I have a wick-style alcohol burner. Would an alcohol flame work as well as a candle or is there a temperature difference in an alcohol flame that would make it work not as well? Thanks
An answer to your question will depend on the type of alcohol, and the percentage of water in the alcohol. I recall (vaguely and perhaps incorrectly) from chem class that flame temperature increases from methanol to ethanol to propanol. I also recall that 70% alcohol will burn with a lower temperature than 95% or 100% alcohol.
From the G. Gordon Liddy era, I remember that the flame temperature of a candle is about 1000°C. Google finds alcohol flame temperatures to be about 1700-1900°C (dpending on type and purity).
In annealing a brass case, the hotter alcohol flame may or may not heat the neck too much before the middle of the case becomes too hot to hold with bare fingertips. The candle flame temperature is such that heat is transmitted down the length of the case before the neck is heat damaged.
--Bob
