Is it possible to create a plastic or paper that, if it burns, DOESN’T create toxic choking carcinogenic fumes? Or is there something inherent in oxidization of materials (esp organic ones) that creates byproducts incompatible with life?
I was reading about how toxic the smoke from a house fire is, and wondered if humans could engineer curtains or carpet that perhaps *can* burn — but with smoke that is relatively safe to breath.
i mean obviously it would be better if stuff wasn’t flammable in the first place, but, one thing at a time 🙂
In: Chemistry
To the best of my knowledge there are two major types of problems created by burning things:
First, burning stuff puts particles of stuff into the air, that aren’t directly created by the fire, but are more harmful when dispersed by fire. If there’s anything in the stuff you’re burning that can cause harm, then there’s a good chance that it’ll end up in fine little bits that can then be breathed in, or just spread far and wide. This includes normally harmless stuff that only causes problems when in tiny bits and inhaled into our sensitive lungs (like bits of silica) or it can be stuff that’s always bad and you don’t want spread about (like the lead, mercury, and radioactive material that’s found in coal).
Second, partial combustion creates a lot of different chemicals that are in an unstable state. Things that can burn are reactive, by nature, that’s why they can burn. They have potential energy, and burning releases some, or all, of that. Whenever you burn things some of what is burned doesn’t completely react with oxygen. This partial combustion can leave chemicals that are in a less stable state than they would be if they were completely unburnt. These unstable chemicals can’t exist in that form for very long, and they’ll react with other molecules, often in unpredictable ways, until they reach a more stable state.
A lot of these unstable, partially combusted, chemicals are carcinogens because of their unstable nature. They’re like a big rock that was at the top of a steep hill, and was pushed until it started rolling, but then it got caught up on tree or a small ledge halfway down. The rock still has a lot of potential energy, but it’s just barely being held back. A tiny bump or shift will release that energy, and the rock will roll the rest of the way down the hill, crushing anything in it’s path.
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