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How to Make Flammable Ice (yes-solid water)

video How to Make Flammable Ice (yes-solid water)

Ice is quickly added to a dry Pyrex bowl. Not Dry there is Calcium Carbide on the bottom, that is why you do it quickly. When the Ice melts the water reacts with the calcium carbide (place on the bottom) to produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. The acetylene gas then explodes into flames when a match is place on top. It will continue to burn even as the ice melts because it keeps producing acetylene until the calcium carbide runs out.

43 comments

1-40 of 43

Jul 19, 2008. 7:10 AMMatt D655 says:

gasoline or kerosene

Aug 22, 2008. 8:38 PMpickford78 says:

calcium carbide....not dinosaur fuels

Mar 20, 2011. 10:34 AMpyroarchist says:

my car has like 2 t rex power btw.

Apr 20, 2012. 12:47 AMpickford78 says:

I think I have about 1/2 a horseshoe crab going for mine.

Apr 19, 2008. 10:55 PMiBurn says:

It must be nice to be a teacher and have chemicals at your disposal.......

Aug 7, 2008. 3:55 AMwiebevandomburg.hotmail.com says:

calcium carbide is sold as weed remover

Aug 22, 2010. 10:10 PMniertap says:

Aug 29, 2008. 12:27 PMj626no says:

also, as a product called "Bang-Site". the company produces old replica cannons that use the bang-site to fire. they shoot no projectiles. they are located somewhere in eastern PA (bethlehem maybe?). my dad and i didnt want to spend 300 dollars on one of their brass civil war replica cannons, but a few bucks for a tube of calcium carbide didnt seem like a bad deal. then we made a PVC cannon and before long we were launching 34mm superballs 100 yds easy. the stuff is powerful. i should post an 'ible on how to make a bang-site cannon :-)

Apr 11, 2010. 10:33 AMjocker912 says:

i would like to see that i want to use it for paintball mortar....have to see if ball disintegrate at launch

Dec 31, 2008. 6:52 PMbeanie larue says:

check out backyard ballistics by William Gurstel which has a plan to make a carbide cannon but it sells for 18 dollars in America or about 9 British pounds if I'm correct

Jul 2, 2009. 3:53 PMFizzxwizz says:

I have that! Its a great book!

Aug 29, 2008. 12:30 PMj626no says:

before batteries were convenient, miners would use calcium carbide for their headlamps. at the start of their shift they would place a small amount of CaC2 into their lamps with water. I think the water would slowly drip and the acetylene gas would then keep the small flame burning. this reflected off a mirror to make a respectable lamp...cant remember if any exploded or not though :p

Aug 22, 2008. 8:42 PMpickford78 says:

To the Garden center!

Sep 19, 2008. 8:57 PMtwenglish1 says:

you should get some potassium nitrate while your there (sold as a stump remover) it can be used to make gunpowder and smoke bombs

Jan 31, 2009. 2:14 PMNotbob says:

i should just like to point out, a lot of places wont sell Potassium Nitrate to minors, purely because it can be made into black powder.

Mar 5, 2009. 3:34 PM

Jaycub says:

I'm 16, they don't ask any questions when I buy it.

Mar 5, 2009. 3:37 PMiBurn says:

I thought you had to be 18... o.O

Mar 5, 2009. 4:08 PMtwenglish1 says:

no you don't

Jan 31, 2009. 5:38 PMiBurn says:

Pfft. E-B-A-Y If I can buy Uranium off of Amazon...I can buy KNO3 from Ebay.

Mar 5, 2009. 6:58 PM

Jaycub says:

Wait, how do you get Uranium?!?

Mar 5, 2009. 7:08 PMtwenglish1 says:

you have a few options, you can buy it, mine it, or steal it, i would recommend buying it, i think united nuclear has it

Mar 5, 2009. 9:12 PMiBurn says:

http://www.amazon.com/Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=industrial&qid=1236315963&sr=8-2 Link linkity link

Jul 2, 2009. 3:57 PMFizzxwizz says:

The reviews on that page are CLASSIC!

Jul 5, 2009. 10:35 PMiBurn says:

Awww man, it's incredible.

Jan 31, 2009. 2:45 PMtwenglish1 says:

yah i know but most likely people won't know that certain stump removers are potassium nitrate, and they probably won't care either

Aug 22, 2008. 9:33 PMiBurn says:

Haha, No kidding

May 7, 2008. 6:08 PMmr.dr.prof.joel says:

I agree. I want to blow stuff up too! :P

Apr 10, 2008. 12:01 PMno vid KNEX freak says:

please make a vid showing us how to make it

Sep 6, 2008. 1:51 AMwiebevandomburg.hotmail.com says:

you put chunks of calcium carbide on the bottom , then place ice on top and the melting ice reacts with the calcium carbide to produce acetylene

Jul 14, 2010. 11:47 AMuberdum05 says:

Don't you use acetylene when you weld???

Aug 22, 2008. 8:39 PMpickford78 says:

read the text under the video

Jun 4, 2010. 4:13 PMYoungPyro19 says:

Sweet! That is so cool. I have to try that.

Oct 1, 2008. 11:22 AM

Plasmana says:

That is cool!

Sep 19, 2008. 6:43 PMquillbom123 says:

we tRied to burn ice and it DIDNT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!

Mar 11, 2008. 2:20 PMComeaja says:

Note when he has the ice sitting alone, before throwing the first match, you can see little trails of mist trailing off the left side of the container.

Sep 6, 2008. 1:52 AMwiebevandomburg.hotmail.com says:

that is the ice vaporising

Jul 19, 2008. 7:11 AMMatt D655 says:

(removed by author or community request)

Aug 22, 2008. 11:53 PMpickford78 says:

put it in water and it produces hydrogen :P but yes conrad2468 answered your question

Sep 6, 2008. 1:50 AMwiebevandomburg.hotmail.com says:

2.ca+4.h2o->2.Ca(OH)2+ 4.H