I'm writing a book (series is titled Sanction the Skies. Keep your eyes peeled for it later this year, perhaps!) and one of the characters has the ability to release octopus ink when they feel threatened. Google won't give me the results I want for this completely random question:
Is octopus/cephalopod ink flammable?
I'm writing a book (series is titled Sanction the Skies. Keep your eyes peeled for it later this year, perhaps!) and one of the characters has the ability to release octopus ink when they feel threatened. Google won't give me the results I want for this completely random question:
Is octopus/cephalopod ink flammable?
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"Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
they/them
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Luthyx well, I'm not a science person, but I did a quick google search and it turns out cephalopod ink is made primarily of mucus and melanin. Melanin is a dark pigment found in the skin and hair of almost all animals. Couldn't find any specific info, but I doubt it's particularly flammable. And mucus is... well, mucus! Considering it's the stuff that covers the bodies of amphibians, snails, slugs and certain fish, and none of those are really flammable, I assume mucus isn't either.
There's some other biological chemical components too, but they all appear to be complex carbon molecules, which are pretty much defined by their stability - i.e. they're not flammable or really that reactive at all. Same goes for the majority of biological substances, actually. The reason we're made of this stuff is because it's stable enough that we don't explode from all the rampant energy we use to power our brains and muscles and all that.
So... I'm pretty sure it's not flammable!
Knowledge courtesy of some home-studied biological chemistry and a skim read through some wiki pages. Seriously, I have no idea if this info is actually accurate or not... but it's a start, at least!
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Luthyx well, I'm not a science person, but I did a quick google search and it turns out cephalopod ink is made primarily of mucus and melanin. Melanin is a dark pigment found in the skin and hair of almost all animals. Couldn't find any specific info, but I doubt it's particularly flammable. And mucus is... well, mucus! Considering it's the stuff that covers the bodies of amphibians, snails, slugs and certain fish, and none of those are really flammable, I assume mucus isn't either.
There's some other biological chemical components too, but they all appear to be complex carbon molecules, which are pretty much defined by their stability - i.e. they're not flammable or really that reactive at all. Same goes for the majority of biological substances, actually. The reason we're made of this stuff is because it's stable enough that we don't explode from all the rampant energy we use to power our brains and muscles and all that.
So... I'm pretty sure it's not flammable!
Knowledge courtesy of some home-studied biological chemistry and a skim read through some wiki pages. Seriously, I have no idea if this info is actually accurate or not... but it's a start, at least!
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Luthyx
I don't know about octopus ink, but let me know when your book comes out, I'd love to read it!
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Luthyx
I don't know about octopus ink, but let me know when your book comes out, I'd love to read it!
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Currently breeding for:
avocado/aqua/sable male, preferably with nature eyes
honeydew/blush/cottoncandy female, preferably with wind eyes
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Charias @
Luthyx
I searched it up and most sites say mucus is flammable.
A person's skin can be flammable, in extremely high temputures, and skin has melanin in it, so it's possible for melanin to be flammable.
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Charias @
Luthyx
I searched it up and most sites say mucus is flammable.
A person's skin can be flammable, in extremely high temputures, and skin has melanin in it, so it's possible for melanin to be flammable.
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Hmm, interesting. From what I'm gathering, this basically means that octopus ink has a chance of setting fire, but it's not particularly combustible, so it won't explode in a blaze of glory or anything.
Good to know! I was writing a scene and debating whether or not the ink could be used as a weapon.
Hmm, interesting. From what I'm gathering, this basically means that octopus ink has a chance of setting fire, but it's not particularly combustible, so it won't explode in a blaze of glory or anything.
Good to know! I was writing a scene and debating whether or not the ink could be used as a weapon.
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"Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
they/them
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[/code]
Also @
Eaglefairy I'll try to remember to ping you when it's published! It'll probably be a long while (still kinda on chapter one) but it has dragons and magic n' things. No humans.
Also @
Eaglefairy I'll try to remember to ping you when it's published! It'll probably be a long while (still kinda on chapter one) but it has dragons and magic n' things. No humans.
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"Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
they/them
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[/code]
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Luthyx
Ooh, fantasy is my favorite genre! I can't wait!
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Luthyx
Ooh, fantasy is my favorite genre! I can't wait!
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Currently breeding for:
avocado/aqua/sable male, preferably with nature eyes
honeydew/blush/cottoncandy female, preferably with wind eyes
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Luthyx
Your story sounds amazing. Can you tell me when you get it published too?
Maybe you could use it as a weapon- you can hurt someones eyes/temporarily blind them with it, drown them with it, etc. Ink could be left on the floor so people slip and trip on it.
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Luthyx
Your story sounds amazing. Can you tell me when you get it published too?
Maybe you could use it as a weapon- you can hurt someones eyes/temporarily blind them with it, drown them with it, etc. Ink could be left on the floor so people slip and trip on it.
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