pyrophoric

(adjective)

Spontaneously igniting in air.

Related Terms

Examples of pyrophoric in the following topics:

  • Phosphorus Compounds as Reducing Agents

    • In contrast with ammonia and amines, phosphine and its mono and dialkyl derivatives are pyrophoric, bursting into flame on contact with the oxygen in air.

  • Properties of Phosphorus

    • It glows in the dark (when exposed to oxygen) with a very faint tinge of green and blue, and it is highly flammable and pyrophoric (self-igniting) upon contact with air.
    • Owing to its pyrophoricity, white phosphorus is used as an additive in napalm.

  • Boranes: Boron-Hydrogen Compounds

    • They are reactive compounds and some are pyrophoric.

  • Lanthanides and Actinides

    • All actinides are pyrophoric, especially when finely divided (i.e., they spontaneously ignite upon exposure to air).

  • Main Group Organometallic Compounds

    • Simple alkyl derivatives of all three kinds are pyrophoric (burn spontaneously on exposure to air) and react with water to generate the corresponding alkane (RH); however, the zinc compounds are distinctly less reactive in other respects.