Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-08-17
COMBUSTiBlLITY OF IRON.
Conditions Under Which the Metal vii
Burn Readily,

Burn Readily.
Combustibility is not generally con.
sidered one of the properties of iron
yet that metal will under proper condi
tons burn readily. The late Prof
Magnus, OF Berlin, Germany, devised
the following method of showing the
combustibility of iron: A mass of iron
hllngsls approached by magnet of con.
siderable power, and quantity there.
OF is permitted to adhere to it This
loose, spongy tuft of iron powder con.
talns large quantity of air imprisoned
between its particles, and is, therefore.
and because of its extremely commin.
uted condition, well adapted to mani
fest its combustibility. The flame OF
an ordinary spirit lamp or Bunsen
burner readily sets fire to the finely di.
vided iron, which continues to burn
brilliantly and freely. By waving the
magnet to and fro the showers OF
sparks sent off produce striking and
brilliant effect.
The assertion that iron is more com.
bustible than gunpowder. has its origin
in the following experiment, which is
also very striking one: A little alec.
hol is poured into a saucer and ignited.
A mixture of gunpowder and iron fiji.
ings is allowed to fall IN small quaint
ties at time into the flame of the burn
ing alcohol, when it will be observed
that the iron will take fire in its pas
sage through the flame, while the gun
powder will fall through it and col
lect beneath the liquid alcohol
below unconsumed. This. however
is scientific trick, and the expert.
ment hardly justifies the sweeping
assertion that iron is more combustble
than gunpowder. The ignition of the
iron under the foregoing circumstances
is due to the fact that the metal parti.
Giles. being admirable conductors OF
heat, are able to absorb sufficient heat
during their passage through the flame
and they are consequently raised to
the ignition point The particles of the
gunpowder. however, are very poor
conductors of heat, comparatively
speaking, and during the exceedingly
brief time consumed in their passage
through the fame they do not become
heated appreciably, or certainly not to
their point of ignition. Under ordinary
circumstances, gunpowder is vastly
more inflammable than iron.
Another method of exhibiting the
combustibility of iron, which would
appear to justify the assertion that ii
is really more combustible than gun
powder is the following: Place in re-
factory tube of Bohemian glass guam
tity of dry, freshly-precipitated hy-
drafted ferrio oxide. Heat this oxide
to bright redness, and pass current
of hydrogen through the tube. The
hydrogen will deprive the oxide of its
oxygen, and reduce the mass to the
metallic state. If, when the reduction
appears to be finished, the tube is re-
moved from the flame and it's contents
permitted to fall out into the air, il
will take fire spontaneously and burn
TO oxlue again IHls experiment. lhal-
Gates that pure iron in state of the
EXTREMIST subdivision is one of the
most eombustible substances known
more so even than gunpowder and
other explosive substances, which re-
quire the application of considerable
heat or of spark to ignite Them
Iron Age.