Science.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1672, 24 March 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

Science.

FLAMELEBS COMUUSTION. At the soirtc of the Society of Chemical Industry at Owens College, on Thursday, the 6th inst, a new theory of combustion was, practically illustrated by Mr. Thomas Fletcher,' of Warrington, the results being so totally . unexpected that many present would, and in * fact did, go away with the impression that some deception was being practiced. Mr.; Jacob Reese, the inventor of the Reese fusing disk, has stated his belief that, i£ it were possible to produce combustion without flame; the temperatures and duty obtained from any' fuel would he enormously increased. It has remained for Mr. Fletcher to not only prove the possibility of flameless combustion in more than one form, but also to demonstrate practically the enormously high temperatures, which can be obtained by this means. Tak- , ing a ball of iron wire, about three pounds in weight, Mr. Fletcher placed it on a slab of fireclay, and directing a blowpipe flame on it for a few seconds he suddenly blew the flame out. The temperature increased so rapidly that in a few seconds the wrought iron fused and ran into drops, and this temperature was steadily maintained. The room was darkened, but the closest examination did not show a trace of flame, although the fact that the gas was burning was proved by repeatedly relighting and extinguishing it. The same experiment was repeated in another from my directing the flameless beat into a small fire-clay chamf ber, in whioh a refractory clay crucible, mad 6 specially for nickel melting, wa? partially fused and worked into a ball like soft putty, the sides of the fire-clay chamber being at the same time fused. The heat was no tremendous that the blowpipe laboratory which was given up to Mr. Fletcher for the evening was much too hot to be agreeable, in spite of open windows and ventilators. , How far this discovery can be utilized remains to be seen, but it would appear that the presence, of flame, usually considered to be a sign of combustion, is really an indication of imperfect Results, and the best duty is to be obtained only when flame is totally absent. It is certain tha|t such temperatures as obtained by Mr.FJetcbejr without flame have never previously been obtained with the fuel used, which was nothing more than a small gas supply for a quarter,inch pipe, assisted by an air-blast. — Scientific American.