MadSci Network: Chemistry
Query:

Re: Can one burn carbon nanotubes in vaccum?

Date: Thu Mar 5 09:40:36 2009
Posted By: Peter Grivins, Staff, Radiation and Chemical Safety, Michigan State University
Area of science: Chemistry
ID: 1234205543.Ch
Message:

Hello Yevgeniy! When you talk about something burning in a vacuum, I assume you mean that the thing actually catches fire.

Firefighter training includes a bit on what is known as the "Fire Tetrahedron". Basically, for something to burn, you need all of the following:

1. Heat
2. Fuel
3. Oxygen
4. Chemical Chain Reaction

Removal of any one of the above 4 items results in the fire going out. So, I have a carbon nanotube in a vacuum, I'm missing what? I can add heat, the tube is the fuel and if we get it going the chain reaction is there. But wait, there is no oxygen. So, without that critical component, we will not have any fire, and then no burning.

But what about the sun? The short version is that the sun is actually a nuclear reactor, and is not really "burning".


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