Spontaneously igniting in air, especially when in a finely divided state.
Used in a Sentence
pyrophoric
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for pyrophoric.
Editorial note
They're pyrophoric, which means they burn on contact with oxygen or any other oxidiser.
Examples16
Definitions3
Parts of speech1
Quick take
Spontaneously igniting in air, especially when in a finely divided state.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of pyrophoric gathered in one view.
Producing sparks, especially by friction.
(fire investigation) Able to oxidize with exposure to atmospheric oxygen at normal temperatures.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for pyrophoric.
adjective
Spontaneously igniting in air, especially when in a finely divided state.
adjective
Producing sparks, especially by friction.
adjective
(fire investigation) Able to oxidize with exposure to atmospheric oxygen at normal temperatures.
Example sentences
They're pyrophoric, which means they burn on contact with oxygen or any other oxidiser.
If it wasn't radioactive, poisonous and pyrophoric people would probably all just leap into the Neptunium market.
To start the engines in the SR71, they used the very pyrophoric triethylborane (spontaneously combusts at -20C).
Unaware that red phosphorus is pyrophoric, David had been pounding it with a screwdriver and ignited it.
Many of the chemicals are made domestically as shipping large quantities of pyrophoric chemicals like silane over oceans is challenging.
Plus the heightened fire risk because of the pyrophoric nature of pine and eucalyptus trees.
The 30-MWth Toshiba 4S reactor might generate 115 m3/GWth-y of contaminated pyrophoric sodium coolant in need of treatment, conditioning, and disposal.
DU dust is pyrophoric: it will spontaneously catch on fire at room temperature.
It is pyrophoric—can ignite spontaneously in contact with air, when even slightly impure.
I think this involves the projectile's leading parts ablating away into burning pyrophoric dust as they interact with the target.
Fun fact the SR71 was capable of in air refueling but it still required pyrophoric triethylborane to start afterburners which couldn't be resupplied in air.
Why, do they use pyrophoric electrolytes like Li-ion or something?
Quote examples
> “Pyrophoric carbon,” formed when wood slowly chars, absorbs and combines rapidly with oxygen.
Uranium metal and uranium dioxide are listed as pyrophoric when in "fine powder form" "Indeed, according to one author, normally stable UO2 may be pyrophoric or oxidize rapidly even at room temperatures when in very fine powder form (specific surface area >10 sq.m/g).
We had what looked honest to god like an 8lb propane tank of the stuff ("cyanide and cyanide accessories" lol), with an air-free delivery siphon, typical for air-free, pyrophoric, and toxic reagents.
"Mg recovery in the outlet products was identified as one of the most critical process challenges because of the pyrophoric property of the produced nanopowder and its strong oxidation reactivity with air." Seems like it would be easier to accomplish in batch processing where you could cool to a point where you were under the activation energy of the magnesium reaction with air.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use pyrophoric in a sentence?
They're pyrophoric, which means they burn on contact with oxygen or any other oxidiser.
What does pyrophoric mean?
Spontaneously igniting in air, especially when in a finely divided state.
What part of speech is pyrophoric?
pyrophoric is commonly used as adjective.