Blowpipe analysis refers to the series of physical and chemical tests made using the flame of a blowpipe. The blowpipe is a metal tube about 25 cm long, tapering from a diameter of about 8 mm to an orifice of about 0.3 mm at the tip. It is usually made of brass and bent at the right angle near the tip so the operator can observe the flame (Berzelius, 1845; Fletcher, 1894). The operator places the tip of the blowpipe in the luminous flame of a Bunsen burner, alcohol lamp, or broad wick candle and blows a jet of air into the flame. This produces an elongated flame (Fig. 1) composed of a low–temperature inner blue cone of unburned gases, a visible flame in which gases are rapidly oxidized (the reducing flame), and an invisible outer zone of high temperature in which no gas combustion takes place (the oxidizing flame) (Butler, 1910).
Blowpipe flame.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Berzelius, J. J., 1845, The Use of the Blowpipe in Chemistry and Mineralogy, J. D. Whitney, trans. Boston: W. Ticknor and Co., 237p.
Butler, G. M., 1910, Pocket Handbook of Blowpipe Analysis. New York: Wiley, 80p.
Clarke, E., Prider, R. T. and Teicher, C. 1946. Elementary Practical Geology. Nedlands: University of Western Australia, 170p.
Davidson, E. H., 1940, Field Tests for Minerals, 2nd ed. London: Butler & Tanner, 60p.
Elderhorst, W., 1874, in Nason, H. B. and Chandler, C. F. eds., Manual of Qualitative Blow-Pipe Analysis and Determinative Mineralogy, 6th ed. New York: Zell, 312p.
Fletcher, E. F., 1949, Practical Instructions in Quantitative Assaying with the Blowpipe. New York: Wiley, 142p.
Galbraith, F. W., 1963, Chemical tests for the elements, Geotimes 7(8), 35–36; 8(1), 35–36 (AGI Data Sheets 42a and 42b).
Smith, O. C., 1946, Identification and Qualitative Chemical Analysis of Minerals. New York: Van Nostrand, 385p.
Cross-references
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Fisher, I. (1988). Blowpipe analysis . In: General Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-442-22499-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30844-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive