Demonstration of Ignition Possibility by Chemical Reaction of Recycled Aluminum Powder

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the possibility of ignition by chemical reaction of fine aluminum powders generated in the recycling process. To this end, 4 types of recycled aluminum powders that are common in industrial sites were collected and analyzed for particle size, purity and surface shape, and previous research papers and fire cases on aluminum powder fires were reviewed. In addition, five artificial ignition experiments were conducted to verify that recycled aluminum fine powders could actually cause a fire due to the possibility of spontaneous ignition due to oxidation heat and the heat of hydrolysis reaction in response to moisture. As a result of the artificial ignition experiment, it was demonstrated that the recycled aluminum powders could be ignited by the heat of hydrolysis reaction in the presence of flammable gas and moisture in the air.