May 24, 2011

Blast in storage of raw materials for explosives

Times of India has reported a blast in a stores containing raw material for manufacturing explosives, in Nagpur. The reason is being investigated.. According to the article, "The blast that obliterated at AMA Industries' store in Bazargaon on Thursday morning and caused a tremor in the city, also left those in this business confused. The structure housed raw materials for making commercial explosives and did not have finished products. Experts say the thumb rule is raw materials usually would not explode unless bound into a single explosive even in case of a fire. They can burn resulting in a massive fire but not cause a blast, said industry players on condition of anonymity. "Various chemicals like ammonium nitrate, aluminium powder, sulphur when mixed in specific proportions make an explosive. However, all such chemicals stored at different places even in a single premises do not explode under normal fire. A safe distance has to be maintained for storing each of them," said an explosive maker. Aluminium powder is known to catch fire if water is sprayed on it but still a blast is not heard of, he added".
Read the article in this link 
Read another article on the effect of the blast wave in this link. 

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