Sharing an i ncident. Anyone want to chip in on recommendations? J< span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans- serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">

 

General lab exhaust through the fume hood. Some equipment exhausted with localized flex duct but not the oven.

Adjacent are as complained of strong alcohol odor.

 

 

"=E2=80=A6.. intent to prepare a batch of fi ne particulate size aluminum oxide via the sol gel process. The components wer e an organometallic (aluminum sec- butoxide), a solvent (2-propanol) and water.& nbsp; 1.5l of 2-propanol was placed in a porcelain-lined steel container. 4.5kg o f aluminum sec-butoxide was added to the solvent while mixing. After these components were thoroughly mixed, 1.1l of water was added resulting in the formation of AlOH particles from the organic precursor.  At this point , the composition was a viscous slurry. In order to reduce the solvent content, t he container was placed on a hot plate inside the fume hood. The composition w as heated (temperature unknown but estimated to be 70-80=C2=B0C) for approxima tely 4 hours.  At the end of this period, most of the solvent had evaporated, leaving a slightly moist "cake=". In order to remove the remaining s olvent, the container was taken to room xxxxx and placed in a convection oven. I partially covered the container with a lid to allow venting and to prevent any swirling debris from contaminating the material. Oven temperature was set a t 130=C2=B0C and the general exhaust in this room was turned on. My intent wa s to let the material dry overnight and I left for the day. When I returned the following day, I checked the oven and it was apparent that there had been a n accident at some point after I left.  I later learned that there had b een a small explosion and fire. I believe the fire was confined to the oven and w as extinguished by covering the container with the lid.  The oven door wa s bent when it swung open and contacted the control enclosure but no other damage is apparent. In the past, I have used these same procedures and equipment to m ake similar compositions without incident=E2=80=A6.="

 

 

Regards,

 

Perry

 

_______________________________
> Perry D. Cooper, MS, HEM, CCHO
> Manager - HSE - JHU
>
> The Johns Hopkins University
> Health, Safety & Environment
> www.hopkin smedicine.org/hse
>
> Homewood Campus Safety Office
> 3400 N. Charles Street

G04 Wyman Park Bldg
> Baltimore, MD 21218
> Office: 410-516-2345
> Fax: 410-516-4314
> www.jhu.edu/safety< /a>
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