Show: Making fire with Potassium Permanganate and Sugar.

[Ubehage]

This is presented as a "survival"-trick. But I don't think Permanganate is among the average european hiker's inventory.

 

So I would call this a backyard show-off for pyro's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xSI3vZlsMA

[FlaMtnBkr]

I've tried it with the standard glycerine and it didn't do anything. But the permanganate was coarse crystals and I think that was likely the problem and I didn't feel like grinding it up and making a purple mess.

 

But permanganate is useful in a survival situation if you know how to use it. It can start fires, it can purify water, make an antiseptic that kills bacteria on a wound like iodine, an anti-fungal for feet and hands, a general disinfectant, and you could mark your location in snow if lost and needing rescue. There are likely better things for all of those uses but there aren't many things that can do so much so it wouldn't be a bad thing to tuck away in your pack.

[chuckufarley]

I also use potassium permanganate and glycerine for starting campfires and such. Its kinda fun when people that don't know about it see you start a fire without matches or a lighter. Also works great for igniting thermite. That's all I've ever used to ignite thermite, worked every time.

 

Btw you can get potassium permanganate pretty cheap at home depot. Its in the water softener area, it's used as an iron remover. Last time I got some it was about $15 for a one pound plastic jug.

 

Flamtnbkr,

 

I've never had any problems with it working using fairly course crystals of potassium permanganate. How did you prepare it\mix it? I usually just pour out a pile of potassium permanganate, make a little dent on the top of the pile, then pour glycerine into the dent. Takes a few seconds for the reaction to occurr (can get really long if the glycerine is cold) but then it starts to smoke and ignites.

[Ubehage]

I've tried it with the standard glycerine and it didn't do anything. But the permanganate was coarse crystals and I think that was likely the problem and I didn't feel like grinding it up and making a purple mess.

 

But permanganate is useful in a survival situation if you know how to use it. It can start fires, it can purify water, make an antiseptic that kills bacteria on a wound like iodine, an anti-fungal for feet and hands, a general disinfectant, and you could mark your location in snow if lost and needing rescue. There are likely better things for all of those uses but there aren't many things that can do so much so it wouldn't be a bad thing to tuck away in your pack.

 

I have read (from one source only) that the reaction doesn't work when it's cold.

I am not able to test this myself, but if true it's an interesting thing to know:

http://www.unluckyhunter.com/2012/01/sad-truth-about-potassium-permanganate.html

[chuckufarley]

Its always worked for me even when cold, just took longer for the reaction to take place. I've never really tried to work out the perfect ratio of kmno3 to glycerine. I have found that the trays from tea candles work awesome for holding and containing the chems for a good reaction.

[MadMat]

I have a nephew that was training to become a fireman. He once told me that he learned about potassium permanganate and glycerin in one of his classes on arson investigation. I guess it's a rather old trick used by arsonists and not used anymore since it is easily detected by modern forensics.