How can sugar explode?

Sugar is flammable.. I used to delight in throwing a pich of sugar onto the fire as a kid.
I would imagine a fine dust of sugar would be very explosive....

Part of my job is hazardous area equipment sales and certification. The explosive power of a dust explosion is quite spectacular. You only have to look in the latest news to see what happens when a large amount of dust, combined with the right conditions and some form of ignition, all come together.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/02/08/refinery.blast/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

and also

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/08/america/NA-GEN-US-Refinery-Blast.php

Hi Del.

I once witnessed an explosion it a grain silo, this was caused by the fine air bound grain dust that was ignited by an electrostatic charge spark. This is the reason that earth grounding cables are attached to reinforced rubber hoses used to unload grain, wheat, oil, sugar etc from bulk carriers!

I witnessed the explosion from half a mile away, and I had to dive for cover because bits of silo rained down on the ship I was on.

Spencer.

When Sputnik was launched I was on my dangerous age and had to launch rockets as well.

Sugar was one if the components of my rocket fuel with caster sugar the favorite. My mother never realized why the sugar disappeared.

At that stage I only knew that sugar contained carbon.

Simply given

sugar is an organic compound = fuel

sugar crystal has a very high surface to volume ratio = well dispersed fuel

Sugar dust suspended in air is like wood dust, carbon black dust, wheat dust, etc.

= excellent fuel / air mixture

With an uncertified light switch or static spark

You have a fuel, air, and ignition source = explosion.

Tom Williams

As far as I've been able to discern if you can get it to burn increase the oxidation rate and contain it and it will explode. Sugar burns well due to, the as stated, high carbon content.

I wounder how many miles to the pound of confectioners (powdered) sugar.

Brad

Hi UV.

If you mix sugar with Sodium or Potassium Clorate you will get a large explosion if ignited, the reason for this is that both of these chemicals when burned will release chemically bonded Oxygen. Potassium nitrate mixed with sugar will also produce the same effect, and was the favourite type of explosive of the IRA before the advent of Semtex.

Spencer.

Virtually any organic material will combust and explode if the ignition temperature is achieved. Fine particulate materials can more readily combust because there is typically more air (or O2) available to support combustion and any spark will allow the fine particlate to reach ignition temperature. This will release the hydrocarbons which burn rapidly producing heat and further combustion. The finer the powder, the greater the chance of explosion.

Never saw a large lump of sugar explode.

Check out previous mails-

dust is the key = surface area to volume - wheat/oat/corn dust/ corn starch / carbon-black / sugar particulate

oxygen + dust + spark = explosion

Almost anything in particle form can explode, with resultant fire.

Metallic dusts are very explosive, and not just magnesium either.

With carbonaceous dusts, like starch, sugar, flour etc, the wavefront temperature is not as hot as with metallic dusts, but because of the available power in (say) flour dust, the damage and fire is far more powerful.

I have seen old flour mills here, which had a dust explosion and subsequent fire, and the results were not pretty.

Kind Regards....

Besides Sugar, Flour Dust and Concrete dust are also very explosive in the right air / particle size ratio.

Most all materials that can be turned into a fine dust can explode, I have seen rubber dust explosions, they are all cool looking, unless someone gets hurt.

In order for a dust to explode, it must be in a reduced form so that it can be oxidized...basic chemistry. Organics vs oxidized inorganics, Carbon dust vs dry ice dust, Cement compared to limestone, metals vs aluminum bearing clays,

So not everything in dust=clay particle size will explode.

TOM