Ping Pong Pyro

A demonstration of the flammability of the lowly table tennis ball. My understanding is that table tennis balls are one of the few plastics still made out of nitrocellulose, which is highly flammable.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ping
• pong
• ball
• flammable
• table
• tennis
• fire
• nitrocellulose

[matthetube]

I hadn't thought about the lack of oxygen Consider that the smokeless powder burning inside a metallic cartridge requires no additional oxygen to burn, and that it's nitrocellulose, then you're probably right.

[Etrieys]

You can use these to create cheap smoke bombs.

Wrap them in two layers of tinfoil - Dull side inward. Pull the tin foil off to form a 'handle' of sorts. Place a lighter / match underneath the foil-wrapped ball, and wait for ignition. I'm guessing the lack of oxygen mixed with the flammable qualities of the ping pong balls results in an inefficient combustion which results in a LOT of smoke.

[BeautyRadio]

that was fun!

[DaveWreckingCrew]

Ping pong fuse?

[wbeaty]

Wow, no residue. They don't need oxygen, right? Celluloid bombs. Mystery writers could use them for all sorts of mayhem. I wonder how fast they'd burn if chopped up fine? Antique celluloid billiard balls are rumored to become impressive when touched with a lit cigar. Try to take fifty pounds of powdered ping pong balls on board a plane.

[PlutonikPenguin]

Wow. A stack of lightweight little ping pong balls burns like that, imagine the destruction of a nitrate film fire (well, I suppose one needn't imagine considering there are clips on here of just that lol)

[pyro4869]

I looked away for a second and the ping pong balls were gone