Why Does A Lighter Never Explode?

[sanctus]

I was just wondering why a normal lighter never explodes? I mean wy the flame never goes inside causing an explosion? Is it just because no oxygene can go in since the gas takes up all the space coming out and so no oxygen inside->no combustion?

[Qfwfq]

Is it just because no oxygene can go in since the gas takes up all the space coming out and so no oxygen inside->no combustion?

This is the ultimate guarantee. Also a well designed burner is such that the flame front can't propagate back through to where the fuel is mixing with the air, else the flame wouldn't be stable.

[CraigD]

I was just wondering why a normal lighter never explodes?

There’s some evidence, mostly or all anecdotal, that butane lighters can, and, rarely, do, explode. The comments section of this Mythbusters webpage has a pretty good collection of anecdotes about such explosion, but not much consideration of how it could be possible.

 

As best I can tell, there are a few reasonable explanations of how a butane lighter can have an internal explosion (as opposed simply to providing gas for an external explosion, such as when the valve of one is accidentally or intentionally jammed open in a closed container, and after a while, a ignition source such introduced or reached by the gas):

1. No internal oxygen or ignition source, high outside temperature caused the vapor pressure inside the lighter vessel to rupture it, or one of its valves. A flameless explosion, though the escaped vapor and vapor from spilled fluid can fuel an external fire or explosion.
   
2. Like #1, but the vessel is broken by external force, such as a sharp blow or crushing.
   
3. Internal oxygen and ignition source. Low pressure in the vessel – when the fluid is nearly exhausted – allows oxygen-containing outside air into the vessel. Perhaps a static electric spark ignites it, or perhaps, if the lighter were used, the external flame might be blown backward into the vessel. Because a ligher contains less than about 0.01 g of gas, however, such an explosion would be pretty small, on the order of 100 J total energy. I’m not sure this is enough to rupture the vessel.
   

Anecdotal accounts and the Mythbusters experiments suggest #1 and 2. I’ve seen nothing that suggests #3, other than anecdotal insistences that the vessel appeared to have been exploded from within, of which I’m dubious.