Is a tank flammable?

[mike_s]

in order to prove that normal air (21% o2 and 79 percent nitrogen) won't explode you will most likely have to refer her to your university's chemistry department.

You could always explain that the fire extingishers they have in the hallways are tanks under pressure and they actually contain hazzardous materials where your tank only has air in it.

However, to make her happy about the burst disk etc., check with Catalina or Luxfer or whoever made the tank and get a material saftey data sheet or something similar explaining it to her.

If you've got a NITROX tank with enriched air in it, then good look explaining your way out of that one.

 

[MSilvia]

If she gives you any more trouble, ask her which part she's concerned about catching fire... the aluminium, or the air. If she gives you crap about it being a compressed gas cylinder that could explode, mention the burst disk.

 

[mike_s]

most people think that nitrogen is flamable. I told someone if that was true then they would combust easily every time they farted because of the nitrogen they breathed? they went huh? I don't breath nitrogen.... *sigh*

 

[SwimJim]

Well, you know, Aluminum can burn. When the Sheffield got hit during the Falklands war it burned and sank. This was an aluminum ship. You never know, there could be exocet anti ship misiles flying around your dorm. Have you seen any Argentinian jets flying around? Maybe she knows something you don't eh!

 

[Xanthro]

Well, you know, Aluminum can burn. When the Sheffield got hit during the Falklands war it burned and sank. This was an aluminum ship. You never know, there could be exocet anti ship misiles flying around your dorm. Have you seen any Argentinian jets flying around? Maybe she knows something you don't eh!

We don't really know if the tank was aluminum.

While it's true you could enventually ignite aluminum, the scuba tank in the dorm would be the least of your worries at that point.

As you said, not much would be left once the Exocet missile flew through her window.

 

[KBeck]

Hmm, hopefully Padipro will be along here soon. He has a similar story of living in an apartment and had regular air tanks stored near the water heater closet. The FIRE DEPARTMENT/inspectors told him he could'nt store the tanks in the apt. because they were flammable.
Gotta wonder...........

 

[Web Monkey]

I had a big go-round with JetBlue on this very topic.

They refused to let me check my empty-with-the-valve-removed 19 Cu Ft cylinder because they "were not authorized to carry anything that contains or has contained oxygen".

I explained that at no point during this tanks existance did it contain any more oxygen than blows out of the vents over the passenger seats, and now that the valve was removed it contained the exact same air that the airport was filled with, that it was not labeled for O2, was not O2 clean, was not certified for 02, and that nobody would fill it with O2.

It was like on the old Startrek episode where Kirk destroyed (one of many) computers with a logcal paradox. All she did was repeat that "were not authorized to carry anything that contains or has contained oxygen". In the end, I gave up took it back out to the parking lot and left it in the car, before they decided that not only couldn't the tank fly, but neither could I.

Terry

Your dorm director is an i.... - ahem... - is mistaken... And so long as the tank is reasonably full, it will never explode in a fire, but rather the burst disk will blow and release the pressure. Or you can store it near empty, in whcih case it'll never explode either.

 

[ScubaMan2025]

Haha, well, unanimous decision. thank you guys for the input, i am going to have a meeting with her tommorrow, I will let you know how it goes!

-Scubaman2025

 

[Heffey]

Hey all

Well, so I am living in some college dorms and I walked by on of the directors of the dormoritories as I was carrying a SCUBA tank. She approached me and told me that I wasnt allowed to have the tank in my room because it is a fire hazard. She said that the tank was flammable and could be a potential hazard towards myself and others. This isnt the really big tanks, its just a smaller one, with the normal mixture of oxygen in it. Is this true? If so, what is the temperature required to cause the tank to explode?. Thanks guys!

-ScubaMan2025-

I’ll play the devils advocate here.

Flammable? No.

Take the word flammable out of the statement and she may very well have a valid point.

First, I wouldn't be surprised if the dormitory’s insurance had bans on many seemingly innocuous items. Pressurized cylinders may be one of the prohibited items.

I assume that you are a responsible person and would not be prone to horseplay, but a scuba tank in less responsible hands could be a real safety issue. I'm not too sure that a pressurized tank and dorm life are well suited for each other.

Lastly, there is the real danger of exposing a partially filled tank to a fire.

BTW, I think I remember reading some threads on ScubaBoard regarding some people not being allowed to have scuba tanks in their apartments. Obviously an issue for some.

Hope you get it worked out.

Jeffrey

 

[Tom Winters]

People on this board are always so quick to attack dorm directors who possibly have the toughest job in the world - where do you think all those girls who appear in "Girls Gone Bad" videos come from? The moon?
This original poster, Mr. Scubaman2025 lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. One could safely assume that he heats his dorm room, at least in the winter.
So how do you know that he is not heating his room to 1221°F, just a little above the melting point of aluminum? If I was on my way to the communal bathroom at 3 in the morning, and I stepped in a puddle of molten aluminum because some cold guy overheated his room, well, I would not be happy.
Instead of condemning this dorm director, you should all be thanking her for being so concerned. And I'll bet she's no whale meat eater either!