Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Crimped ribbon flame arresters mounted on a 9 l vessel exposed to arc discharges obtained by fusing of copper wires within the vessel, prevented the ignition of 4 per cent propane-air on the outside of the vessel. However, a 6.5 per cent ethylene-air mixture and a 3.4 per cent diethyl-ether-air mixture were ignited by the hot metal particles produced by the discharge. The particles produced by fusing of copper wires were, however, safely and easily contained within reinforced insulating sleeving, providing it was strong enough to withstand the transient pressures and the temperatures generated during fusing of such wires.