Alchemical Light Globes [Gentleman Bastard series]
Just as I stated before, when I read stories, especially those in fantasy (or scifi), I want to know how items in that world work, especially if they’re given significance or are commonplace. In the Gentleman Bastard seires, one item found almost EVERYWHERE in all levels of society is the Alchemical Light Globe. These have replaced candles in almost every scenario and are usable even in places where fire is a hazard.
“Jean glanced over his shoulder and spotted a fist-sized alchemical lantern in a faceted glass hanging off his side of the boat. He fiddled with a brass dial atop the lantern until the vapors inside mingled and sputtered to life, like a sky-blue diamond casting ghosts of the lantern’s facets on the water below.”
The Light Globes are mentioned all over the books, and are used from lighting ball rooms, to acting as light sources in melons jack-o-lantern style. Tiny ones are even used to decorate a cake towards the climax of The Lies of Locke Lamora. They are used where fire would be a massive liability, and seem to be able to work after being dropped. In some cases, when they are shook, they can be activated. Other times - as with the excerpt above, they can be controlled with dials. They are also seen in several different colors, the most common being golden, white, red, and blue. This seems to be achieved either by their cases or by the compound inside. They seem to be reusable, and can shut off and be turned back on.
They don’t seem to get hot at all, which leads me to believe that they are not based off gases and a rudimentary form of electricity. They, in my opinion, would have to be a sort of chemical reaction that could be controlled and produce little heat in the process.
This led me to think about our real world. What do we have in reality that is close to what’s in the books? Glow Sticks were the first thing that came to mind. A glow stick works by the combination of Phenyl Oxalate (Carbolic acid that’s been introduced to an alcohol in a chemical process) and Hydrogen Peroxide. They can generate varying degrees of light, from a faint glow in kids glow bracelets, to super bright emissions from diving/caving/rescue grade glow sticks.
In our world, they work by cracking a glass tube full of hydrogen peroxide in the Phenyl Oxalate compound (typically with a coloring agent added). The chemicals mix and cause a chemical reaction that produces light.
You can, though, replace the hydrogen peroxide with sodium percarbonate; which is essentially a solid form of the hydrogen peroxide.
I have two theories on how these devices work :
1. A rod in the center of the globe is a hollow tube containing hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate. Shaking or rapping on the globe causes a mechanism inside to open, allowing for the release of some of the material stored in the tube, but not all of it. The chemicals have their reaction and cause light, eventually using up the chemical deposited in to the Phenyl Oxalate / carbolic acid and ceasing the production of light. As there’s a much larger amount of the Phenyl Oxalate than what’s deposited in to it by the central tube, it can be reused so long as it doesn’t run out of Phenyl Oxalate.
2. In the event of light globes with dials on them, like the one Jean uses above, the liquid (I know it says vapor above, but I’m unsure of whether that’s possible; containing two vapors in one unit and activating them simply by shaking or turning a knob?) filling the lantern or globe yet again has a rod running through it. But in this case it is a solid rod of Sodium Percarbonate. The dial would be connected to another tube with an opening cut around it. When the dial is on the closed position, the opening sits flush against a piece of what supports the rod of Sodium Percarbonate, keeping any liquid from touching it. As the dial is turned, more of that opening is exposed, allowing more of the rod to be exposed. The more of it that comes in contact with the Phenyl Oxalate, the more intense the light produced. This would allow for control over the brightness by covering or exposing the rod.
Just like my last post on this sorta thing (link here : http://telosrandom.tumblr.com/post/110894631043/alchemical-twist-matches-gentleman-bastard ) it relies on speculation. I’m pretty stupid when it comes to chemistry, so it may not even be possible for things to work like I stated in theory 2. I’m wondering if Scott Lynch ( scottlynch78 ) could speak on the matter, and so yet again I’m tagging him in this post. What do you think of the theories?
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