A hexamin fuel tablet is a solid form of fuel in tablet form. The tablet burns without smoke, has a high energy density, does not melt when it burns and does not leave ash. Invented in Murrhardt, Germany, in 1936, the main component was hexamine, discovered by Aleksandr Butlerov in 1859. Some fuel tablets use 1,3,5-trioxane as another ingredient.
A number of alternative names are in use, including hot tablet and Esbit . Esbit is a generic trademark because it is used to refer to similar products made by other companies. In most countries of the former Soviet bloc it is known as "dry alcohol".
Video Hexamine fuel tablet
Usage
This tablet is used for cooking by campers, military, and relief organizations. They are often used with disposable metal stoves that are included with the field ration package. Backpackers who care about ultra-light fixtures tend to buy or make their own stoves much lighter. An Esbit canned stove can be made by cutting the bottom of an aluminum soft drink can, and turning it upside down to support the fuel tablet. The pots can be supported on top of this with a loop of chicken wire or a metal tent peg. Burnt tablets are sensitive to wind, so a simple windshield should be used, such as a curved aluminum foil strip forming a circle around a pot and a stove. If necessary, a fuel tablet can be placed on a rock or on the ground, with a pot supported on it by a rock, but this is less than ideal.
Another common use is to provide relatively safe heat sources (see losses below) for steam engine models, such as those produced by Wilesco and Mamod, and other external combustion engines such as Stirling machines and pop pop boats.
Maps Hexamine fuel tablet
Advantages and disadvantages
Hexamine is prepared by formaldehyde and ammonia reactions. In an acid environment, hexamine is converted to toxic formaldehyde, which is their primary danger for toxicity with consumption.
The fuel tablet is simple, ultra-light compared to other stove, and compact options; the entire stove and fuel system can be stored in a 0.5 liter cooking pot. Like trioxane, hexamine has an almost unlimited shelf life when stored properly, in a dry, closed container. However, the heat released can not be easily adjusted, so water can be boiled, but cooking that requires boiling is more difficult. The tablet is a powerful stove fuel (30.0 MJ/kg), and is sensitive to wind and moisture. Fuel tablets are expensive and not widely available compared to alternatives such as alcohol or gasoline, but can use very cheap stoves.
The Esbit Material Safety Data Sheet states that combustion can create formaldehyde, ammonia, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen cyanide and consumption can cause nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal disorders, and kidney damage. When burned, chemical oxidation of the fuel produces hazardous fumes, requiring cooked food to be put into containers such as pots or pans with a tight cover. The burned tablet leaves a sticky, sticky residue at the bottom of the pot. If the tablet is stored or used in damp conditions, the tablet may break while burning and release the burned flakes, although this claim is difficult to verify or reproduce.
Hexamine is a precursor for the simplest synthesis of RDX chemical explosives; in many areas its availability is strictly regulated for this.
See also
- Trioxane
- Metaldehyde
- Sterno
- Firelighter
References
External links
- Esbit Compagnie GmbH site
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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