If oxygen isn't flammable, why do people care if people smoke around a person with respiratory oxygen therapy

Question

According to a chemistry college text, oxygen is not flammable, but hydrogen is.

Answer 1

The oxygen itself will not burn, but the oxygen mask or cannula, clothing, skin, hair, and anything else that can act as a fuel WILL.

We have to be careful in the OR because it is a high oxygen environment, and things like surgical drapes and endotracheal tubes will combust if a laser or cautery ignites them. Airway fires can be awful, even deadly.

There is also the issue of not smoking around people with lung disease, so as to not further cripple their lungs, but that has nothing to do with flammability.

Answer 2

While oxygen itself is not flammable it can react with any fuel in its presence. When high pressure oxygen is used extreme care must be taken so that it does not come in contact with any fuels or it will cause an explosion. So the moral of the story is, it's probably not wise to be smoking around someone who is on oxygen therapy. In the end, the chance is pretty low for anything igniting, but i'd rather be safe than sorry.

Answer 3

While oxygen is not flammable, per se, it is what feeds a fire. Pure oxygen, especially. So if someone smokes, lights up or uses a lighter or makes a spark of any kind around pure oxygen the chance for a chain reaction causing gouts of fire and an explosion of the pressurized cannister of oxygen is greatly increased. Since the person on oxygen is apparently injured already, you really don't want to give them that to deal with, right? LOL Hope this helps. Have a great day.

Answer 4

Well, in chemistry we usually use flammable to mean that something can combine with oxygen to create CO2, H2O and heat.
oxygen isn't flammable by this definition, but is clearly needed for anything else to burn. High oxygen concentrations will increase rate that any other flammable substance burns. It can make a smoldering 'out' cigarette stub flare back into full blown flames.

Answer 5

Your college text is technically correct - oxygen does not, by itself, combust (which is an oxidation reaction - pure oxygen cannot get any more oxidized). However, it DOES make combustion of flammable substances or gases much easier and more dangerous - they will burn faster and hotter. This makes flames around pure oxygen very dangerous, since things that are not very flammable normally will suddenly burn with great intensity and violence, fed by the oxygen.

Answer 6

NO, OXYGEN IS NOT FLAMMABLE!!!
It does however feed fires as it is one of the reactants in combustion. light a spark in a pure oyxgen environment and nothing happens, put pure oxygen near a fire and the fires rages. a cigarette in pure oxygen lights up instantly and glows orange. The fire hazard is only one reason though, everyone seems to miss the obvious.
People on oxygen therapy have respiratory problems, and these are often exacerbated by cigarette smoke.

Answer 7

Oxygen is a reactive gas, not a flammable gas. Oxygen WILL ignite with oil, but it needs some kind of fuel source to burn. It is not flammable on it own.

Answer 8

Oxygen is not flammable, because it itself cannot burn, since burning is the rapid oxidation of materials, that is: their combining with oxygen. However..... when pure oxygen is in use, almost anything can burn in its presence, including things we don't normally think of as flammable, like steel and aluminum. Normally flammable materials like cloth, paper and hair, become almost explosive....... that's why there's no smoking anywhere near pure oxygen.

Answer 9

In combustion, oxygen oxidizes a fuel. But oxygen itself isn't a fuel. Demonstrate to your friends that oxygen itself doesn't burn by asking them to write a combustion equation for oxygen

Answer 10

Oxygen by itself is not flammable, however it supports combustion. In other words it will make a fire burn a whole lot better.