Bob,

A propane air mixture will detonate if the mix is just right it 
is used as fuel in detonation engines. The fuel to air ration is 
lot narrower and the conditions more critical than hydrogen or 
actetyene.

Gordon

BOB BARNS wrote:
> Wayne,
>   I suspect that the propellant in the hairspray is a hydrocarbon such 
> as propane.
>   A propane-air mixture does not detonate; rather it burns rapidly like 
> gunpowder.  This would provide a longer seismic pulse than the 
> detonation of hydrogen-oxygen or acetylene-air mixtures.
> Bob
> 
> 
> Wayne Francis wrote:
> 
>> Just as an aside, some of these contraptions sound a little like my
>> son's potato cannon. Along with the spark, it used Aqua-net hairspray as
>> the volatile substance (would auto starter spray work?).  Pretty good
>> bang to fire that potato.  They used PVC, but build one out of 2 inch
>> steel pipe, give it a squirt, set it off with a sparker (they were
>> experimenting with piezo, ie. barbeque striker).  Might work.
>> Wayne Francis
>> Ojai, CA
>>
> 
> 
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