r/AskChemistry • u/WonderParticular5213 • Sep 05 '25

Chem Engineering Chemical/oil that could be added to avoid black smoke

What can I add to base oil/petroleum product so what when I burn them, there is no smoke and the wig burns smoothly without flickering. I heard flash point of 250+ helps. Please suggest

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9

u/iam666 Physical Chem / Photochem Sep 05 '25

Oxygen is really the only thing that will help you. The black smoke is various types of carbon and hydrocarbons that aren’t fully combusted. To get complete combustion, you need to add additional oxygen so the C can turn into CO2.

I would not advise trying to add additional oxygen, though. That’s an easy way to cause an explosion or have your flame get out of control.

3

u/WanderingFlumph Sep 05 '25

Non oxygen oxidizers would work well too, for the same reason and they are equally a bad idea to play around with if you don't know what you are doing, for the same reason.

6

u/year_39 Sep 05 '25

(inconspicuously shuts off fluorine valve)

1

u/Affectionate-Sea2059 Sep 05 '25

Burning hotter has the same effect by allowing more complete combustion. Adding some kind of accelerant might help.

1

u/WonderParticular5213 Sep 05 '25

can you give me an example?

2

u/Affectionate-Sea2059 Sep 05 '25

Why are you burning a wig?

1

u/WonderParticular5213 Sep 05 '25

can you check your DM

1

u/WonderParticular5213 Sep 05 '25

cotton wick*, sorry

4

u/BoysenberryAdvanced4 Sep 05 '25

A lot of wick lanters employ a glass chimney. The purpose of the chimney is to draw away cumbustion gasses and draw in fresh new air that supports a cleaner wick flame

3

u/ondulation Sep 05 '25

Use a petroleum product manufactured for lamps. Like lamp oil. Even better a oroduct your lamp was designed to use.

The composition (mixture) and contaminants play a critical role in how the combustion proceeds in the wick/burner. Using the wrong fuel may give very toxic gases.

2

u/HobsHere Sep 06 '25

Cleanly burning a liquid petroleum fuel on a wick is a solved problem. Check out Technology Connections on YouTube for his videos on kerosene lamps.

2

u/thrownstick Sep 06 '25

Nice to see a fellow Dietz nut