Cricket flame temperature

[Lesperlesakathy]

Hi

A friend of mine has asked me a question I do not know the answer for : what temperature does the flame of the cricket torch heat up to?

Thanks in advance,

Kathy

[pam]

So, Kathy, what type flame was she asking about, a neutral flame, reduction and how reducing, oxygenated flame, and how oxygenated? What type gas and oxy supply was she wanting to know about?

All this is to say that there are soooo many variables that it is just almost impossible to answer her question. Maybe someone can get you closer than I can.

[Flonche]

Way too hot!

Seriously, it really is hot, and I have it hooked to a very old and very used 5 lpm Devilbiss. It's also a very narrow flame with barely any radiant heat at all (I can bring my fingertips about 3/4" of the flame without too much discomfort -why would you do that, I know, but sometimes the stringer just ends).
It did melt boro fast when I tried it, but the overall heat is not enough in my opinion to really "work" boro comfortably (again, this is me with a 5 lpm concentrator).
So it all depends what you want to do with it and what your oxygen set up is, but I think that overall, yes, it is a very very hot flame.

[Dale M.]

Just for a generic answer a proper oxygen/propane flame is about 5000° f (2760.6° c.). This information comes from my Welders Handbook.... Actually in researching this the numbers vary from about 4600° f. to 5300° f.... Anyway its pretty hot...

As Pam says it will vary depending how you adjust the flame, but to satisfy the uninformed with a fairly accurate answer the 5000° f. number will probably do...

Dale

[kbinkster]

When you see a number (like what Dale posted) giving the temperature of a flame, that is a theoretical temperature based on oxygen mixed with propane fuel yields this degree of heat and is assuming a certain percentage of efficiency (probably assumes 100% efficiency). The problem is that torches are typically not 100% efficient (not all of the fuel is combusted) and all of the heat produced from the reaction is not confined to the flame (some torches throw off a lot of useless radiant heat - the kind that is hot to your skin, but really isn't hot enough to affect the glass).

To find the actual temperature of a particular flame is incredibly complicated. You can't just stick a thermometer/pyrometer in the flame and take a measurement. Some scientists try to find the temperature of a flame by measuring the spectral signature of gaseous by-products (like CO and NOₓ). But, this is not as easy as it sounds.

So, like Dale said, an answer to satisfy someone's curiosity would be the ballpark figure of 5000° F. The adiabatic flame temperature (constant volume) of a propane and oxygen mixture is roughly that (4579° F).

Now, the thing is, that would be the same for all torches that run on oxygen and propane.

If you are trying to figure out the capacity for heating glass and compare one torch to another, then you would calculate BTUs, and you will still face the same problems of theory versus real life.

[Mr. Meker]

Think of it this way-

You can melt
-glass
-aluminum
-copper
-silver
-gold
-small amounts of platinum*

You cant
-melt tungsten
-weld steel

You can braze and solder.


*I have melted platiunum w/ oxy/propane, so I dont want to hear about how it cant be done. You cant fume with platinum, or at least it doesnt show up.

[Lesperlesakathy]

Thanks everyone!