Napalm is an incendiary weapon, a mixture of a flammable petroleum product and a thickening agent, designed to create a sticky, burning gel. Developed for military use, it has been deployed in warfare since the 1940s, primarily in bombs and flamethrowers. The danger of napalm lies in its combination of chemical, thermal, and systemic properties, making it a destructive conventional weapon.
The Chemical Basis for Adherence and Difficulty of Removal
The gelatinous texture of napalm is achieved through chemical engineering. Traditional napalm, a portmanteau of naphthenic and palmitic acids, used aluminum soaps as the primary gelling agent. When mixed with liquid fuel, such as gasoline, this agent causes the fuel to polymerize into a viscous, jelly-like substance. This transformation increases the fuel’s viscosity dramatically, preventing it from splashing or running off surfaces.
The resulting thick gel possesses a high level of adhesion, allowing it to stick tenaciously to clothing, skin, structures, and vertical surfaces. A later formulation, Napalm-B, substituted the aluminum soap mixture with polystyrene and hydrocarbon solvents, enhancing the material’s stickiness. This property ensures that once the burning material makes contact, it cannot be easily removed. Attempts to wipe away the burning gel often spread the fire and the damage across a larger area of the body.
Intense Heat and Prolonged Burning Properties
The chemical thickening agent also alters the way the fuel combusts, creating a thermal hazard. Unlike raw liquid fuels, which burn quickly and disperse, the gel holds the fuel in place for an extended period. This prolonged burn time ensures the heat is applied to the target over a longer duration. The material burns slowly and consistently, maximizing thermal transfer into the object or person it adheres to.
Napalm combustion temperatures typically range between 800°C and 1,200°C (1,470°F to 2,190°F). This intense and sustained heat output rapidly causes deep, full-thickness burns that penetrate through the skin, fat, and muscle. This thermal injury can reach the bone, a level of damage often classified as fourth-degree burns. The gel’s composition makes the fire difficult to extinguish with water, which is often ineffective and can spread the burning material.
Systemic Dangers Beyond Direct Contact
Mass combustion of the material rapidly creates two systemic hazards: oxygen depletion and toxic gas production. When large quantities of napalm ignite, the fire consumes available oxygen at a rapid rate, especially within enclosed spaces like bunkers or tunnels. This quick consumption of oxygen can lead to rapid asphyxiation and death for people sheltering in the area.
The incomplete combustion of the fuel and gelling agents releases dense, acrid smoke containing high concentrations of toxic gases. The most concerning byproduct is carbon monoxide, which prevents the blood from carrying oxygen throughout the body. Concentrations of carbon monoxide near a napalm strike can cause severe respiratory damage, poisoning, and death through inhalation. Modern formulations containing polystyrene also release toxic compounds like styrene upon combustion.