How to Make Game of Thrones Wildfire

How to Make Game of Thrones Wildfire Wildfire is the fictional green green substance used in  George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy world to immolate foes when dragon fire isnt handy and swords just arent enough. According to the HBO Game of Thrones series, the liquid burns in the presence of urine and burns so hot it melts  wood,  stone... even  steel... and, of course, flesh! Oh, and it burns with an emerald green flame. In the television series and Martins A Song of Ice and Fire novel, the secret of wildfire was pyromancer magic, but we all know the best magic is simply science that isnt well-understood, right? Martins fictional goo resembles modern napalm (except for the green color) and Greek fire, a real-life weapon used during the Byzantine era (also, probably not green). Make (a Safer) Wildfire This wildfire recipe wont be of much use if you want to melt stone, but it makes nice ambiance lighting when youre reading Martins books or need to find your way back to the kitchen for a snack during Game of Thrones. You end up with a green liquid that burns bright, vivid green. It spreads out nicely, like pyromancer wildfire, but it doesnt burn as long or as a brightly. Wildfire Materials Borax  Green Food ColoringMethanol (Methyl alcohol is available as Heet fuel treatment or as a lab chemical.)Hand Sanitizer Gel (The alcohol-based stuff is what you want. You only need this if youre making the gel.)Heat-safe container.   You can get a similar result using high proof grain alcohol or rubbing alcohol and copper(II) sulfate (usually sold as an algicide) if borax is unavailable. Its not as good as the borax-methanol mixture, though, so dont substitute if you dont have to do so. Lets Make Wildfire Pour a bit of methanol into your container. You dont need a lot. Dont taste it (youll get a headache or go blind if you drink enough) and dont splash around in it (its absorbed through your skin). There are warnings on the label youd do well to read. Oh, and its flammable, but thats kind of the whole point.Stir in a drop of green food coloring. Pretty right?Break up any clumps in your borax and stir a spoonful into the liquid. You dont need an exact measurement. It only takes a small amount to get green flames. If you add too much, youll have white sediment in the bottom of your container.Light your creation and admire the pretty green fire. If you do this indoors, be advised your smoke alarm likely will sound (mine did). Blow out the flames when youre sufficiently amused.Now, if you want to make a gel out of this, you can stir in hand sanitizer until you get the consistency you want. Hand sanitizer is a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol. Because there is ethanol in it, you can mix it in with the methanol without too much trouble. Adding the water also means you have a chance to add powdered copper(II) sulfate, which dissolves in water, but not so well in alcohol. You dont need to add copper sulfate... Im just throwing it out there as an option. Ignite the gel. Still green, but not quite as bright, right?If you want to try again, all you need to do is add more methanol. It is important you only add more fuel after the flames have been extinguished. Use common sense. You can blow out the flames. You can also extinguish the fire with water, but then you wont be able to re-light it. Safety Considerations Yes, this is a real fire. Yes, it can burn you or ignite your hair or clothing if you spill it while its lit, just like any other type of alcohol lamp. Responsible adult supervision is required. Responsible is the keyword. Dont play pyromancer. Wildfire, Greek Fire, and Burning on Water Although it wasnt green, Greek fire or sea fire was a real incendiary weapon used in naval battles from around 672 onward into the 12th century. Its formulation is unknown but may have included ingredients such as pine resin, calcium phosphide, naphtha, niter, quicklime, and sulfur. It was almost certainly a mixture based on bitumen, petroleum, or sulfur. While the mixture floated on water, its unclear whether or not it could actually be ignited by water. An Italian recipe from the 16th century that supposedly burns underwater is made from willow coal, sulfur, wool, camphor, incense, alcohol and some sort of burning salt and pergola. You can try to decipher the Italian text, or just rely on modern chemistry to ignite a green flame with a drop of water.