OK, so I’m not a newb... but sponge Ti

[Richtee]

But I confess ignorance. What the hell makes it behave like it does? Must have something to do with concussion?

 

I’ve heated it up with a torch... kinda just sits there and glows..compacts a bit.

 

Toss some in a report and wooo... just curious... anyone know?

Edited December 9, 2022 by Richtee

[Richtee]

Well... 109 of you so far don’t seem to have an explanation. I guess I don’t feel so dumb

[cmjlab]

I don't have an explanation, but a question I do!

 

When you put the torch to the Ti and had it glowing, did you try flicking them and observing how additional oxygen affected the performance / effect?

 

If not (or if you did), my guess would be it would perform similar to being ignited into a glowing ember by a flash comp, and ejected at a high rate of speed through the air until consuming itself aided by the forced air.

 

Charles

Edited December 11, 2022 by cmjlab

[justvisiting]

My guess would be along the same lines as Charles'. I've lit piles of magnalium/charcoal comp that erupt into huge sprays of sparks just by blowing on them. I'm guessing that if you dropped the sponge Ti through a horizontal torch flame, it would rain white sparks after it went through the flame.

[Richtee]

Hmmm... that’s plausible. I’ll try that!

 

Thanks

[Richtee]

I guess that yes, I should have considered a 100+ MPH breeze Seems it can work both ways. Can “blow out” stuff too.

 

What a finicky mistress this hobby can be

[cmjlab]

When you first asked, I was thinking Ti in flash acts much like Ti in a star - I was thinking of how the mass of a course metal (mass = fuel) once white hot is not likely to extinguish until it is consumed as long as there is sufficient oxidizer (oxidizer = oxygen) to consume the fuel (and forced air increases the oxidizer during flight, causing a hotter burn).

 

I imagine a less course metal like a Dark AL having less mass (fuel) to consume & hold heat which is better suited to assist the fast initial ignition of a star / flash.

 

After ignition, a different metal which acts as a better heat sink (via slag from Silicon OR insulation from Perlite) helps a star remain lit by helping to consume the extra oxidizer / oxygen from flight, until the main fuel (star comp) can overcome the critical wind velocity.

 

Lastly, I imagine the course Ti ignited from the flash burst / initial Dark AL burn / heat sink or slag, continues its burn the longest due to its mass, and remains visible in the tail of the star (with how far behind in the tail related to its mass / or how course it is).

 

This is NOT a slight to your understanding, I am more hoping for validation as to how it all works now that you raise the question!

 

Charles

[Richtee]

Well posited I say. Statics was always easy. Dynamics is another realm.