Click here to make tpub.com your Home Page

Page Title: Spontaneous Heating/Ignition of Organic Materials
Back | Up | Next

Click here for thousands of PDF manuals

Google


Web
www.tpub.com

Home

   
Information Categories
.... Administration
Advancement
Aerographer
Automotive
Aviation
Construction
Diving
Draftsman
Engineering
Electronics
Food and Cooking
Logistics
Math
Medical
Music
Nuclear Fundamentals
Photography
Religion
   
   

 



SPONTANEOUS HEATING/IGNITION
OF HYDROCARBONS AND ORGANICS
DOE-HDBK-1081-94
Spontaneous Heating and Pyrophoricity
out over a larger surface area, allowing more contact with oxygen. Therefore, porous
combustible materials are more likely to ignite than tightly packed solid materials.
These principles are illustrated in Figure 2. Although coal is used as the example in Figure
2, the principles depicted apply to all materials which are known to heat spontaneously
(including pyrophoric liquids, gases, metals, and other solids).
It is important to keep potentially spontaneously heating compounds as dry as possible. High
ambient temperatures compound moisture problems. As the ambient temperature rises, the
rate of spontaneous heat generation will also rise. High ambient temperatures also reduce the
rate of heat removal, bringing the hydrocarbon closer to its ignition temperature.
With these facts in mind, the following housekeeping steps will help minimize the threat of
spontaneous heating and ignition of hydrocarbon or organic compounds:
Keep potentially spontaneously heating materials in a cool environment. The heat
transfer resulting from a cooler atmosphere or circulating air will lower the
temperature of the materials.
Know all of the chemicals and their potential self-heating hazards and their ignition
temperatures. Consult the chemical manufacturer's MSDSs.
Reduce the amount of fibrous materials used with combustible liquid hydrocarbons.
Fibers allow liquid hydrocarbons to increase in specific areas, thereby increasing the
likelihood of self-heating.
Keep combustible materials away from existing spontaneous heating hazards. Many
fires have been started as the result of a self-heating material coming in contact with a
combustible with a low ignition temperature. This practice is also important from a
fire loss minimization aspect.
Keep appropriate fire extinguishing equipment near potential areas of ignition. Type
A extinguishing agents are appropriate for most nonhazardous, combustible materials
(rags, wood, textiles), whereas a Type B agent is necessary in the presence of
quantities of combustible liquids. Extinguishing agents for metal fires are discussed in
a later section.
Spontaneous Heating/Ignition of Organic Materials
Spontaneous combustion may occur in piles of moist organic material where heat is
generated in the early stages by the respiration of bacteria, molds, and microorganisms. A
high moisture content is required for vigorous activity, and heating is generally controlled by
maintaining the moisture content below a predetermined level. This type of heating can only
Pyrophoricity
Page 8
Rev. 0


Privacy Statement - Press Release - Copyright Information. - Contact Us

Integrated Publishing, Inc. - A (SDVOSB) Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business