Introduction - hdbk10810013

Spontaneous Heating and Pyrophoricity

DOE-HDBK-1081-94

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Primer is to provide operations and maintenance personnel with the

information necessary to identify and prevent potential spontaneous combustion hazards.

Throughout the history of industry and the DOE Complex, fires caused by spontaneously

heating and pyrophoric materials have occurred, sometimes causing personal injury and

significant damage to facilities. By its very nature, spontaneous heating and pyrophoricity

are among the most insidious types of fire hazards. Many times there is no outward

evidence of the potential for fires caused by these phenomena. An understanding of the

principles of spontaneous heating and pyrophoricity is necessary for instituting fire

prevention measures.

Upon completion of this Primer, the reader should be able to do the following:

Identify the three required elements of the Fire Triangle necessary to support

combustion

Define the following terms: combustion, oxidation, spontaneous heating,

pyrophoricity, hypergolic, and specific area

Describe the effects that atmospheric oxygen, moisture, heat transfer, and specific

area have on spontaneous heating and ignition

Identify five metals and three gases known to be pyrophoric

Identify acceptable methods of long-term storage of spontaneously heating and

pyrophoric materials

Identify measures for preventing fires caused by spontaneous heating and

pyrophoricity

Identify references for obtaining further information on oxidizers, pyrophoric

materials, hypergolic substances, and fire extinguishing agents

Identify proper extinguishing agents for various spontaneously igniting materials

Describe the importance of good housekeeping in limiting fire damage

Some materials ignite instantly when exposed to air or other oxidizing atmosphere. Other

materials such as coal may take weeks to ignite. This difference in time until ignition is the

difference between pyrophoricity and spontaneous heating and will be explained in detail

later in the text.

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Pyrophoricity