Spontaneous Self Combustion

[mooeypoo]

Hi,

 

I've heard about this phenomena and saw it on some movies (yes, of course horror/tension movies) and I just wanted to know if that thing EXISTS, and what causes it (if known).

 

many thanks,

 

~moo

[YT2095]

Spontanious Human Combustion, there is a leading theory that states that it is all due to the "Wick Effect".

exploiting a long "cooking" time that dries out the moist parts and uses natural body fats to keep this flame lit.

how true it is, I don`t know, but it is the current theory amongst many pathologists and coroners

[Sayonara]

That's the theory that explains how people burn up so completely with relatively little damage to their surroundings, but there are no compelling theories yet as to what causes it.

[mooeypoo]

Does that actually HAPPEN!?

 

sheesh.

[YT2095]

Indeed it can, I`ve seen an experiment done with a whole Pig (it was dead at the time).

they did an experiment for the "wick" effect and it was perfectly succesfull.

as to the cause it`s unknown in some cases, but others ARE of known ignition sources.

but due to the nature of the fire type, forensic evidence is often destroyed along with the victim or at least parts of the victim. and so that will remain a mystery!?

[mooeypoo]

yeah... what can cause such a thing? In one movie i saw they said that Alcohol mixed with smoking can cause that, but it sounds.. err.. too general. Not all who smoke and drink explode..

 

Any ideas what might cause it?

[YT2095]

Ideas yes, facts no

[mooeypoo]

I guessed, since you used to word THEORY over and over again

I'll accept anything to begin to understand this weird phenomenon.

 

Ideas, dreams, theories, whatever.

 

~moo

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I saw a book about it... weird. People roasted up without scorching their clothes. And for no reason whatsoever. So I think it actually happens, but I suppose the wick effect may be right. That still doesn't explain not burning their surroundings.

[Tesseract]

Look at this:

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/articlecandlewick.shtml

[psi20]

hydrogen sulfide in your body combusting with something else?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The link explains some things, but what happens if there is no flame and their clothes aren't even touched?

[hierarch]

I've heard many stories about skeleton's self combustion and it said that the combustion is due to the phosphor in the skeleton. In chemistry class I have also learnt that phosphor is tend to self combust.

But I am not perfectly sure about it.

[mooeypoo]

That's really scary.

[Tesseract]

But first for you to be a skeleton and combust you have to be dead.If thats what your saying.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

No, he's saying that there is phosphor in bones that does it.

[Tesseract]

Oh, i though he said skeletons, that are dead...well not dead skeletons...skeletons that have no more flesh on them.

[budullewraagh]

bones are made of various compounds. one of these compounds is calcium phosphate: Ca3(PO4)2

 

phosphates tend to store great amounts of energy in their bonds (we use adenosine triphosphate for our own energy in cellular respiration). so, i do understand the theory stated above that concerned bones. it's possible, although i myself believe that spontaneous combustion involves organic compounds, specifically smaller alkanes.

[hierarch]

Oh, i though he said skeletons, that are dead...well not dead skeletons...skeletons that have no more flesh on them.

Yes, I meant the dead. In the past, inhumation was prevailing in China and it was not surprising that there were skeletons exposure to air in campo santo. Some old men said they had seen skeletons' self combustion in campo santo in their childhood. I just heard it, but have never seen it.

[Tesseract]

Oh, so I was right.Well like I said before it dosnt really matter because you have to be dead first.

[YT2095]

calcium phosphate is easily converted to Phosphoric acid in the presece of sulphuric acid, making calcium sulphate (almost insoluble and very stable), sulphuric acid isn`t uncommon in acid rain either.

phosphoric acid can be converted to phosphorus by the action of carbon. this is all a real stretch of credibility and would certainly require an unusual set of events (the carbon/phosphorus conversion part). but it`s certainly not impossible either

 

as to whether this is the cause or not, I can`t say, but that`s certainly how you would get white Phos, and that stuff does burn!

[hierarch]

Excellent explanation, YT . My hometown is exactly in a area where acid rain is common. Though we can't make sure of it, it seem possible at least.