Spontaneous Combustibles

The principal disadvantage of absorption bleaching is the problem of disposal of spent bleaching clay. Oil absorbed on the clay is exposed to air and is generally too oxidized to recover. Furthermore, spontaneous combustion of the oil-laden clay is a possibiUty in a landfill. Incineration of the spent clay along with sohd municipal waste to recover otherwise wasted energy is an attractive possibiUty. 

Hydrogen peroxide concentrations of 35% and above may, and 50% and above do, cause spontaneous combustion of dry grasses, wood, and leaves. Spills of concentrated hydrogen peroxide should be diluted with excess amounts of water immediately. Practically all soHd combustible materials contain sufficient quantities of catalytic impurities to rapidly decompose hydrogen peroxide, especially at 70% concentration and above. 

According to the National Board of Fire Underwriters, activated carbons normally used for water treatment pose no dust explosion ha2ard and are not subject to spontaneous combustion when confined to bags, dmms, or storage bins (64). However, activated carbon bums when sufficient heat is appbed the ignition point varies between about 300 and 600°C (65). 

Like many other combustible Hquids, self-heating of ethyleneamines may occur by slow oxidation in absorbent or high-surface-area media, eg, dumped filter cake, thermal insulation, spill absorbents, and metal wine mesh (such as that used in vapor mist eliminators). In some cases, this may lead to spontaneous combustion either smoldering or a flame may be observed. These media should be washed with water to remove the ethyleneamines, or thoroughly wet prior to disposal in accordance with local and Eederal regulations. 

Sohd metal soaps, when finely divided, may present an explosion ha2ard and are capable of spontaneous combustion. Inhalation of the dust can cause eye and/or respiratory irritation, so they require adequate ventilation. 

Spontaneous combustion of pyrophoric material in the filter after opening or blowing dry. 

Regeneration with air can be done with continuous or periodic addition of small amounts of air. Both must be done carefully because of exothermic reaction. Regeneration is never complete, so the beds must be eventually changed out. This must be done carefully because of the pyrophoric (spontaneously combustible) nature of the iron sulfide. The entire bed is wetted first. 

PYROPHORIC SUBSTANCE A material that undergoes such vigorous oxidation or hydrolysis (often with evolution of highly-flammable gases) when exposed to atmospheric oxygen or to water, that it rapidly ignites without an external source of ignition. This is a special case of spontaneous combustion. 

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION Coiubustion that results when materials undergo atmospheric oxidation... 

Liquids and solids do not burn as such, but on exposure to heat vaporize or undergo thermal degradation to liberate flammable gases and vapours which burn. Some chemicals undergo spontaneous combustion (see page 214). 

Certain materials which are generally considered to be stable at ordinary temperatures can inflame even in tlie absence of normal ignition sources. Such spontaneous combustion results from exotliermic autoxidation when the heat liberated exceeds that dissipated by the system. Materials prone to self-heating are listed in Table 6.7. In most cases, such fires involve relatively large, enclosed or thermally-insulated masses, and spontaneous combustion usually occurs after prolonged storage. 

Are unstable reactions and side reactions possible, e.g. spontaneous combustion or polymerization ... 

Collection of combustible waste in appropriate containers (e.g. oily rags/other material subject to spontaneous combustion)... 

A substance which in contact with water is liable to become spontaneously combustible or to give off a flammable gas. 

HS(Gjl31 Energetic and spontaneously combustible substances identification and safe handling... 

The fuels consumed in the fire were treated wood, penta, and creosote (coal tars). Both are considered combustible liquids, with flash points above 160° F (CC). Vapor conditions within the headspaces of tanks can, however, reach explosive conditions, and the introduction of an ignition source resulted in spontaneous combustion. Under ideal conditions, creosote burns similar to crude oil, and in standard lab burn tests, has an average burn rate of 4 mm/min. There is no data on the burn rate of penta however, its vapors would have likely burned at much slower rates and a series of complex chemical transformations would have occurred. 

Flammable solids Spontaneously combustible materials and Materials that are dangerous when wet... 

Flammable Limits in Air - This is a concentration expressed as percent by volume of the chemical in air, whereby spontaneous combustion will be supported. The lowest concentration where combustion will be supported is known as the lower flammability limit (LFL) or lower explosion limit (LEL). LEL and LFL are considered interchangeable. The upper concentration limit is the UFL (Upper Flammability Limit) or UEL (Upper Explosion Limit). 

Spontaneous combustion Any combustion that takes place without a source of ignition due to the nature of the material and its packing arrangements. 

It was not nndl the 1950s that detonation flame arresters made of crimped metal ribbon elements were developed and began to be used more freqnendy (Binks 1999). The major impetus for die use of crimped metal ribbon detonation flame arresters in the US was the enactment of clean air legislation (Clean Air Act of 1990) which inadvertently created a safety problem by requiring reductions in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. To do this, manifolded vent systems (vapor collection systems) were increasingly installed in many chemical process industry plants which captured VOC vapors and transported them to suitable recovery, recycle, or destruction systems. This emission control requirement has led to the introdnction of ignition risks, for example, from a flare or via spontaneous combustion of an activated carbon adsorber bed. Multiple... 

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