What are the fire and explosion dangers associated with carbon black?
In general, pure carbon black is difficult to ignite, does not undergo spontaneous combustion, and is not a dust explosion hazard. Red hot metal, electric sparks and burning magnesium ribbon will not cause carbon black dust to ignite explosively. However, carbon black can be ignited by an open flame, glowing metal, sparks or lighted cigarettes. Once ignited it burns slowly with the production of toxic carbon monoxide. Storage fires may go undetected for some time, unless stirred or sparks are present. If impurities are present on the carbon black (e.g. oil), then there is a risk of dust explosions. The risk of lamp black dust explosions is increased by the presence of unconsumed oil that adheres to the carbon. Dust explosions may occur if the oil content exceeds 13% (MINIMUM CLOUD IGNITION TEMPERATURE reported as 730 deg C). If air concentrations exceed 50 or 60 g/m3, carbon black may explode in the presence of a high energy ignition source, such as a gas explosion. Ignition of dust cl
