Video: Nitromethane Fire Show is Beautiful and Mystifying

Nitromethane is a glorious nitroparaffin molecule that carries a pair of its own oxygen atoms, which makes it an incredibly powerful fuel for not only the internal combustion engine but also rockets. Its burning characteristics are quite different from gasoline. Despite its reputation for power, nitro is much less volatile than gasoline. It doesn’t vaporize easily and has a very slow burn rate, so pure nitro rarely catches fire with just a match.

The burning nitro flame colors are familiar from watching Top Fuel dragsters run.

The guys in this video know enough about nitro to play it safe –in other words, don’t do this at home — while putting on a wondrous fire show. You can see the orange and white flame that is so familiar in evening photos of Top Fuel and Funny Cars in action at the strip. It’s the mystifying glow when the nitro is spilled on the garage flow that makes this video so captivating and quite beautiful — even “ghostly,” as one of the commentators in the video points out. The fact that the wax-paper cup didn’t burn a hole wasn’t quite as a perplexing. The nitro acts as a very effective heat sink and keeps the cup in tact for a little longer than expected.

Again, EngineLabs strongly warns against trying this nitro experiment at home. Take advantage of the high-def video and enjoy.

About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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