The use of flint and steel to make a spark ('Dragons Breath')
John Walker was the first person we know who invented the friction match. He called his invention the 'John walker's Friction Light'. This extraordinary invention was dated 1827 but what did we use to light fires before this time? (BBC).
Before the invention of the match people would use flint and steel to light their fires (Practicalsurvior.com - Reference) In the first uses a piece of harden steel would be struck against a sharp and hard edge of the flint (Bricevskis). Flint and steel kits can be bought today with the traditional steel striking the flint (Munilla) and the flint striking the steel (Sicree).
Taking a closer look at the science of flint striking steel an understanding of what is happening to create the sparks must be met. When the hard edge of the flint is struck against the steel, little pieces of steel are separated from the main rod of steel. Due to the friction of the flint on steel, heat is given off and this is used to ignite the little pieces of steel (Bicevskis and Gerke). So why do we need all this energy in terms of heat and why the need for such small pieces of steel? A look at the bigger picture of steel will be needed.
When cutting longer pieces of steel, it must be pre-heated to 870 Degrees Celsius before being 'blasted' with a high purity oxygen stream; this then cuts through the steel. This process shows that oxygen readily reacts with the steel (Michael D. Lanyi, 2000). This shows the extraordinary lengths people and companies go through to cut large pieces of steel to shape. Therefore it must take a lot of energy to ignite a block, slab or rod of steel; because of high temperatures needed and high levels of oxygen a different approach is needed. The ignition temperature is dependent on several variables: density, surface area and humidity. There is a possibility of increasing the surface area of the steel to reduce the ignition temperature needed to ignite the steel. This is achieved by producing small pieces of steel created when striking flint against steel. Due to the reduced surfaced area the small pieces of steel are easily oxidised and thus pieces of steel are ignited (Munilla).
This is how a spark can be created with flint and steel.
-Below is a video clip showing steel being struck by flint (in slow motion) to produce small pieces of steel, which ignite to give what we know as sparks (The Slow Mo Guys, 2012):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9g1_BTz0o
BBC, Contributed by Preston Hall Museum and Park. John Walker's Friction light.
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/hQR9oN5LTeCLcuKfPDMJ9A
(Accessed: 11th March 2013)
Bicevskis, R. Flint and Steel Notes - Some Clarifications.
Available at: http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/flintandsteel/RBclarifications.html
(Accessed: 16th Feb 2013)
Gerke, R. How to start a fire using flint and steel.
Available at: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/how-to-start-a-fire-using-flint-and-steel
(Accessed:16th Feb 2013)
Munilla, R. 'Flint and Steel Fire Starting' Partical Survivour [online]
Available at: http://www.practicalsurvivor.com/flintandsteel
(Accessed: 18th Feb 2013)
Sicree, A, a, Ph.D. 'Fire From the Rock', "Minerals that do things...", p1 Hands-on demonstrations of mineral properties [online].
Available at: http://www.mineralseducationcoalition.org/pdfs/Fire_From_Rock.pdf
(Accessed : 17th Feb 2013)
The Slow Mo Guys (2012) Flint and Steel at 5000fps.
Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9g1_BTz0o
Accessed (9th Feb 2013)
Before the invention of the match people would use flint and steel to light their fires (Practicalsurvior.com - Reference) In the first uses a piece of harden steel would be struck against a sharp and hard edge of the flint (Bricevskis). Flint and steel kits can be bought today with the traditional steel striking the flint (Munilla) and the flint striking the steel (Sicree).
Taking a closer look at the science of flint striking steel an understanding of what is happening to create the sparks must be met. When the hard edge of the flint is struck against the steel, little pieces of steel are separated from the main rod of steel. Due to the friction of the flint on steel, heat is given off and this is used to ignite the little pieces of steel (Bicevskis and Gerke). So why do we need all this energy in terms of heat and why the need for such small pieces of steel? A look at the bigger picture of steel will be needed.
When cutting longer pieces of steel, it must be pre-heated to 870 Degrees Celsius before being 'blasted' with a high purity oxygen stream; this then cuts through the steel. This process shows that oxygen readily reacts with the steel (Michael D. Lanyi, 2000). This shows the extraordinary lengths people and companies go through to cut large pieces of steel to shape. Therefore it must take a lot of energy to ignite a block, slab or rod of steel; because of high temperatures needed and high levels of oxygen a different approach is needed. The ignition temperature is dependent on several variables: density, surface area and humidity. There is a possibility of increasing the surface area of the steel to reduce the ignition temperature needed to ignite the steel. This is achieved by producing small pieces of steel created when striking flint against steel. Due to the reduced surfaced area the small pieces of steel are easily oxidised and thus pieces of steel are ignited (Munilla).
This is how a spark can be created with flint and steel.
-Below is a video clip showing steel being struck by flint (in slow motion) to produce small pieces of steel, which ignite to give what we know as sparks (The Slow Mo Guys, 2012):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9g1_BTz0o
Bibliography
BBC, Contributed by Preston Hall Museum and Park. John Walker's Friction light.
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/hQR9oN5LTeCLcuKfPDMJ9A
(Accessed: 11th March 2013)
Bicevskis, R. Flint and Steel Notes - Some Clarifications.
Available at: http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/flintandsteel/RBclarifications.html
(Accessed: 16th Feb 2013)
Gerke, R. How to start a fire using flint and steel.
Available at: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/how-to-start-a-fire-using-flint-and-steel
(Accessed:16th Feb 2013)
Michael D. Lanyi1, “Discussion on Steel Burning in Oxygen (from a
Steelmaking Metallurgist's Perspective),” Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in
Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres: Ninth Volume, ASTM STP 1395, T. A. Steinberg, H. D. Beeson and B. E. Newton, Eds., American Society for Testing and Materials, West
Conshohocken, PA, 2000. [online]
Available at: https://www.airproducts.com/~/media/Files/PDF/industries/metals-discussion-steel-burning-oxygen-steelmaking-metallurgist-perspective.pdf
(Accessed at 11th March 2013)
Available at: https://www.airproducts.com/~/media/Files/PDF/industries/metals-discussion-steel-burning-oxygen-steelmaking-metallurgist-perspective.pdf
(Accessed at 11th March 2013)
Munilla, R. 'Flint and Steel Fire Starting' Partical Survivour [online]
Available at: http://www.practicalsurvivor.com/flintandsteel
(Accessed: 18th Feb 2013)
Sicree, A, a, Ph.D. 'Fire From the Rock', "Minerals that do things...", p1 Hands-on demonstrations of mineral properties [online].
Available at: http://www.mineralseducationcoalition.org/pdfs/Fire_From_Rock.pdf
(Accessed : 17th Feb 2013)
The Slow Mo Guys (2012) Flint and Steel at 5000fps.
Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9g1_BTz0o
Accessed (9th Feb 2013)
Interesting - good to see you begin to explain how something like steel (which we see as a fairly unreactive material when we use it to make saucepans, cars and gates) can actually burn! Have you seen the way that you can pass a small electrical current (from just 4 x 1.5V batteries)through steel wool and if the steel wool is thin enough it ignites! If it's thicker, it doesn't heat up so much, so doesn't ignite.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered using a fire steel with a piece of flint from the forest floor at Seeley Copse? Do that with a group of children and you will be the coolest teacher ever.
ReplyDeleteTry it next time?
That defiantly sounds like a cool idea! I have heard of steel wool being used with a small battery to light fires, it's very interesting!
ReplyDelete