Ask A Scientist Chemistry Archive

name         Emily
status       educator
age          20s

Question -   What chemical burns blue?  Our seniors have made a sign
and would like to light it. Is there a compound that they can apply to it
that is safe and will burn blue?
----------------------------------------
Here's a good web page to answer your question about what compounds will
burn blue:
http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa062701a.htm

The trouble lies in making it safe.  Igniting a copper salt with a
chlorinated rubber (such as neoprene) will give a blue color, but the smoke
will be nasty.  Paris Green contains arsenic, so it would also not be
especially safe to handle.  Cuprous chloride might be your best bet, but I
would discourage igniting metal salts if there's any possibility that people
may breathe the combustion products.

Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois
==============================================================