Saw this on the FIAT list. Thought it was good reading that applied to all
of us - no matter what you drive and work on. The original person that
posted this claimed they got it from a Kennedy Space center safety report.
Can any of you verify this is a real danger or another INTERNET hoax?
Subject: Aluminum dust explosive danger
Im sending you the following details of an incident that has happened to me
while using a 1 belt grinder. I feel it might be applicable for publication
in the newsletter as a warning for others. Although I was using a commercial
model (Delta model 31- 050) I feel it is just as applicable to any type
grinder, commercial or home made.
On 25 January, I was using the grinder to smooth the edge of a hacksaw cut on
a 2 length of 1.5 angle iron. I had been grinding for about 1.5 to 2
minutes when there was a loud THUMP accompanied by an approximately 2-foot
diameter brilliant yellow- orange fireball. The fireball lasted no more than
= second and then completely extinguished itself. It completely enveloped the
machine and my hands to half way up my fore arms and to the top of my
stomach.
As soon as it went out it was obvious that I had suffered some serious burns
to my hands. Besides large white areas on the heel of each thumb and the palm
of my left hand, the skin was hanging from the heel of both hands, from my
little finger to my wrist, and from the finger joint of my left hand. Also
the right cuff of my shirt was smoldering, my face felt burning, and I could
hear the front of my hair sizzling. Nothing on the bench was burning. The
only evidence was a few streaks of white powder on the bench top and on a few
items lying on the bench. The workshop was filled with dense white smoke with
very little odor. My fingers and the ends of my thumbs escaped relatively
unscathed as they were resting on the machines table and were protected from
the heat flash by it.
Besides the burns to my hands, my neck, chin, cheeks, lips and the end of my
nose suffered first-degree burns and have recovered after peeling as if a bad
sunburn. I was wearing glasses and these protected my eyes, which appear to
not have been damaged. I also lost half my moustache, B> of my eyebrows, and
about 1 off the front of my hair. My eyelashes were curled by the heat but
not singed .The burns to my face were caused solely by radiant heat, as the
fireball did not come that high.
Initially I could not understand how I could have suffered such severe burns
from such a brief exposure to the heat. Later that evening after some
thinking and questioning of my son (who also uses my workshop), it became
clear what had happened. A few days earlier he had ground the heads off about
twelve 1/8 aluminum pop rivets. Finely divided aluminum mixed with finely
divided ferrous oxide (the black powder residue from grinding steel) produce
a compound called THERMITE. Thermite is used to fill incendiary bombs and
commercially to weld large steel items (e.g. railway rails) into continuous
lengths. It burns at approximately 3500 deg. C (6300 deg. F), hence the
extensive burns from such a short exposure time. The end result was,
excluding my fingers; I suffered deep second-degree burns to about 60% of my
left hand and 50% of my right hand.
Interestingly there is no warning of this possible occurrence in the safety
section of the manufacturers owners manual. As a result I have sent a copy
of the contents of this letter complete with pictures of my hands to Delta
Machinery. Their reply should be interesting! In light of my experience I
feel there should be a very STRONG warning passed on to the readership as to
the dangers posed by grinding steel after having ground aluminum, unless the
machine is thoroughly cleaned of all aluminum dust. The potential is
certainly there for even more serious injury. Due to the potential
seriousness of this incident I have also sent a copy of this letters
contents to the editors of ME, MEW and ElM in order to maximize the
dissemination of this information
Chris in Mid-TN
ICQ# 5944649
1978 Volkswagen Westfalia (almost done, Rolls-Hardly Engine)
1965 VW Beetle with a Type IV power (perpetual project)
1949 Chevy 3100 p/u (daily driver)
1999 Honda CR-V (wife's ride)
1981 Honda CB900 Custom moto-sickle (other daily driver)
1972 Hodaka Wombat (FOR SALE) (needs new home)
1997 Wife named Holly
2000 model son named Zane
several used felines (2 shiny black, one in primer)
Use the contents of this message at your own risk. Reproduction is allowed
with reference to me, the author -- if and only if you can verify the
information contained within is correct.
If you find that the information is flawed, in poor taste, incorrect,
evidence of mental treatment required, or if the statement/question was
just plain dumb - you don't know me...
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|