From: glhurst@onr.com (Gerald L. Hurst)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Re: Oxidizers
Date: 29 Feb 1996 08:05:01 GMT

In article <4h31nd$bct@canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca>,
<umconcat@cc.umanitoba.ca> says:

>It is a common misconception that all oxidizers burn violently and give
>off oxygen. This is probably where the name "oxidation" came from;
>scientists figured it had to do with releasing oxygen. But if you folks
>would like to call KClO4 and NaNO3 and the like oxidizers, there is
>NOTHING wrong with that, for they _are_ oxidizers (just not for the
>reasons some people thought).

I don't really do that. I simply call everything but elementary
fluorine a reducing agent. This always leads to the argument,
"Oh yeah, then what do you call chlorine pentafluoride, smarty?"
But I have an answer for that. Since it can neither reduce nor
oxidize fluorine, it must be an inert gas.

I hope that you will take back the permission you gave for people
to run around calling things like sodium nitrate and the like
"oxidizers," It will be very confusing to my devoted followers
in the "Fluor ueber alles" movement.


Jerry (Ico)