This 'ible is about making a flammable gas generator. No this is not a hydrogen generator, it makes fire using alchohol vapors. It's pretty cool for burners and stuff but just be careful that you don't get burned by the fire, or splashed by the condensed liquid that sometimes shoots out. This 'ible is also part of my new chemistry series and this is # 1. In # 2, I will show you how to make Copper Acetate or Cu(CH3COO)2. So have fun and be safe. Give me comments about what you were able to do with flammable gas that shoots out liquid occasionally. PS, the fire that it makes looks better than the picture. That is only because the bunsen burner I used was a pencil torch so I had a hard time holding it still while taking the picture and that caused it to stop burning and this was a picture of it right before it stopped burning.
BTW, this was created August 28, 2011 but for some reason was not published.
Step 1: Materials
Here are the things you will need:
1- glass test tube
1- piece of rubber tubing
1- metal tube
1- one hole rubber stopper
1- test tube holder
1- amount of at least 50% rubbing alcohol
1- Bunsen burner
I will specify on how much of everything in the next step.
Step 2: Set Up
Put the test tube in the holder a little bit slanted like shown. Then put about one inch of alcohol at the bottom. Then put the tube in the one hole stopper and put the stopper and the stopper in the test tube. put a little metal tube about 2 inches long in the other end of the tube. Make the tube a little slanted like shown. Put a Bunsen burner below the test tube. Go to the next step to find out how to use it.
Step 3: How to Use It
To use it, turn on the Bunsen burner to low heat and lightly boil it. Don't boil it too much because you don't want the bubbly stuff to go into the tube. When it is boiling, put a flame next to the metal tube and a big flame should come out. Be careful because hot liquid occasionally shoots out of the tube and it is HOT, and don't get burned by the fire because it is also HOT, and be careful because like all flammable gasses it is possible for it to explode and shoot glass shrapnel at you.
Step 4: Misc.
I came upon this experiment by an error because I tried to make wood gas with pencil shavings and all that came out of the test tube was smoke, so I thought it would be fun to put alcohol in it for no reason and the smoke then started burning. So this 'ible was an experiment to see if I could do it without the shavings. I also tried to see if I could make the gas go through a tube to make like a torch but with normal fire instead of that cool blue one and it worked. So be safe and have fun. Write a comment about what you were able to do with this gas generator.