In a message dated 24/07/2005, charles.r.patton@........ writes:

Earlier  someone mentioned the idea of pre-filling some balloons with oxygen 
/  acetylene.  DON'T.  You have small bombs now that are extremely  sensitive 
to ESD.  Small spark, whole tamale goes off in your face,  trunk, whatever. 
Spark so easy as most likely using plastic, rubber, etc,  that is not ESD 
treated.  Even in the open, you're looking for  trouble.
Hi Charles,
 
    Is this advice the result of actual  experiments trying to detonate C2H2 
/ O2 mixtures, or is it just  general prudent advice without any experimental 
testing?  Please send me the reference. 
    We did some experiments trying to set off   H2 / O2 mixtures many years 
ago and found that the mixture seemed much more  difficult to ignite than we 
had expected. We were working both with gas mixtures  and also with pastes of 
solid O2 in liquid H2, which could potentially give  a very serious explosion. 
We were not able to ignite the mixtures with static  charge found on a hair 
comb or by rubbing a balloon with fur. A high  energy spark plug gave reliable 
ignition as did sparks from the an  energetic 'tesla sources.
 
    Can you give a reference to look up for the  enegry dischage which will 
produce ignition C2H2 and O2 mixtures pleae?
 
    Regards,
 
    Chris









In a message dated 24/07/2005, charles.r.patton@........ writes:
<=
FONT=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=
=3D2>Earlier=20
  someone mentioned the idea of pre-filling some balloons with oxygen /=20
  acetylene.  DON'T.  You have small bombs now that are extremely=20
  sensitive to ESD.  Small spark, whole tamale goes off in your face,=20
  trunk, whatever. Spark so easy as most likely using plastic, rubber,=20=
etc,=20
  that is not ESD treated.  Even in the open, you're looking for=20
  trouble.
Hi Charles,
 
    Is this advice the result of actual=
=20
experiments trying to detonate C2H2 / O2 mixtures, or is it just=20
general prudent advice without any experimental testing?=20
Please send me the reference. 
    We did some experiments trying to set off&n=
bsp;=20
H2 / O2 mixtures many years ago and found that the mixture seemed much=20=
more=20
difficult to ignite than we had expected. We were working both with gas mixt=
ures=20
and also with pastes of solid O2 in liquid H2, which could potentially=20=
give=20
a very serious explosion. We were not able to ignite the mixtures with stati=
c=20
charge found on a hair comb or by rubbing a balloon with fur. A high=20
energy spark plug gave reliable ignition as did sparks from the an=
=20
energetic 'tesla sources.
 
    Can you give a reference to look up for the=
=20
enegry dischage which will produce ignition C2H2 and O2 mixtures pleae?
 
    Regards,
 
    Chris