Has anyone ever seen a tank explode?

[hillbillydiver]

I just had some tanks o2 cleaned,I know this is done to reduce the risk of explosion,but I was wondering if anyone has ever actually seen a tank explode from hydrocarbon contamination or from anything else.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Beaver Aquatics -SCUBA tank explosion

 

[Bryan]

I just had some tanks o2 cleaned,I know this is done to reduce the risk of explosion,but I was wondering if anyone has ever actually seen a tank explode from hydrocarbon contamination or from anything else.

Now THAT'S a great question! Here's a thread you might enjoy!

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/tanks-valves-bands/50551-i-would-love-see-tank-explode.html

 

[deco_martini]

Everyone's who seen Jaws has seen a tank explode.

 

[Doc]

Seen?

...or is "heard" okay?

 

[Melicertes]

Yes, I'd much rather only be in hearing range than in visual range of something like that. That must have been one big Boom I'm sure.

We used to have photos posted up on a bulletin board at one of our local quaries in South Africa where a tank ruptured in the back of a car's trunk. It pretty much took out the back half of the car. Methinks it's better to have one's tanks checked and tested regularly and not to abuse them the way I've seen some people do.

[edit: what are all those inscriptions on the inside of the tank? Were they added after the explosion?]

 

[24940]

I pumped an AP round into an overfilled steel 72 once. It didn't explode, but it was still entertaining.

 

[BarryNL]

Hydrocarbon contamination is unlikely to cause a tank explosion. What it will cause is an oxygen fire. Under high pressure pure oxygen many materials which we normally think of as non-flammable (or at least difficult to burn) become highly flammable. This can include much of the tank valve and fill whip.

 

[G.uy]

one of the LDSs near me has been banned (by insurance) from filling nitrox/trimix after one of the staff set himself alight in an O2 fire. as far as i know he was fine in the end but his nylon tracksuit had seen better days.

 

[letterboy]

I would love to see a tank explode . . .