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Oxyhydrogen is a mixture of hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases. This gaseous mixture is used for torches to process refractory materials and was the first
This mixture may also be referred to as Knallgas (Scandinavian and German ; ), although some authors define knallgas to be a generic term for the mixture of fuel with the precise amount of oxygen required for complete combustion, thus 2:1 oxyhydrogen would be called "hydrogen-knallgas".W. Dittmar, "Exercises in quantitative chemical analysis", 1887, p. 189
"Brown's gas" and HHO are terms for oxyhydrogen originating in pseudoscience, although is preferred due to meaning .
When ignited, the gas mixture converts to water vapor and releases energy, which sustains the reaction: 241.8 Joule of energy (LHV) for every mole of burned. The amount of heat energy released is independent of the mode of combustion, but the temperature of the flame varies. The maximum temperature of about is achieved with an exact Stoichiometry mixture, about hotter than a hydrogen flame in air.
"Oxygen as Oxidizer: 3473 K, Air as Oxidizer: 2483 K"
"Hydrogen in air: 2,400 K, Hydrogen in Oxygen: 3,080 K"
Oxyhydrogen is explosive and can detonate when ignited, releasing a large amount of energy. This is often demonstrated in classroom environments in which teachers fill a balloon with the gas, due to the easy access of hydrogen and oxygen.
Due to competition from arc welding and other oxy-fuel torches such as the acetylene-fueled cutting torch, the oxyhydrogen torch is seldom used today, but it remains the preferred cutting tool in some niche applications.
Oxyhydrogen was once used in working platinum, because at the time, only it could burn hot enough to melt the metal . These techniques have been superseded by the electric arc furnace.
Many other pseudoscientific claims have been made about oxyhydrogen, like an ability to neutralize radioactive waste, help plants to germinate, and more.
Oxyhydrogen is often mentioned in conjunction with vehicles that claim to use water as a fuel. The most common and decisive counter-argument against producing this gas on board to use as a fuel or fuel additive is that more energy is always needed to split water molecules than is recouped by burning the resulting gas. Additionally, the volume of gas that can be produced for on-demand consumption through electrolysis is very small in comparison to the volume consumed by an internal combustion engine.
An article in Popular Mechanics in 2008 reported that oxyhydrogen does not increase the fuel economy in automobiles. Water-Powered Cars: Hydrogen Electrolyzer Mod Can't Up MPGs , Mike Allen, August 7, 2008, Popularmechanics.com
"Water-fueled" cars should not be confused with hydrogen-fueled cars, where the hydrogen is produced elsewhere and used as fuel or where it is used as fuel enhancement.
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