# Is Carbon Monoxide flamable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262 "2012-04-19T11:30:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/41 "2013-07-24T09:54:16Z")
Fun with magnesium. I can trump that. On his fantastic blog: [Things I won’t work with](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/things_i_wont_work_with/), Derek Lowe points out a couple of fearsome oxidisers. I am pretty certain that they will react with carbondioxide. The lesser of the two will set quartz sand on fire. ([Sand won’t save you this time. Worth a read.](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2008/02/26/sand_wont_save_you_this_time.php)) And this link shows the culprit[Chlorine Triflouride](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/04/05/chlorine_trifluoride_some_empirical_findings.php) and a video of some French chemists demonstrating how it renders all their safety equipment useless. This all pales in comparison to[FOOF](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride.php). Short answer to the flammability of CO or CO2 even. With the right oxidiser, pretty much anything will burn. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/42 "2013-07-25T16:11:38Z")
Since fluorine is more electronegative than oxygen, you can get all kinds of nasty reactions between fluorine compounds and materials we normally consider inert. Like sand. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/43 "2013-07-25T20:29:54Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Nope. That’s carbon dioxide. No, I think the word for carbon dioxide and such is unflammable. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/44 "2013-07-26T00:43:18Z")
> [@naita](#): > > No, I think the word for carbon dioxide and such is unflammable. Dare I say whoosh. Or maybe my joke was too lame. ---
**Author:** ![Tassvarg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@Tassvarg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tassvarg)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/45 "2013-07-26T01:01:59Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > …_Stegosaurus stenops._…they really are carnivores. And they’re hungry. If you can’t care for your pets you could turn them in to an animal shelter. Lots of food for them there. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/46 "2013-07-26T06:47:37Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Fun with magnesium. I can trump that. > > On his fantastic blog: [Things I won’t work with](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/things_i_wont_work_with/), Derek Lowe points out a couple of fearsome oxidisers. I am pretty certain that they will react with carbondioxide. The lesser of the two will set quartz sand on fire. ([Sand won’t save you this time. Worth a read.](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2008/02/26/sand_wont_save_you_this_time.php)) And this link shows the culprit[Chlorine Triflouride](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/04/05/chlorine_trifluoride_some_empirical_findings.php) and a video of some French chemists demonstrating how it renders all their safety equipment useless. > This all pales in comparison to[FOOF](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride.php). > > Short answer to the flammability of CO or CO2 even. With the right oxidiser, pretty much anything will burn. Great links; the comments are a hoot, too. ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/47 "2013-07-26T07:15:58Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > CO[sub]2[/sub] may be non-flammable, and used in fire extinguishers, but it can actually _feed oxygen to a fire_ under certain circumstances. Of course, in that case, you’re not so much burning CO[sub]2[/sub] as unburning it. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/48 "2013-07-26T08:26:21Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Dare I say whoosh. Or maybe my joke was too lame. To me it had no humorous value, but I considered it so likely to be a joke instead of ignorance that I posted a paraplegic joke in return instead of a lesson on the equality between flammable and inflammable. You see, unflammable isn’t even a word, cromulent though it may appear. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/49 "2013-07-26T09:48:26Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > Great links; the comments are a hoot, too. “{Chlorine trifluoride} is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers”. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/50 "2013-07-26T10:11:01Z")
My favourite is “whip up a batch of Satan’s kimchi” ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/51 "2013-07-26T11:03:56Z")
> [@eastcheap](#): > > Of course, in that case, you’re not so much burning CO[sub]2[/sub] as unburning it. I think that only works in the Southern Hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/52 "2013-07-26T12:06:05Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > No the ones that are still with us are the Steganosauruses. Well _I’ve_ never seen one. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/53 "2013-07-26T12:27:10Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Fun with magnesium. I can trump that. > > On his fantastic blog: [Things I won’t work with](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/things_i_wont_work_with/), Derek Lowe points out a couple of fearsome oxidisers. I am pretty certain that they will react with carbondioxide. The lesser of the two will set quartz sand on fire. ([Sand won’t save you this time. Worth a read.](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2008/02/26/sand_wont_save_you_this_time.php)) And this link shows the culprit[Chlorine Triflouride](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/04/05/chlorine_trifluoride_some_empirical_findings.php) and a video of some French chemists demonstrating how it renders all their safety equipment useless. > This all pales in comparison to[FOOF](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride.php). > > Short answer to the flammability of CO or CO2 even. With the right oxidiser, pretty much anything will burn. That book _Ignition_ looks like a fun read. [PDF here](http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pdf). > [@](#): > > ”It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.” ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/54 "2013-07-27T09:43:44Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > I think that only works in the Southern Hemisphere. Only in Rand McNally. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262/55 "2013-07-27T10:45:42Z")
> [@eastcheap](#): > > Only in Rand McNally. Is that where hot snow falls up? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-carbon-monoxide-flamable/619262.md?page=2)