I am trying to describe the exploration of an hypothetical planet with a hydrocarbon rich atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure is around 1 bar, temperature around 10-20 Celsius, the main component of the atmosphere is methane, around 80%, the rest being water, CO2 and other gases.
I am trying to see if it is possible for the exploration party to use fire, at least for producing light and preparing food.
A quite obvious solution is to have them use a canister of oxygen attached to a burner like we have in Earthly methane kitchen, where oxygen and methane get mixed and then burned.
I want to see if there is any way to have something a bit more "wild" looking, like a bonfire.
Is it plausible to have a substance which:
- is solid
- decomposes with heat
- while decomposing releases oxygen
- bonus point if it is something which can occur naturally, given the right conditions
I am not concerned about the color of the flame: a bit of sodium can be added to make the flame more suited for producing visible light if needed.