous.

]]> By: Declan http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-897 Declan Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:32:34 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-897 they are both flammable, but they are burned for fuel so its not like they produce toxic chemicals or they're explosive im sure its fine as long as ur not pouring ethanol over u and start playing with a bunsen burner... they are both flammable, but they are burned for fuel so its not like they produce toxic chemicals or they’re explosive im sure its fine as long as ur not pouring ethanol over u and start playing with a bunsen burner…

]]> By: Nadia http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/comment-page-1/#comment-896 Nadia Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:58:10 +0000 http://www.switchfuel.com/is-it-okay-to-use-kerosene-and-ethanol-near-a-bunsen-burner-in-science/#comment-896 I wouldnt think it is safe. Tell your teacher before you do so. I wouldnt think it is safe.
Tell your teacher before you do so.

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