In 1833, M. Braconet, of Paris, made the discovery that starch, sawdust and cotton wool, when treated with concentrated nitric acid, became very inflammable, taking fire at a temperature of 356 Fah., ...

If you were to walk into the bedding aisle, close your eyes, and pick something out, there's a good chance it would be made of cotton — that's how common cotton bedsheets are. But whether your ...