Green flame from hickory?

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avalancher

avalancher

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I had thrown a piece of two of pignut hickory in the stove the other day, and when I opened the stove an hour later I noticed a bright green flame coming from the hickory pieces. I thought at first that my wife had thrown some tinfoil in the stove, but she said nope.
I sorted the hickory from the rest of the pile by the door, and tried some more with the same result. Bright green flame.
this wood came from a tree from a neighbors woods, it was leaning and he wanted it gone. I couldnt find anything embeded in the tree, and the wood smells great when burning.Wood and bark are not discolored at all. The same species that I have from a different tree doesnt have the bright green flame.
What gives?
 
habanero

habanero

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Green flame could well indicate high levels of copper in the tree, but there are other elements that emit green as well. I think barium will give a greenish-tinged flame, if I remember right. Seems like borate and phospate will give a green flame as well. You didn't spray the wood stack down with borax to control bugs, did you?

Whatever it is, it must be a pretty high concentration to give a noticeably green flame like that.
 
avalancher

avalancher

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Nope, I havent sprayed the wood with anything. The other weird part of the whole deal is all the rest of the wood that I took from the property doesnt do this. Some white oak, poplar, and one other hickory. all burn with the right color like normal.
Just this one tree burns with this bright green flame.
 
jcappe

jcappe

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I don't know what would cause it but it would be kind of neat, we use to throw a copper pipe wrapped in garden hose into the camp fire when I was younger, threw some neat looking flames.
 
tree md

tree md

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Personally, I'm thinking green wood. I have seen green Hickory put off a bluish green hewn flame.

Don't know if any of you have ever drank the generic MT Dew drinks called Mountain Lightning but that stuff will make your turds glow in the dark!!!
 
KsWoodsMan

KsWoodsMan

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I was drinking Power-Aide ALOT during the Summer to stay off Pepsi and that was the first time I seen blue in the pot before.

I have no idea why the flame would be green except copper . Makes you wonder what might be buried underneath that tree from years ago. A jar full of old forgotten coins comes to mind.
 
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Crofter

Crofter

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Personally, I'm thinking green wood. I have seen green Hickory put off a bluish green hewn flame.

Don't know if any of you have ever drank the generic MT Dew drinks called Mountain Lightning but that stuff will make your turds glow in the dark!!!

Aw, you guys are making this up! How about some pictures? If there are no pictures, it didn't happen! Mine are just plain brown, though they dont smell; I would post some pictures but my camera has gone for a crap. :cry:
 
avalancher

avalancher

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Aw, you guys are making this up! How about some pictures? If there are no pictures, it didn't happen! Mine are just plain brown, though they dont smell; I would post some pictures but my camera has gone for a crap. :cry:

Had a girlfriend like that back in high school. Didnt believe a word I said, and thought her carp didnt stink.
But, on the plus side, she sure was a looker!
 
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