What's the fuel in those cheap Bic lighters?

[Muse]

Reason I ask is I have a couple that don't work and I don't just want to toss them in a trash can. I'd rather drain the fluid and use it for something. Is it anything like naptha? Butane? Can I use it to clean stuff? TIA.

 

[Ika]

I *think* it's butane, because we did a chemistry experiment with butane collection over water and we used Bic lighters.

 

[SlitheryDee]

How are you planning on draining it? If it's not pressurized it'll turn immediately to gas at room temp.

 

[mcvickj]

I'm pretty certain it is butane.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
How are you planning on draining it? If it's not pressurized it'll turn immediately to gas at room temp.

I figured to drill a couple of little holes - one to drain, one to let air in, and then keep it in a little jar. I do this with naptha, acetone, paint thinner. Some fluids evaporate in sealed containers a lot more than others. For instance, I had some special fluid that was for head cleaning and it evaporated after some time. Depends a whole lot on the bottle & stopper combo, of course.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: mcvickj
I'm pretty certain it is butane.

I suppose it's a decent solvent?

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
How are you planning on draining it? If it's not pressurized it'll turn immediately to gas at room temp.

I figured to drill a couple of little holes - one to drain, one to let air in, and then keep it in a little jar. I do this with naptha, acetone, paint thinner. Some fluids evaporate in sealed containers a lot more than others. For instance, I had some special fluid that was for head cleaning and it evaporated after some time. Depends a whole lot on the bottle & stopper combo, of course.

You don't understand. It's under pressure like liquid oxygen or something. As soon as you poke a hole in it it's all gonna blow out and vaporize before it even touches the bottom of your little jar.

 

[nakedfrog]

All the refillable ones I've had used butane.

 

[lokiju]

Butane and you can't do anything useful with it.

You could always just trow them against the pavement as hard as you can and make them "pop"

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Butane and you can't do anything useful with it.

You could always just trow them against the pavement as hard as you can and make them "pop"

Ain't good for nothing but a "pop?" Will it explode? :shocked:

You don't understand. It's under pressure like liquid oxygen or something. As soon as you poke a hole in it it's all gonna blow out and vaporize before it even touches the bottom of your little jar.

For real? What's the boiling point of butane? Looks to be 53 farenheit. I doubt it will evaporate that quickly, especially if I refrigerate it before the procedure.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-0.5 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

 

[FriedPixel]

For real. I cracked one open with pliers, it exploded, turned into a gas instantly, etc.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-11.7 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Yup, and that's 53 fahrenheit. If I refrigerate it before drilling the holes I believe I can get it into a jar as envisioned.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: FriedPixel
For real. I cracked one open with pliers, it exploded, turned into a gas instantly, etc.

Now, I'd never try cracking it with pliers. I have more finesse than that...

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: lokiju
Butane and you can't do anything useful with it.

You could always just trow them against the pavement as hard as you can and make them "pop"

Ain't good for nothing but a "pop?" Will it explode? :shocked:

You don't understand. It's under pressure like liquid oxygen or something. As soon as you poke a hole in it it's all gonna blow out and vaporize before it even touches the bottom of your little jar.

For real? What's the boiling point of butane? Looks to be 53 farenheit. I doubt it will evaporate that quickly, especially if I refrigerate it before the procedure.

Have you not ever taken a lighter apart? As soon as you pop the top off the liquid turns to gas and the lighter gets fricken cold. Really neat to watch.

 

[Tremulant]

many years back, a friend of mine burned through a bic lighter.. using another bic lighter. The result: an awesome fireball and some burned off leg/arm/facial hair (well, on him, no one else)

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: FriedPixel
For real. I cracked one open with pliers, it exploded, turned into a gas instantly, etc.

Did you say "Hey! Watch this!" as you were doing it?

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-11.7 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Yup, and that's 53 fahrenheit. If I refrigerate it before drilling the holes I believe I can get it into a jar as envisioned.

-0.5C (or -11.7C for that matter) is not 53 Fahrenheit.

 

[5to1baby1in5]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
How are you planning on draining it? If it's not pressurized it'll turn immediately to gas at room temp.

I figured to drill a couple of little holes - one to drain, one to let air in, and then keep it in a little jar. I do this with naptha, acetone, paint thinner. Some fluids evaporate in sealed containers a lot more than others. For instance, I had some special fluid that was for head cleaning and it evaporated after some time. Depends a whole lot on the bottle & stopper combo, of course.

You don't understand. It's under pressure like liquid oxygen or something. As soon as you poke a hole in it it's all gonna blow out and vaporize before it even touches the bottom of your little jar.

Actually, it will blow out the hole, vaporize, and then catch fire from the brushes on your drill. Don't be a dumb ass.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-11.7 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Yup, and that's 53 fahrenheit. If I refrigerate it before drilling the holes I believe I can get it into a jar as envisioned.

-0.5C (or -11.7C for that matter) is not 53 Fahrenheit.

It's 32.9F, so he could freeze it, no?

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-11.7 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Yup, and that's 53 fahrenheit. If I refrigerate it before drilling the holes I believe I can get it into a jar as envisioned.

-0.5C (or -11.7C for that matter) is not 53 Fahrenheit.

im trying to figure out where those other 2 numbers came from...and why he thinks they are all the same

 

[phatj]

0 degrees C is freezing point of h20

so -.5c is about 30 degrees fahrenheit BUTT!

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: iwantanewcomputer

im trying to figure out where those other 2 numbers came from...and why he thinks they are all the same

Well the -11.7 C came from googling butane boiling point google links the wikipedia article but gives -11.7 C as the boiling point. I clicked the article and noticed that it was actually -0.5 C after I made the post and didn't correct it before I'd been quoted.

 

[5to1baby1in5]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: Muse
For real? What's the boiling point of butane?

-11.7 °C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Yup, and that's 53 fahrenheit. If I refrigerate it before drilling the holes I believe I can get it into a jar as envisioned.

-0.5C (or -11.7C for that matter) is not 53 Fahrenheit.

It's 32.9F, so he could freeze it, no?

Well, the vapor pressure of butane at 32 deg F (273 Deg K) is about 1 barr (~14.7 psi). It will still blow out the hole and vaporize. You will not be able to store it.

It is fun to take the flint and spring out of an old Bic, wrap the spring around the spring around the flint so you can hold it by the other end, heat it up red hot with another lighter, and throw it against a sidewalk or some other hard surface. Makes lots of sparks. kind of fun if it's dark and your high.

 

[PinmasterJay]

Originally posted by: Tremulant
many years back, a friend of mine burned through a bic lighter.. using another bic lighter. The result: an awesome fireball and some burned off leg/arm/facial hair (well, on him, no one else)

I did that once, my friend got wild because it almost burned the chair on his front porch