b25f2fa7-95eb-41a3-b1d9-67488f77df57

Do NOT DIY: Liquid nitrogen gun vs. flamethrower: Which will win?

Aug. 4, 2016

Which is stronger, fire or ice?

Which is stronger, fire or ice? This age-old question has plagued man throughout time. But one courageous DIYer has turned his backyard into a scientific lab as he builds and tests a liquid nitrogen gun before the eyes of his YouTube follower. His video culminates in a battle between the liquid-nitrogen-fueled freeze-ray and a homemade flamethrower. I cannot stress this enough. Do not try this at home.

According to Popular Mechanics: "The first step was to fill up a thermos with liquid nitrogen. The pressure from the liquid nitrogen turning a gas shoots it up out of the hole of the thermos, and a well-placed nozzle creates a chilling frost that could cool down even the hottest summer. Ice ultimately wins, but only by advancing on the flames, so you could call it a contested victory. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who'd stand there while the flamethrower gets a similar attempt, though."

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector. 

Sponsored Recommendations

Arc Flash Prevention: What You Need to Know

March 28, 2024
Download to learn: how an arc flash forms and common causes, safety recommendations to help prevent arc flash exposure (including the use of lockout tagout and energy isolating...

Reduce engineering time by 50%

March 28, 2024
Learn how smart value chain applications are made possible by moving from manually-intensive CAD-based drafting packages to modern CAE software.

Filter Monitoring with Rittal's Blue e Air Conditioner

March 28, 2024
Steve Sullivan, Training Supervisor for Rittal North America, provides an overview of the filter monitoring capabilities of the Blue e line of industrial air conditioners.

Limitations of MERV Ratings for Dust Collector Filters

Feb. 23, 2024
It can be complicated and confusing to select the safest and most efficient dust collector filters for your facility. For the HVAC industry, MERV ratings are king. But MERV ratings...