Make a Microscale Spirit Burner

Small disposable bottles – vials can be used for making microscale spirit burner.

Materials
Tabasko vial or any glass vial (Fig. 1) used for pharmaceutical product like 5 mL Heparin vials, piece of toilet paper, glue, scissors, methylated spirit, gypsum stand for the vial.

Procedure

• Open and clean the vial. Remove the label with hot water and if there is a need with ethanol.
• Use a piece of toilet paper to make a wick (according Dr. Peter Schwarz).
• Glue the end of the paper
• Cut the prepared wick to the appropriate length.
• Place a vial on a gypsum stand and fill it with methylated spirit.
• Insert the wick in the vial.
• Ignite the microburner.
• Try to extinguish by covering the flame with a test tube.
• Close the microburner with its vial stopper (Fig. 2).

Fi. 1. Vials

Fig. 2. Closed microscale spirit burner