Aluminium dust/fines are a hazard that our industry deals with on a daily basis. Here is a recent story of an aluminium fine explosion.
At least two people were injured during the week of April 1, 2013 in an explosion and fire inside a manufacturing plant.
Local fire department chief said firefighters responded at 11:00 AM to a report of an explosion and arrived to find smoke pouring from the rear of the building.
Authorities were working to determine what caused the explosion, but preliminary indications are it was a combination of a piece of machinery and shaving from a metal fabricating process.
A employee who asked not to be named said it appeared aluminium dust in the company's grinding room may have ignited to trigger the explosion. He said he heard a loud noise and saw a lot of flames.
The fire chief said one employee was transferred to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. A second employee was treated at the scene.
Witnesses also saw a firefighter being placed in an ambulance.
The fire was brought under control relatively quickly, fire chief said. But firefighters worked inside the building for several hours dealing with "hot spots."
There are many resources for controlling aluminium fine from generating an explosion. The Aluminium Association has some great information (can be found here), as well as Occupational Safety & Health and Administration (can be found here).
Please comment.
8 comments:
It is always good to be reminded of the hazards. Many years ago a secondary refiner in UK was destroyed and several people killed by a massive explosion. Detailed analysis revealed that a small explosion had occurred from a metal spill and the small explosion brought down from the roof and rafters a shower of carbonaceous dust and aluminium fines that had accumulated over years. That then caused an immediate second and massive explosion. Good housekeeping pays dividends, even in the high-up areas and on rafters. And in Australia in the 1970s a massive explosion at a secondary plant destroyed the plant and killed about ten people. Here an employee had bought a sack of sodium nitrate into the remelt from the stores, thinking that it was sodium chloride for the flux. Don't store dangerous chemicals alongside those that are commonly used, especially when the packaging looks similar.
Actually fines of aluminium have pyrotechnic properties which causes accidents. Most common are cases of short circuiting.
Thank you for your comments. Another cause of aluminium fine ignition is molten metal explosions. Just recently (Sunday) a molten metal explosion resulted in a fire (fines contributed to the ferocity of the fire) resulting in the facility being severely damaged. That plant had an evacuation plan that was successful in removing 40 workers from the factory. No injuries were reported. The APSB will have a post about that incident shortly.
Yeh. I think it must be an atomized aluminium powder manufacturing plant, where such molten metal explosions can occur.
working with aluminum fines must be in zone zero
Metal dusts become extremely reactive as they decrease in particle size. They are consumed in a basic oxidation-reduction reaction. The smaller the particle the faster the reaction. Larger particle have a different surface area to mass ratio and the reaction just won't go. The concept follows the basic fire triangle. In this case, fuel from the aluminum dust, oxygen from the air. When the percentages of mix is right, all you need is an ignition source. Generally speaking, a static discharge is a good bet, but difficult to prove after the damage has been done and small particle sized metals should be handled with extreme caution.
That has brought to attention a very significant point, which is commonly neglected- good housekeeping even in high areas like roof and scaffoldings etc. We have found that a periodic blowing away in these areas which are difficult to access - once a week or so, has given rich dividends. Sharing experiences and solutions on this platform will be helpful to the industry.
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