Over the years there have been many theories for the causes behind human spontaneous combustion, or HSC, there is however one thing that everybody seems to be missing in their search for the answer,
Urine!
Urine contains large amounts of urea. Urea is an organic compound consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. From this we get saltpeter/petre or potassium nitrate, indeed in 1600 saltpetermen would collect the saltpeter from toilets and even from church pews where the ladies would sit? this was then used in the manufacture of gunpowder.
Saltpeter when alight with other combustible materials will burn fiercely.
If we look at some of the photos of HSC we see the presence of chairs, beds and in a toilet a carpet. The majority of victims are old and likely to be incontinent. Over a period of time urine soaking through a chair or bed will leave a high concentration of potassium nitrate, all it takes to ignite this incendiary device is a spark, cigarette? static?
2006-07-19 02:27:57 · 17 answers · asked by Woody 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Is this your own theory? It is an interesting one which I have not heard before.
It sounds like a possible and reasonable answer...
Interesting!
What about poo content?
2006-07-19 02:32:04 · answer #1 · answered by hippyJu 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That wouldn't answer the case where the young woman was at a ball, and there were several witnesses who watched as her leg caught on fire. Also, the entire torso is usually burnt, leaving the extremities intact. The urea would only be near the bottom of the torso. Another possible culprit is body fat. The skin might hold the heat in, sort of like a candlewick in reverse. And the strange thing about some of these cases is that surrounding things were not burnt, like they would have if an accellerant had started the fire. I would think urea would act more like an accellerant.
2006-07-19 09:38:29 · answer #2 · answered by cross-stitch kelly 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if a cigarette or static lights the fire its not spontaneous. I think that there could be truth in what you say though, however I don't know if there has definitely ever been any real spontaneous combustion's? and if so, has anyone ever been present to see it, or the person themselves not died. Also it would require research to find out if anyone had ever just been standing up or been outside and it had happened.
You could always piss on a chair for a while then create a static and see what happens.
2006-07-19 09:41:48 · answer #3 · answered by As You Like It 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the activation energy required to begin the reaction. If the activation energy is low or the correct amound is supplied...a reaction becomes spontaneous. It may be possible for static electricity or the heat from a cigarette to provide the necessary energy to get over the energy hill to allow the reaction to proceed from reactants to products.
2006-07-19 09:31:54 · answer #4 · answered by embem171 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good theory but highly improbable more likely there is some chemical inconsistancy within the victims of this phenonom. like stomach acid becoming over acidic and the colapse of the containment of the lineing of the stomach thus causing the victim to burst into flames .acid is very volatile and would cause severe burns.
2006-07-19 16:27:43 · answer #5 · answered by Bren0 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
would pissing the bed really naturally form enough kno3 to cause an explosion and if so should people working in care homes be given danger money.
also there was a case of a labrador dog going up in flames in jarrow in the 70's and what do dogs like to do? thats right roll in urine
2006-07-19 11:43:39 · answer #6 · answered by onapizzadiet 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
human fat melts very slowly so a small fire, say,, on somones leg, would take a long time to burn. the fire could go out before reacing the rest of the body. it would melt father than cause big flames. it dose not start from the inside as many believe. i work with old people so i shall be extra careful where i smoke!
2006-07-19 16:13:29 · answer #7 · answered by SADIE S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't you think that such a concentration needed would make the room stink to high heaven and i know the firemen would notice this and put it in the fire report because everything you notice at a fire must be reported and investigated as to its relevance to the fire so your theory does not hold water sorry for the pun but its true.
2006-07-19 09:53:09 · answer #8 · answered by The Wanderer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ah yes, the strange case of Joe 'Stumpy' Peeps.
Or did he choke on vomit? One of Spinal Tap's drummers spontaneously combusted anyway.
2006-07-19 09:45:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is an interesting theory, but if there is no igniton point, that leave a bit of a hole in your thoughts.
2006-07-19 09:31:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋