Burning Iron, Attempt #1 to Improve a Classic Chem Demo

Iron oxidizes in air. We don’t usually think of it in the same category as burning, we think of it as rusting. If you try to light a cast iron skillet on fire with a match, it won’t light. Which is good because we like to put those into close contact with fire as part of their job. But steel wool? It burns easily. I set myself a challenge: can I make iron burn in 2D? I have deeper reasons for wanting to do this than “I think it will look cool.” But. I do think it would look very cool if I could get steel wool in a restricted 2D space and make an oxidation reaction spread across that space. This was Attempt 1.
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[@bouldersky2906]

How about using a bike pump needle to inject pure oxygen between the glass plates? It shouldn't be too hard to get a regulator and an oxygen tank from a local welding supply store

[@Kalebshadeslayer]

Would it work to purge your system with pure oxygen? If simply changing the atmosphere works, you can avoid the issue of ox flow removing the heat.

[@Unmannedair]

You can actually have a flame burning stainless steel in a pure oxygen environment. I've seen it with my own eyes and it's absolutely amazing

[@PeterAllenLab]

Very good point. I think I will try this next.

[@Unmannedair]

You can get solid iron to burn in an oxygen atmosphere... This is a major limitation in the design of rocket engines...
The key thing is not the surface area to fuel ratio, it's the surface area to oxidizer density ratio... If you lower the surface area, you have to raise the density of the oxidizer. Your rate of reaction is related to the density. So if you have a certain rate that the heat is being carried away, you have to produce heat faster than that.
This is the basic definition of how an auto ignition reaction works

[@PeterAllenLab]

Good point. The surface is where the reaction happens, but increasing surface is not the only way to make it react faster

[@ChimpyChamp]

what about using a peroxide?

[@PeterAllenLab]

I know people use solid peroxides as oxidizers. Good idea.

[@fburton8]

Could hot water vapor be used somehow?

[@PeterAllenLab]

I'm not sure, I think it depends on how hot, I suppose. I need to think about it.