# What won't napalm stick to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941 "2005-11-14T03:39:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/1 "2005-11-14T03:39:06Z")
Just a quick question—does anyone here happen to know if there’s any material that military napalm/incendigel doesn’t stick to? (And no, I am not making napalm, I am trying to build a napalm-proof suit, I am not currently besieged by flamethrower-wielding maniacs, etc, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/2 "2005-11-14T04:53:51Z")
I don’t think it would matter if the napalm was still close enough to destroy the object/material by burning. Sticking to it wouldn’t necessarily be necessary, would it? ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/3 "2005-11-14T05:00:12Z")
In unscientific terms, Napalm is gellied gasoline. It doesn’t matter if it sticks. It just does all kinds of nasty things when it applied and ignited. I suppose a fireproof suit is somewhat effective but they’ve already been invented. However, I don’t think that you can get thousands of villagers in a war zone to walk around in fireproof suits all day. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/4 "2005-11-14T05:03:12Z")
Teflon, probably. Nothing sticks to teflon. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/5 "2005-11-14T05:12:29Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Teflon, probably. Nothing sticks to teflon. So how do they get the…nevermind ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/6 "2005-11-14T05:22:05Z")
Obviously the teflon thing is a joke, but just FTR, napalm burns at about three times the melting point of teflon (327°C vs. 800-1200°C). ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/7 "2005-11-14T05:42:05Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > (And no, I am not making napalm, I am trying to build a napalm-proof suit, I am not currently besieged by flamethrower-wielding maniacs, etc, etc.) CRAP! That’s supposed to be “NOT building a fireproof suit”! :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/8 "2005-11-14T06:23:23Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > Obviously the teflon thing is a joke, but just FTR, napalm burns at about three times the melting point of teflon (327°C vs. 800-1200°C). Stickingness aside, [the melting point of all of the various elements](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elements_by_melting_point) can provide some indication of what things are going to retain their shape when in contact with napalm. Apparently everything from magnesium on _shouldn’t_ be affected (not that I would want to be the guy who has to test dumping a load of magnesium in napalm gell.) I’m not sure what the measurement is for slickness, but I believe there is one. So if we were to compare that table to the one above, you should be able to get an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/9 "2005-11-14T15:28:38Z")
Must.Resist.Reference.To.Marching.Cadence… ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/10 "2005-11-15T03:44:15Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > However, I don’t think that you can get thousands of villagers in a war zone to walk around in fireproof suits all day. True. However, it might come in handy when designing Killbots armed with flame throwers, so it’ll be easier to get the burning stuff off of 'em if a napalm tank gets breached. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/11 "2005-11-15T03:49:34Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Just a quick question—does anyone here happen to know if there’s any material that military napalm/incendigel doesn’t stick to? > > (And no, I am not making napalm, I am trying to build a napalm-proof suit, I am not currently besieged by flamethrower-wielding maniacs, etc, etc.) Just curious: Why exactly, do you feel the urge to build a “napalm-proof suit?” ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/12 "2005-11-15T04:44:59Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Just curious: Why exactly, do you feel the urge to build a “napalm-proof suit?” Just a typo—I _DON’T_ want to build a napalm-proof suit. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/13 "2005-11-15T09:26:32Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Just curious: Why exactly, do you feel the urge to build a “napalm-proof suit?” Some folks just don’t hold their Chillie to well. They mean well , but a mans just gotta have some protection. Declan ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/14 "2005-11-15T09:40:41Z")
From [The 213 things Skippy is no longer allowed to do](http://www.skippyslist.com/skippylist.html): 54. “Napalm sticks to kids” is _not_ a motivational phrase ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/15 "2005-11-15T12:26:34Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > In unscientific terms, Napalm is gellied gasoline. That’s pretty unscientific; it’s in the neighborhood of being right, but it’s not right. Napalm was Dow Chemical’s trade name for a now-defunct mixture of aluminum naphthenate and aluminum palmitate which forms an oily, sticky, high-temperature incendiary. Other gelatinous incendiaries are called “napalm” in the same way that tissues are called “Kleenexes”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wont-napalm-stick-to/330941/16 "2005-11-15T15:42:03Z")
I heard that Sterno was kind of a watered down version of Napalm. True?