So for safety's sake, it might be prudent to assume that black powder can be set off by static. Weather it is true or not true doesn't matter. I just assume that powder can be set off by any kind of spark or heat source. Better safe than the alternative.
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Powder Explosion Caused by Static Electricity Injures Man
- Thread starter arcticap
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arcticap
54 Cal.
I've heard that if the powder has an impurity, that it can cause resistance to the electrical charge.
So that instead of the electricity passing over the powder, the impurity can heat up enough to set off the powder.
I'm guessing that it would only need to be a very small impurity, such as a tiny speck of iron that might occur naturally.
Or maybe a speck of aluminum from a piece of processing equipment.
Perhaps harmless unless it's present at the wrong time and place when it can cause a problem.
Even most chemicals used as ingredients aren't labeled as being 100% pure, there's always going to be potential impurities in anything that's man-made.
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So that instead of the electricity passing over the powder, the impurity can heat up enough to set off the powder.
I'm guessing that it would only need to be a very small impurity, such as a tiny speck of iron that might occur naturally.
Or maybe a speck of aluminum from a piece of processing equipment.
Perhaps harmless unless it's present at the wrong time and place when it can cause a problem.
Even most chemicals used as ingredients aren't labeled as being 100% pure, there's always going to be potential impurities in anything that's man-made.
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Static electricity can't ignite ANYTHING. Static electricity exists as a static (unmoving) charge on a surface. The electrostatic discharge (movement) of that charge can & does ignite stuff. Voltage is very high to leap across gaps. The "spark" you see is a very low energy plasma containing essentially no heat (not temperature). That's enough to ignite gaseous mixtures. But "might" also ignite fine dust.
BTW: FA black "blasting" powder is made with ammonium nitrate as the oxidizer. FG black "sporting" powders are made with potassium nitrate as oxidizer. The G stands for glazed (with graphite)
hanshi
Cannon
Down in my native Georgia there was a sugar processing plant demolished by a lethal explosion. There've been similar explosions in flour mills and paper mills. BP ain't got nothing over them!
ohio ramrod
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While it has often been proven that simple static electric sparks will not set off GRAINS of black powder. It will set off Black powder DUST. The same as sugar dust or wood saw dust can be set off by static sparks which is why dust collectors should be grounded!
Griz44Mag
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CRS - Can't Remember S%#t.....?
Griz44Mag
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I started a reply to that, the phone rang - now I can't remember what I was going to say......(for real...)
CRS, welcome to the 100.000.000. CLUB.
I beleave all powders say that. why? if it isn't true?
I am no scientist, just parroting what I find on the web, which can be very conflicting.
Q: Will static electricity ignite black powder?
A: Electrical current, by itself, will not ignite black powder. Black Powder needs heat to ignite; an electrical current is not heat energy.Apr 13, 2008
https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.htmlPlastic seems to be a good source for the production of static and yet Geox uses plastic in all their powder now.
Me, I don't know and try to be cautious whenever handling the stuff even though I do believe static will not ignite it.
Robby
Q: Will static electricity ignite black powder?
A: Electrical current, by itself, will not ignite black powder. Black Powder needs heat to ignite; an electrical current is not heat energy.Apr 13, 2008
https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.htmlPlastic seems to be a good source for the production of static and yet Geox uses plastic in all their powder now.
Me, I don't know and try to be cautious whenever handling the stuff even though I do believe static will not ignite it.
Robby
arcticap
54 Cal.
This is an interesting article about that precise subject. --->>> Sensitivity of Black Powder to Static Discharge
It part, it explains how there are 2 different types of plastic, some contains carbon while others don't.
Plastic that contains carbon is anti-static!
Anti-static plastic was originally developed by the semi-conductor industry to protect electronic parts.
Anti-static plastic can be tested for by using an ohm meter.
Black powder would not be shipped in plastic containers today unless they were made with
anti-static plastic.
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Thanks Arctiap!!
Robby
Robby
@Articap is correct. Those black plastic containers in which black powder is shipped are impregnated with carbon so that they conduct electricity and can not build up static. Rest easy with respect to the black plastic containers of black powder.
By golly, your right.
I got curious so, using my multi-meter I checked to see if the plastic bottle some Schuetzen powder is in was conductive. With the meter set to the 20M ohm's scale, I got readings of conductivity between the two probes on numerous tests.
Doing the same test on the black plastic bottle some Pyrodex is in, I got 0.0000 ohms indicating that the Pyrodex bottles are made from non-conductive plastic.
HiDesertHunter
40 Cal
Many years ago I recall hearing in the news some guy was making an 'explosive device' out of steel tubing with threaded caps and while tightening a cap on the tube with a pipe wrench while clamped in a vise something caused ignition of the black powder in the tube and it exploded seriously injuring the person.
