Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Constantly performing an unsafe act does not...

The WiZard is In - 11-6-2011 at 07:50

eventual make it safe.



2.2.2.1 Explosion of ammonium—sulfate nitrate double salt
fertilizer at Oppau

A disastrous accident occurred at a BASF's plant in Oppau,
Germany, with two explosions at 7:29 and 7:31 am. on
September 21, 1921, resulting in a casualty list of
509 dead, 160 missing, and 1,952 injured.
[And one heck of an impressive hole in the ground.]

The plant and about 70% of the 1,000 nearby houses were
\destroyed by the explosions.

In Heidelberg, about 22km from Oppau, earthquakes
from the two explosions were felt first, and 82seconds
later the blast broke windows and doors and damaged
gas tanks, oil tanks, and cargo boats on the river. The
blast produced damage in Frankfurt 85km away from
the site of the explosion, and the roaring sound and
earthquake reached as far as Bayreuth, 230km distant.

The cause of the accident was the blasting with dynamite
of about 4,500t of a solidified mass of ammonium
sulfate nitrate compound fertilizer (a double salt of
ammonium sulfate and nitrate in a mole ratio of 1:2).
This process had been practiced under supervision
for many years, and about 30,000 blasting procedures
had been experienced without accidents until the
Oppau disaster.

Experiments conducted later indicated great difficulties
in making this double salt explodes. The above case
presents an example of a substance, judged
non-explosive by an ordinary explosion test,
which can explode after a large scale initiation
involving a very large quantity of material.
Furthermore, this provides an example which
suggests that very careful consideration in the
evaluation of hazardous goods is essential.

Tadao Yoshida & et al.
Safety of Reactive Chemicals and Pyrotechnics.
Elsevir, 1995.



----
Experience alone is not always a safe index of sound
practice. In one accident investigated by this Bureau
[US Bureau of Mines], one man was killed and two
women in an adjacent building injured by the detonation
of a sulphur-potassium chlorate composition in the
process of being mixed, although it was stated that
the mixing operation involved had been in that plant
for 20 years without mishap. There is, of course,
the possibility that the raw material used at the time
of the accident may have been different from that
upon which past experience was based.

Thus, if the particular lot of sulphur employed
where acid, abnormal sensitivity of the
chlorate-containing mixture might result.
In any event, safe experience, even for 20 years,
would not justify a practice that exposed the
mix operator and others. Instead, the hazards
should be recognized and isolation and remote
control provided.

US Bureau of Mines
Information Circular I.C. 7340
Irving Kabik
Hazards from Chlorates and Perchlorates in Mixtures
with Reducing Materials.
December 1945


djh
----
Appeasers believe that if you keep
throwing steaks to a tiger, the tiger
will become a vegetarian.

Heywood Broun

LanthanumK - 11-6-2011 at 08:01

Some energetic chemicals are not consistent and, based on the production conditions, have widely varying sensitivity. Non-chemistry example: I heated up several 2B pencil leads to red-hot. I wanted to make a pencil lead electric heater. I turned on the heater and the red-hot pencil lead exploded. Fortunately, none got on me.

The WiZard is In - 11-6-2011 at 11:54

Quote: Originally posted by The WiZard is In  
eventual make it safe.


Constantly performing an unsafe act — reminds me of making
a deal with a demon.

Attachment: Burnt toast.pdf (251kB)
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quicksilver - 11-6-2011 at 12:16

I heard a shortened version of this when I was quite young. The concept of: "For you I shall always be here, night or day" is the re-statement I basically lived with. It's always waiting for you..... The "Devil" may not necessarily be in the details.

One either understands that or not. The "surprise" of finding out the truth can be anti-climatic when the money, soul (or fingers or eyesight) are gone.


Good story.

[Edited on 11-6-2011 by quicksilver]

The WiZard is In - 11-6-2011 at 12:34

Quote: Originally posted by quicksilver  
I heard a shortened version of this when I was quite young. The concept of: "For you I shall always be here, night or day" is the re-statement I basically lived with. It's always waiting for you..... The "Devil" may not necessarily be in the details.

One either understands that or not. The "surprise" of finding out the truth can be anti-climatic when the money, soul (or fingers or eyesight) are gone.

Good story.


I operate under the theory that War is a young mans game.
When you are 18.... you think you are going to live forever.
As you get on in la years and more and more those you knew in your
youth get potted (As my Shanty Irish grandmother said -
If you don't bury me for the love — you'll bury me for
the stink.) it comes upon your mind that you have a personal
best if used by date.


djh
----
Todays philosophy lesson. Albeit mine, you can borrow it.
This is probale the (one) reason I don't get invited to many parties!

I have sometimes been asked: What would you
do told you have only a year to live?

What a silly question! Presumable you have
been informed by your physician that an
affliction not treatable by medicine or surgery
has found you out. This does NOT mean
you can go home, count off 365 days on your
calendar and mark the date when
Archangel Gabriel will escort you to the
Pearly Gates! A “years time” is only an
administrative convenience. Your time
on earth may be longer or shorter! But then —
You don’t have a year to live. You have a
year to die. Up to that very moment you
were too die — living. Now you are to
live — dying. I assure you they are not the
same. Mobility reduced, facilities declining,
mind and body separating, increasingly in
pain, life is slowly reduced to — living.
The body that once pleasured the mind, now
burdens it. Unstoppable your malady will
in time cause sufficient disruption of your
physiology until your suffering is ended by
an not unwelcome death.




quicksilver - 12-6-2011 at 05:32

There was a time, perhaps my late forties or early fifties that I really, deeply understood that I was far from a young man and that those days were gone for good. Yet as I made my peace with that I also began to be rather thankful that I would not have to experience learning many of those "life lessons" over (if I did not choose to & used my head).
Appreciating what I have control over and what is beyond my control has been a continual life-lesson for me however. I think it was Abraham Lincoln who once said that "most folks are as happy as they make their mind up to be".

franklyn - 13-6-2011 at 06:50

- Life is an interminable irony without reprieve, a relentless monotonous languor as we hurtle toward oblivion and inexorable finality.
- me thinks, me said

Alright , now can we get on with the phuqing explosives already !

.

bbartlog - 13-6-2011 at 13:44

Constantly performing an unsafe act without consequence may, however, cause us to revise our estimate of the danger downward (in accordance with good old Bayes)...

The WiZard is In - 13-6-2011 at 15:36

Quote: Originally posted by bbartlog  
Constantly performing an unsafe act without consequence may, however, cause us to revise our estimate of the danger downward (in accordance with good old Bayes)...


Fielders choice — gives me the right to assume
that you didn't mean Bayes [Theorem] but mistype'd
Days. So the Analogue Guy would mention
a book.

The Good Old Days - They Were Terrible
http://tinyurl.com/3jqgwak



djh
----
Today's chemical trivia —
What is the only only pure
element possessing a
solid-solid critical point?

quicksilver - 14-6-2011 at 05:14

High energy experiments generally equals danger. Ask anyone who designs his 1st Tesla Coil or high watt laser.