Documentation:Standard Operating Procedures for Bunsen Burners

1. Please obtain proper training from the FNH education and research technician Imelda Cheung (Imelda.Cheung@ubc.ca) prior to using the Bunsen Burners.
2. Examine the burner and establish the identity of the gas and air controls. Close both of these so that no air or gas will be admitted to the burner.
3. Connect the burner to the gas supply tap on the bench by means of a length of rubber tubing. Turn on the gas tap fully.
4. To light the burner, squeeze the sparker (or a butane lighter) a little to one side and just above the top of the barrel. Slowly open the gas adjustment knob (needle valve) until a flame appears. Adjust the gas supply until a flame about 6 inches high is obtained. Note the colour and instability of the flame.
5. Admit air to the burner by rotating the barrel. Note the change in appearance of the flame. A blue cone should be visible inside the main part of the flame. As the flow of air is increased the burner will begin to roar. The hottest part of a Bunsen burner flame is about three-quarters of an inch above the inner blue cone.
6. Adjust the burner to give a flame approximately 2 inches high.
7. Adjust the burner to give the hottest possible flame.
8. Perform your work as need.
9. Turn off the burner by closing the gas supply tap on the bench.

NOTE:

• The gas flow rate to the burner is always controlled by the gas adjustment knob.  Using the gas supply tap to control the gas flow is poor technique since this adjustment is quite insensitive.

• The yellow flame obtained when no air was admitted to the burner is never used in a laboratory. This type of flame is not very hot, is unstable in air currents (waves around) and deposits soot on anything it touches.