Title:

Blast Chamber for Spontaneous Explosion of Pyrophoric Gases

Hazard Category:

• Safety

Hazard(s):

• Lethal explosion to spontaneous ignition of silane gas.

Problem:

• Silane gas is a pyrophoric gas that is used in nanotechnology research.
• A pyrophoric gas is one that, upon contact with ambient air, will spontaneously ignite at a temperature
  below 130°F.
• Workers could be exposed to a lethal explosion due to spontaneous ignition of silane gas.
  

Risk Description:

Explosions due to spontaneous ignition of pyrophoric gases can be lethal to workers who are not properly protected from the force of the blast. Workers who use pyrophoric gases in nanotechnology research could be at risk of serious injury or death due to fire and from the shock wave caused by an explosion. The blast chamber described here was built at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University.

PtD Strategy

Prevention through Design is the effort by design engineers to make safer workplaces through implementing safety at the project design stage. Workers using pyrophoric gases could be at risk of a severe explosion if the gas were to spontaneously ignite. They need easy gas access to perform their research, but they also need an environment that would protect them from an explosion. The pyrophoric bunker at the Birck Nanotechnology Center creates a safe route for a spontaneous explosion that guides the blast upward and away from the building and occupied areas.

Listed below is a summary of the pyrophoric bunker.

• A separate room, on the outside perimeter of the facility, is used to house pyrophoric gases.
• The gas cylinders being used are remotely controlled and monitored for safety.
• The room is constructed of materials designed to withstand and control an explosion from within.
• The room contains a skylight to direct much of the blast upward. This direction is optimal to reduce risk and damage.
• The wall opposite the gas cabinets is a blast wall designed to give way to an explosion, directing the blast away from the building.
• In a smaller scale explosion only the roof blows out.
• In a larger scale explosion the roof and blast wall both blow out.
  

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