Dust explosion

In this experiment, Robin blows a giant fireball out of their trumpet! Curious about the secrets?Read on!

Clubmoss or Lycopodium Clavatum is a plant that reproduces with very small seeds called spores. Lycopodium powder is made up of these spores, which are very small and consist of oil. Oil contains a lot of energy and can burn well.

To make fire, you need three things: fuel (the oil in the spores), oxygen and heat. But if you hold a spoonful of lycopodium powder in a flame, it does not burn well. This is because not enough oxygen can reach the spores.

If you atomise the powder in the air, oxygen can easily reach it. Then there is much more room for oxygen to reach the spores. This means you need much less heat to start the fire, so now you can make fire.

We call this a dust explosion. This is a rapid fire of dust with oxygen from the air. Dust explosions can cause a lot of damage in places with a lot of dust, such as in saw mills, grain silos and places with powders such as flour and milk powder.