# What Does Napalm Look Like

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-napalm-look-like/644548>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 19, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-napalm-look-like/644548 "2012-12-19T17:25:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-napalm-look-like/644548/1 "2012-12-19T17:25:28Z")

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Google is failing me. I don’t care what burning jungles, or maimed napalm victims, look like. What does the actual napalm goo look like? And what does it smell like (besides victory)?

Sent from my SGH-i677 using Board Express

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**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-napalm-look-like/644548/2 "2012-12-19T18:47:46Z")

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WAG: It’s a thick, clear jelly-like goop.

That’s based on the composition per [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm) (for the stuff that you’ll find nowadays, which is different from the original napalm):

> [@](#):
>
> Napalm B has a commonly quoted composition of 21% benzene, 33% gasoline (itself containing between 1% and 4% (estimated) benzene to raise its octane number), and 46% polystyrene.

(benzene is colorless, gasoline clear to yellow, and polystyrene clear, if it isn’t colored or filled with air bubbles)

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-napalm-look-like/644548/3 "2012-12-19T18:49:33Z")

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Basically, like dark, jellied gasoline (which is what it is).

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mPsB8kzim-E/hqdefault.jpg "HD Stock Footage WWII Napalm Development and Testing Color") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPsB8kzim-E)

Various coagulants have been used. In WWII, I think it was paraffin.