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. 2016 May:167:218-227.
doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2016.02.010.

Potential Explosion Hazard of Carbonaceous Nanoparticles: Screening of Allotropes

Leonid A Turkevich  1 , Joseph Fernback  1 , Ashok G Dastidar  2 , Paul Osterberg  2
Affiliations

Potential Explosion Hazard of Carbonaceous Nanoparticles: Screening of Allotropes

Leonid A Turkevich et al. Combust Flame. 2016 May.

Abstract

There is a concern that engineered carbon nanoparticles, when manufactured on an industrial scale, will pose an explosion hazard. Explosion testing has been performed on 20 codes of carbonaceous powders. These include several different codes of SWCNTs (single-walled carbon nanotubes), MWCNTs (multi-walled carbon nanotubes) and CNFs (carbon nanofibers), graphene, diamond, fullerene, as well as several different control carbon blacks and graphites. Explosion screening was performed in a 20 L explosion chamber (ASTM E1226 protocol), at a concentration of 500 g/m3, using a 5 kJ ignition source. Time traces of overpressure were recorded. Samples typically exhibited overpressures of 5-7 bar, and deflagration index KSt = V1/3 (dP/dt)max ~ 10 - 80 bar-m/s, which places these materials in European Dust Explosion Class St-1. There is minimal variation between these different materials. The explosive characteristics of these carbonaceous powders are uncorrelated with primary particle size (BET specific surface area).

Keywords: carbon; dust; explosion hazard; nanomaterials; nanoparticle.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Explosion of different SWCNTs in Hartmann tube configuration: a) Unidym; b) Unidym (hexane extracted); c) SWeNT; d) CheapTubes; e) similar explosion of fullerene.
Figure 2
Figure 2
a) Experimental time trace of over-pressure, P − P0, for the explosion of a SWCNT (CheapTubes). b) Double logarithmic plot of time trace a).
Figure 3
Figure 3
TEM micrographs of exploded carbonaceous naomaterials: a)–b) MWCNT; c)–d) SWCNT (CheapTubes); e) SWCNT (SWeNT); f) SWCNT (Unidym HiPCO); g) graphene; h)–i) fullerene; j) 10 nm diamond; k) carbon black (Printex 90); l) carbon black (Sterling V).
Figure 3
Figure 3
TEM micrographs of exploded carbonaceous naomaterials: a)–b) MWCNT; c)–d) SWCNT (CheapTubes); e) SWCNT (SWeNT); f) SWCNT (Unidym HiPCO); g) graphene; h)–i) fullerene; j) 10 nm diamond; k) carbon black (Printex 90); l) carbon black (Sterling V).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Relation of screening explosion parameters to BET specific surface area: a) Pm ; b) K = V1/3 dP/dt|m.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Correlation of the kinetic explosion parameter, K, with the thermodynamic explosion parameter, Pm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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