I saw a bag of coal that advertises the Match-Lite. wow amazing I'd rather see self lighting coal, like self lighting matches. They'd be like those little 50 cent poppers, except bigger! Nothing would be more fun than seeing these babies get unloaded. {throw......smack.WHOOOSH..WHAM.FOOOOM!!}
-- Veritas, Feb 13 2003

Spontaneous Combustion of Coal http://www.zeta.org...ts/sponcomcoal.html
Burnt. [Cedar Park, Oct 04 2004]

Not particularly safe to store in bulk .......
-- 8th of 7, Feb 13 2003


But how will you contain the food while barbecuing with contact explosives?
-- Shz, Feb 13 2003


Examination of the packaging reveals:

WARNING: RISK OF FIRE
Croissants œbaked with this product may take on a fishbone-like appearance.
-- X2Entendre, Feb 14 2003


Only when the coal is in the bag will it fiercely explode, but when the coal is in the grill it you drop the last piece in and snap, you got a fire going.

It's just like regular coal, but it self lights. Maybe it could go in a box with egg crates instead of a bag.
-- Veritas, Feb 14 2003


To avoid this appearing as magic - how exactly will it self-light (neatly avoiding transportation and handling issues)?
-- PeterSilly, Feb 14 2003


how do the snappers do it? with friction right? Each one could be coated with that crap. I don't know if it would work, but that's the first thing I would try.
-- Veritas, Feb 14 2003


It could have potassium permanganate impregnated into it and a sachet of glycerin provided. Lay out the fire, pour over the glycerin and wait.
-- oneoffdave, Feb 14 2003


<makes pyromaniac's secret hand signal at [oneoffdave]>
-- 8th of 7, Feb 14 2003


[8th] is that the waving of one hand where you have forgotten to ensure that it is free of accelerant before lighting the fire?
-- oneoffdave, Feb 14 2003


Yep, that's the one. The tradidtional flapping-hand-frantically-up-and-down motion, like a demented penguin on acid.

If your hand is already heavily bandaged due to a previous bout of misfortune (or carelessness) the arm-waving is correspondingly more vigorous, and the flames larger and more spectacular as the bandages have a distressing tendency to wick up volatile hydrocarbons.
-- 8th of 7, Feb 14 2003


That's why I try to specify fibreglass and Nomex wound dressings.
-- oneoffdave, Feb 14 2003


This must be an idea for self-lighting charcoal, not coal. Cooking over open coal is a deadly idea.
-- bristolz, Apr 05 2003


Baked in nature. [link]
-- Cedar Park, Apr 06 2003


I've seen charcoal that comes in a bag that tells you to burn the bag as well. It has little pockets of charcoal throughout, so it is a chain reaction. I have no idea if this helps...
-- Bugsy, Apr 06 2003


Self lighting coal is a great idea! 2500 degrees (farenheit) of heat at a moments notice.
-- chris01, Apr 06 2003


now this is dangerous. but its a good idea.
-- bmwrox, Aug 06 2003


Potassium permaganate+glycerin would work quite well because of the really high temperatures produced.

Not sure what manganese dioxide (is that it? can't remember the reaction now) fumes are like in food, however.

I can't see how friction-sensitive charcoal could be safe to store or transport. Do you have any idea of the energy stored? One bump or sustained vibration and whoomp! A shipping container of those going up would be a sight to see.

Could be a good method for testing to see how gentle a courier is with your package, however. Send a bag full of self-igniting, friction-sensitive charcoal across the country. When the plane goes down, you know that they weren't all THAT careful with it.
-- Custardguts, Nov 14 2006



random, halfbakery