Why Can't Liquid Oxygen and Kerosene Be Stored Together Safely?

When thinking about the creation of explosive low explosives, the basic components that one needs to consider are fuel and an oxidizer. The most straightforward oxidizer is oxygen. While oxygen in the air usually doesn’t lead to explosions, this dynamic changes significantly when oxygen is liquefied. Liquid oxygen (LOX) becomes a concentrated and potent oxidizer capable of promoting rapid deflagration.

The History of Liquid Oxygen Explosives

Interestingly, this concept has been put into practice in certain industries. For example, in mining operations, simple carbon materials soaked in liquid oxygen have been used for blasting. This practice, however, has largely fallen out of favor due to logistical challenges associated with the transportation and storage of liquid oxygen. Despite these challenges, carbon soaked in LOX has proven to be a reliable explosive with a significant safety advantage: if a blast fails, the oxygen eventually evaporates, leaving behind harmless carbon.

The Complexity with Hydrocarbons

When dealing with hydrocarbons as a fuel source, the equation becomes even more precarious due to their inherent instability. Even without an apparent source of detonation, mixtures of hydrocarbons and liquid oxygen can spontaneously combust. This phenomenon, often surprising to people, is a result of the cold environment but can lead to catastrophic combustion across the entire container due to the rapid reaction that triggers combustion in neighboring materials.

Industries That Must Be Vigilant

Given the potential dangers, industries dealing with oxygen and hydrocarbons must pay close attention to safety. In the oxygen industry, any equipment that interacts with oxygen must undergo thorough cleaning to eliminate any hydrocarbons, as even minor contaminants can pose a significant risk. Continuous testing and monitoring are essential to ensure that trace quantities of methane or other contaminants do not contaminate the process, which could lead to an explosion.

Preventive Measures and Industry Practices

To mitigate the risk of explosive mixtures, rigorous cleaning and removal of hydrocarbons from equipment are critical. For the oxygen industry, this involves procedures to completely remove lubricating grease and unsuitable cleaning agents that could react with LOX. Regular testing and analysis are conducted to ensure that the oxygen process remains free from contaminants like methane, which can accumulate due to ambient air leakages and contribute to the potential for an explosion.

In summary, while oxygen is a critical component in both industrial and natural environments, its concentrated form, liquid oxygen, can create significant risks when combined with hydrocarbons like kerosene. Careful handling, cleaning, and continuous monitoring are essential to ensure safety in these high-risk applications.