TABLE OF CONTENTS Pine, S. H., Chem. Health & Safety, 1994, 1(2), 10.
Yoshida, T., Safety of Reactive Chemicals, Chapt 9, Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1987
Yoshida, T. et al., Safety of Reactive Chemicals and Pyrotechnics, p44, Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1995
Discussions, based on experience, of the measures needed to protect laboratories and equipment in earthquake zones.
Earthquakes provide the ultimate test of the storage of incompatible chemicals and are sometimes followed by fires in chemical stores. Very few causes of ignition are found: alkali metals; halogen oxysalts in conjunction with strong acids; and sulphuric or nitric acid and cellulose (wood flooring). These usually then ignite vapours of flammable solvents.
See STORAGE OF CHEMICALS
Kabanov, A. A. et al., Russ. Chem. Rev., 1975, 44, 538 551
Application of electric fields to various explosive heavy metal derivatives (silver oxalate, barium, copper, lead, silver or thallium azides, or silver acetylide) accelerates the rate of thermal decomposition. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
Mason, J. P., personal communication, 1999
Electrolysis is a means of putting energy into a chemical system. That energy may be stored in the system, to emerge spontaneously later. Apparently innocuous systems can thereby become extremely hazardous. The obvious example is the cleavage of water to produce an explosive mix of hydrogen and oxygen. There are more subtle risks: the performance of an electrode design was being tested over several weeks in a solution of ammonium chloride, topped up daily with ammonia. After about three weeks, the...
