Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Smoke shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Smoke offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Smoke at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Smoke? Wrong! If the Smoke is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Smoke then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Smoke? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Smoke and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Smoke wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Smoke then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Smoke site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Smoke, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Smoke, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
For other uses, see Smoke (disambiguation).
Smoke is the airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes pyrolysis or combustion, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted
by-product of fires (including stoves and lamps) and fireplaces, but may also be used for pest control (cf. fumigation), communication (smoke signal), defense (
smoke-screen) or smoking (
tobacco smoking, cannabis (drug), etc) or inhalation of other
Psychoactive drugs. Smoke is sometimes used as a flavouring agent and preservative for various foodstuffs. Smoke is also sometimes a component of
internal combustion engine exhaust gas, particularly diesel exhaust.
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires. The smoke kills by a combination of thermal damage, poisoning and lung irritation caused by carbon monoxide,
hydrogen cyanide and other combustion products.
Smoke particles are actually an Particulate (or
mist) of solid particles and liquid droplets that are close to the ideal range of sizes for Mie theory of visible light. This effect has been likened to three-dimensional textured privacy glass—the smoke cloud does not obstruct an image, but thoroughly scrambles it.
Chemical composition
":
Skywriting use smoke to spell.The composition of smoke depends on the nature of the burning fuel and the conditions of combustion.
Fires with high availability of oxygen burn in high temperature and with small amount of smoke produced; the particles are mostly composed of ash, or in large temperature differences, of condensed aerosol of water. High temperature also leads to production of
nitrogen oxides. Sulfur content yields
sulfur dioxide. Carbon and hydrogen get completely oxidized to
carbon dioxide and water. Fires burning with lack of oxygen produce significantly wider palette of compounds, many of them toxic. Partial oxidation of carbon produces
carbon monoxide, nitrogen-containing materials can yield
hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and
nitrogen oxides. Content of chlorine (eg. in
polyvinyl chloride) or other
halogens may lead to production of eg.
hydrogen chloride,
phosgene, dioxin, and
chloromethane, bromomethane and other halocarbons.
Pyrolysis of the burning material also results in production of large amount of
hydrocarbons, both aliphatic (
methane,
ethane,
ethylene,
acetylene) and
aromatic hydrocarbon (benzene and its derivates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; eg. benzopyrene, studied as a cancerogen, or ), terpenes. Heterocyclic compounds may be also present. Heavier hydrocarbons may condense as
tar.
Presence of sulfur can lead to formation of eg.
hydrogen sulfide,
carbonyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide, carbon disulfide, and
thiols; especially thiols tend to get adsorbed on surfaces and produce lingering odor even long after the fire. Partial oxidation of the released hydrocarbons yields in a wide palette of other compounds: aldehydes (eg.
formaldehyde, acrolein, and
furfural), ketones, alcohols (often aromatic, eg. phenol, guaiacol, syringol, catechol, and cresols), carboxylic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, etc.).
The visible particles in such smokes are most commonly composed of
carbon (
soot). Other particulates may be composed of drops of condensed tar, or solid particles of ash. Content of metals yields particles of metal oxides. Particles of inorganic salts may also be formed, eg. ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate. Many organic compounds, typically the aromatic hydrocarbons, may be also adsorbed on the surface of the solid particles.
Smoke emissions may contain characteristic trace elements. Vanadium is present in emissions from oil fired power plants and refinery; oil plants also emit some nickel. Coal combustion produces emissions containing selenium, arsenic, chromium,
cobalt, copper, and
aluminium.
Some components of smoke are characteristic for the combustion source. Guaiacol and its derivates are products of pyrolysis of lignin and are characteristic for
wood smoke; other markers are syringol and derivates, and other
methoxy phenols.
Retene, a product of pyrolysis of conifer trees, is an indicator of
forest fires. Levoglucosan is a pyrolysis product of
cellulose. Hardwood vs softwood smokes differ in the ratio of guaiacols/syringols. Markers for vehicle exhaust include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hopanes,
steranes, and specific nitroarenes (eg.
1-nitropyrene). The ratio of hopanes and steranes to elemental carbon can be used to distinguish between emissions of gasoline and diesel engines.
Dangers of smoke
Smoke from oxygen-deprived fires contains a significant amount of compounds that are flammable. A cloud of smoke, in contact with atmospheric oxygen, therefore has the potential of being ignited - either by another open flame in the area, or by its own temperature. This leads to effects like
backdraft and
flashover.
Many compounds of smoke from fires are highly toxic and/or irritant. The most dangerous is the carbon monoxide, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning, sometimes with supporting effect of
hydrogen cyanide and phosgene.
Smoke inhalation can therefore quickly lead to incapacitation and loss of consciousness.
Smoke can obscure visibility, impeding occupant exiting from fire areas. In fact, the poor visibility due to the smoke that was in the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire in Worcester, Massachusetts was the exact reason why the trapped rescue firefighters couldn't evacuate the building in time. Due to the striking similarity that each floor shared, the dense smoke caused the firefighters to become disoriented.http://www.telegram.com/static/fire/
Visible and invisible particles of combustion
Depending on particle size, smoke can be visibility or
invisibility to the naked eye. This is best illustrated when Toast bread in a toaster. As the bread heats up, the products of combustion increase in size. These particles begin as invisible but become visible if the toast is
combustion.
Smoke from a typical house fire contains hundreds of different chemicals and fumes. As a result, the damage caused by the smoke can often exceed that caused by the actual heat of the fire. In addition to the physical damage caused by the smoke of a
fire - which manifests in the form of stains - is the often even harder to eliminate problem of a smokey odor. Just as there are contractors that specialize in rebuilding/repairing homes that have been damaged by fire and smoke, Fabric Restoration companies specialize in restoring fabrics that have been damaged in a fire.
See also
, used in beekeeping
References
External links
- Shedding new light on wood smoke
- Chemical constituents of wood smoke
- Health impact of ultrafine particles
- Burning Issues Public Education Site
For other uses, see Smoke (disambiguation).
Smoke is the airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes
pyrolysis or combustion, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires (including
stoves and
lamps) and fireplaces, but may also be used for
pest control (cf.
fumigation), communication (smoke signal), defense (smoke-screen) or smoking (
tobacco smoking,
cannabis (drug), etc) or
inhalation of other Psychoactive drugs. Smoke is sometimes used as a flavouring agent and preservative for various foodstuffs. Smoke is also sometimes a component of
internal combustion engine exhaust gas, particularly
diesel exhaust.
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor
fires. The smoke kills by a combination of thermal damage, poisoning and
lung irritation caused by
carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other combustion products.
Smoke particles are actually an
Particulate (or
mist) of solid particles and liquid droplets that are close to the ideal range of sizes for
Mie theory of
visible light. This effect has been likened to three-dimensional textured privacy glass—the smoke cloud does not obstruct an image, but thoroughly scrambles it.
Chemical composition
": Skywriting use smoke to spell.The composition of smoke depends on the nature of the burning fuel and the conditions of combustion.
Fires with high availability of oxygen burn in high temperature and with small amount of smoke produced; the particles are mostly composed of ash, or in large temperature differences, of condensed aerosol of water. High temperature also leads to production of
nitrogen oxides. Sulfur content yields
sulfur dioxide. Carbon and hydrogen get completely oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. Fires burning with lack of oxygen produce significantly wider palette of compounds, many of them toxic. Partial oxidation of carbon produces carbon monoxide, nitrogen-containing materials can yield
hydrogen cyanide,
ammonia, and nitrogen oxides. Content of chlorine (eg. in polyvinyl chloride) or other
halogens may lead to production of eg.
hydrogen chloride,
phosgene,
dioxin, and
chloromethane, bromomethane and other halocarbons.
Pyrolysis of the burning material also results in production of large amount of
hydrocarbons, both aliphatic (
methane,
ethane, ethylene, acetylene) and aromatic hydrocarbon (
benzene and its derivates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; eg. benzopyrene, studied as a cancerogen, or ),
terpenes. Heterocyclic compounds may be also present. Heavier hydrocarbons may condense as
tar.
Presence of sulfur can lead to formation of eg.
hydrogen sulfide,
carbonyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide, carbon disulfide, and thiols; especially thiols tend to get adsorbed on surfaces and produce lingering odor even long after the fire. Partial oxidation of the released hydrocarbons yields in a wide palette of other compounds: aldehydes (eg.
formaldehyde,
acrolein, and furfural), ketones, alcohols (often aromatic, eg.
phenol,
guaiacol,
syringol,
catechol, and cresols),
carboxylic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, etc.).
The visible particles in such smokes are most commonly composed of carbon (
soot). Other particulates may be composed of drops of condensed tar, or solid particles of ash. Content of metals yields particles of metal oxides. Particles of inorganic salts may also be formed, eg. ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate. Many organic compounds, typically the aromatic hydrocarbons, may be also
adsorbed on the surface of the solid particles.
Smoke emissions may contain characteristic trace elements. Vanadium is present in emissions from oil fired power plants and
refinery; oil plants also emit some nickel. Coal combustion produces emissions containing selenium, arsenic,
chromium, cobalt,
copper, and aluminium.
Some components of smoke are characteristic for the combustion source.
Guaiacol and its derivates are products of pyrolysis of lignin and are characteristic for
wood smoke; other markers are
syringol and derivates, and other
methoxy phenols.
Retene, a product of pyrolysis of
conifer trees, is an indicator of
forest fires. Levoglucosan is a pyrolysis product of
cellulose. Hardwood vs
softwood smokes differ in the ratio of guaiacols/syringols. Markers for vehicle exhaust include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hopanes,
steranes, and specific nitroarenes (eg. 1-nitropyrene). The ratio of hopanes and steranes to elemental carbon can be used to distinguish between emissions of gasoline and diesel engines.
Dangers of smoke
Smoke from oxygen-deprived fires contains a significant amount of compounds that are flammable. A cloud of smoke, in contact with atmospheric oxygen, therefore has the potential of being ignited - either by another open flame in the area, or by its own temperature. This leads to effects like backdraft and
flashover.
Many compounds of smoke from fires are highly toxic and/or irritant. The most dangerous is the carbon monoxide, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning, sometimes with supporting effect of hydrogen cyanide and
phosgene.
Smoke inhalation can therefore quickly lead to incapacitation and loss of consciousness.
Smoke can obscure visibility, impeding occupant exiting from fire areas. In fact, the poor visibility due to the smoke that was in the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire in Worcester, Massachusetts was the exact reason why the trapped rescue firefighters couldn't evacuate the building in time. Due to the striking similarity that each floor shared, the dense smoke caused the firefighters to become disoriented.http://www.telegram.com/static/fire/
Visible and invisible particles of combustion
Depending on particle size, smoke can be visibility or invisibility to the naked eye. This is best illustrated when
Toast bread in a toaster. As the bread heats up, the products of
combustion increase in size. These particles begin as invisible but become visible if the toast is combustion.
Smoke from a typical house fire contains hundreds of different chemicals and fumes. As a result, the damage caused by the smoke can often exceed that caused by the actual heat of the fire. In addition to the physical damage caused by the smoke of a fire - which manifests in the form of stains - is the often even harder to eliminate problem of a smokey odor. Just as there are contractors that specialize in rebuilding/repairing homes that have been damaged by fire and smoke,
Fabric Restoration companies specialize in restoring fabrics that have been damaged in a fire.
See also
, used in beekeeping
References
External links
- Shedding new light on wood smoke
- Chemical constituents of wood smoke
- Health impact of ultrafine particles
- Burning Issues Public Education Site
smoke from FOLDOC
smoke. 1. To crash or blow up, usually spectacularly. "The new version smoked, just like the last one." Used for both hardware (where it often describes an actual physical event ...
magic smoke from FOLDOC
magic smoke < electronics, humour > A substance trapped inside integrated circuit packages that enables them to function (also called "blue smoke"; this is similar to the archaic ...
Smoke Radio - Home
Smoke Radio - One Station, One Sound, One Westminster. ... So Glastonbury has been and gone, but that's not to say Smoke Radio wasn't there in some shape or form whilst off air for ...
Smoke Free Birmingham
A guide to smoke free places in Birmingham, as well as information on how to quit.
Smoke Control Areas
Information on Smoke Control Areas in the UK ... Legislative background. The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 were introduced to deal with the smogs of the 1950s and 1960s which ...
Smoke FM Internet Radio, broadcasting from London UK
Tune in link for standard default players. Smoke FM Real Player. Smoke FM Windows Media Player.
Definition: smoke from Online Medical Dictionary
The Online Medical Dictionary is a searchable dictionary of definitions from medicine, science and technology.
Smoke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Smoke is the collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases [1] emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is ...
Smoke Alarms and Detectors
Information and advice on smoke alarms and smoke detectors ... Every year the Fire and Rescue Service is called to over 600,000 fires which result in over 800 deaths and over 17 ...
Smokefree England - all about the smokefree legislation on 1st July ...
A smokefree England ensures a healthier environment, so everyone can socialise, relax, travel, shop and work free from secondhand smoke. This website provides you with ...
