Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
582021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2009 6 Pages PDF
Abstract
The explosion characteristics of chlorine dioxide gas have been studied for the first time in a cylindrical exploder with a shell capacity of 20 L. The experimental results have indicated that the lower concentration limit for the explosive decomposition of chlorine dioxide gas is 9.5% ([ClO2]/[air]), whereas there is no corresponding upper concentration limit. Under the experimental conditions, and within the explosion limits, the pressure of explosion increases with increasing concentration of chlorine dioxide gas; the maximum pressure of explosion relative to the initial pressure was measured as 0.024 MPa at 10% ClO2 and 0.641 MPa at 90% ClO2. The induction time (the time from the moment of sparking to explosion) has also been found to depend on the concentration of chlorine dioxide gas; thus, at 10% ClO2 the induction time was 2195 ms, but at 90% ClO2 the induction time was just 8 ms. The explosion reaction mechanism of ClO2 is of a degenerate chain-branching type involving the formation of a stable intermediate (Cl2O3), from which the chain-branching occurs. Chain initiation takes place at the point of ignition and termination takes place at the inner walls of the exploder.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemical Engineering Chemical Health and Safety
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