https://e-reports-ext.llnl.gov/pdf/243962.pdf
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [AR] Re: PEPCON AP explosion report
From: Henry Vanderbilt <hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, July 20, 2015 9:24 am
To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
IIRC it's not clear what started the fire at PEPCON, but it is clear
that the AP detonations didn't start taking place until after the stored
material had been heated by the fire. In terms of practical safety, I'd
look to see whether the AP is stored within significant radiant or
conductive heating distance of substantial amounts of anything
flammable. If the physical setup is such that a fire could happen that
could then heat the AP drums, yeah, that would strike me as needing
fixing, urgently.
Henry
On 7/20/2015 9:08 AM, James Padfield wrote:
Thank you, that is indeed interesting.
I may as well tell you what I'm specifically interested in, as some on
this list may know the information I am looking for, or know where to
find it.
I have just discovered that there are 5 x 200kg drums of AP being stored
across from my office. I am aware that AP's propensity to detonation is
dependent on the particle size, but can find no definitive information
on the interweb. For example, I was looking to buy a sample of AP from
Sigma Aldrich as a standard for analysis, and noticed that according to
the MSDS it is listed as H201 Mass Explosion Hazard (or R3 Extreme Risk
of Explosion in the old R phrases) (see link below). Sigma Aldrich give
their AP particle size as > 45 micron.
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/fluka/09910?lang=it®ion=IT
Other information I can find seems to say that different states in the
US classify it differently, the US Army classifies it as 1.1 at < 15 um,
etc etc...
Wikipedia says that the AP involved in the PEPCON explosion was
nominally 200 micron, so fairly coarse, in fact comparable to the drums
in the store opposite my office. I am trying to confirm that figure for
200 um as I am wary of trusting Wikipedia, hence why I'm trying to find
the official accident reports.
So, anything anyone knows about whether I should be concerned about it
or not would be welcome...
On 20 July 2015 at 17:22, Derek Lyons <fairwater@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:fairwater@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Not the requested report, but interesting none the less;
http://www.triodyne.com/SAFETY~1/SB_V10N3.PDF
