Xref: utzoo sci.chem:517 sci.med:12669 sci.bio:2367
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!dptg!att!cbnewsm!harris
From: harris@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (jonathan.harris)
Newsgroups: sci.chem,sci.med,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Spraycan blowtorches (was Re: Butane death)
Message-ID: <4851@cbnewsm.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 89 12:10:15 GMT
References: <1989Sep28.170222.15851@vicom.com>
Reply-To: harris@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (jonathan.harris,mh,)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 14

In article <1989Sep28.170222.15851@vicom.com> lmb@vicom.COM (Larry Blair) writes:
+No way it could explode.  All of the combustion is taking place when the
+atomized mist mixes with the air.  To explode, there would have to be
+an oxidant inside the can.  Even in a fire, the explosion would be from
+the increased internal pressure, not from combustion.
This is a dangerous misconception. There are cases of people being badly
burned and even fatally while trying to use an aerosol can torch. Would you
bet your face(or your life) that air has not been inadvertently pumped into
the can during the manufactoring stage? These aren't designed as torches so
it is unlikely manufacturers take special precautions to insure no air gets
in the can.
---------------------------------------------------------
Jonathan Harris research.att.com!allwise!harris
AT&T does not endorse anything said above.