Thermobaric weapons?

Question

is it possible to create a thermobaric explosion that would consume all the oxygen in the atmosphere?

If so what would be the effects (does it produce CO2 or CO)?

Answer 1

It wouldn't be 1 explosion per say, but if chemicals are spread out, it will only be one chain reaction of explosions. Burning off most Oxygend in the atmosphere.. but that is lot of chemicals spread throughout the globe...

It is oxidized using Oxygens that are in atmosphere... so more then a likely it will not produce CO2 ... It will cause an explosion, but lack of oxygen would also cause an implosion.
So theoretically, it should be possible with enough chemical... I would guess that it will eliminate CO2 and CO. It might cause CNO cycle. or even cyanide (not likely).



But, realistically, no. I'm guessing bombs like that have some sort of chemical that prevents it from wild spreading. With out such reagent maybe, but most likely not.

Answer 2

I'd say no. I think the big hint is in the more common name for the device: a *vacuum* bomb.

Basically, such a device works because there is air around the explosion radius that *isn't* burning and is not the same pressure as the air inside the burn radius of the bomb. It works because there is still a *difference* between air temperatures and pressures inside and outside the burn.

If you had enough fuel to set the whole atmosphere on fire, it would burn, but it would likely be an even burn on average, since the whole *thing* is burning. And even so....that is an awful lot of atmospheric oxygen to burn out. Odds are it would produce both CO and CO2 as it burns everything *else* on the planet up.

And then the earth would look somewhat like Mars....with a thin atmosphere of mostly CO2, a surface layer of mostly oxide compounds and acids....get the picture?

One big boom wouldn't do it, and what would do it wouldn't *produce* that big boom, but instead just sear all the air away.

Hope this helps. ^_^ I could be wrong though and don't mind being corrected.

Answer 3

No, you need something to react with the oxygen like aluminum. The reaction stops when the aluminum is depleted. It doesn't make CO2 or CO, just Al2O3 - an inert power.