Tag: spontaneous combustion

Death by Coconut

A coconut can fall and hit you on the head,
And if it falls from high enough can kind of knock you dead
Dead beneath the coconut palms, that’s the life for me!
 
=Frederick Seidel
 
 

A beautiful concubine of King Tetui of Mangala (Cooks Island) died tragically while walking under palm trees. She was struck by “a falling green nut. The saddened King ordered to cut down the tree. This happened in the year 1777 and is the first recorded occurrence of death by coconut [1}.

‘BEWARE FALLING COCONUTS’ sign in Honolulu, Hawaii Author Wmpearl

There are various other incidents of falling coconuts resulting death and severe head injuries. Though not so frequent it has become an urban legend following the publication of Barss’ study exaggerating the number of deaths by coconut.

Apart from the possibility of coconut falling on someone’s head there is a greater danger hidden in coconut. Fresh or wet coconut does not have any danger on its own but dried coconut may result in fire due to self-heating. Dried coconuts are called Copra, the word originating from the Malayalam word Copra (കൊപ്ര).

COPRA – by Rajesh dangi

Historically many ships had gone up in flames due to fire started by Copra, below is news of a cargo ship fire reported on 2nd December 1919.

COPRA FIRE ON EX-GERMAN LINER Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 58, 2 December 1919, Page 6
COPRA FIRE ON EX-GERMAN LINER
Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 58, 2 December 1919, Page 6

 

 

 

UN Model Regulations classify Copra under Class 4.2 “substances liable to spontaneous combustion”

IMDG Code has special stowage requirement for Copra which states; ‘Keep as dry as reasonably practicable. Protected from sources of heat. Provide a good through ventilation for bagged cargo. Double strip stowage is recommended. During the voyage regular temperature readings shall be taken at varying depths in the hold and recorded. If the temperature of the cargo exceeds the ambient temperature and continues to increase, ventilation shall be closed down’.

 

 

Spontaneous (Human) Combustion

Spontaneous combustion is a process in which the substance start self-heating by internal reactions and or by reaction with oxygen in air which leads to thermal runaway and finally igniting itself.

Bacterial fermentation in hay can result in spontaneous combustion. Moist haystack may start self-heating and ignite itself.  There are many materials which can run into spontaneous combustion such as hay, charcoal, oil seeds, oily rags, pistachios etc.

English: A large compost pile can spontaneousl...
English: A large compost pile can spontaneously combust if not properly managed. Español: Una pila de compost grande puede arder espontáneamente si no se trata de forma adecuada. Deutsch: großer Komposthaufen nach der Selbstentzündung (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Transport regulations classify substances liable to spontaneous combustion under Class 4.2. Model Regulations states “Self-heating of a substance is a process where the gradual reaction of that substance with oxygen (in air) generates heat. If the rate of heat production exceeds the rate of heat loss, then the temperature of the substance will rise which, after an induction time, may lead to self-ignition and combustion”

Label of Class 4.2 substances liable to spontaneous combustion
Label of Class 4.2 substances liable to spontaneous combustion

There are many reported cases of spontaneous human combustion. Some living or some recently dead burns without any external source of ignition. Though many studies were conducted on the possibility of such instances reported, there is so far no scientific reasoning or proof of spontaneous human combustion. Natural explanations include intestinal conversion of food into large quantity of methane or raised level of blood alcohol.

A boy named Rahul aged 3.5 months (in Tamilnadu, India) as of August 2013, is reported to be causing fire on his own almost 4 times since his birth.

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MANEB

Maneb is a fungicide.

Maneb may have properties of spontaneous combustion. Its classified as Class 4.2 with subsidiary risk  class 4.3 ( substances liable to spontaneous combustion/substances when in contact with water emits flammable gases or, when stabilized, classified as 4.3 substances when in contact with water emits flammable gases

When maneb is not having self-heating properties then it can be classified under class 4.3; however this must be proved by a lab test report that a cubic volume of 1 m³ of substance does not self-ignite and that the temperature at the centre of the sample does not exceed 200 °C when the sample is maintained at a temperature of not less than 75 °C ± 2 °C for a period of 24 hours and shipment must be accompanied by a certificate from shipper that the substance does not belong to class 4.2.

4.3 substances which in contact with water emit flammable gases
4.3 substances which in contact with water emit flammable gases
4.2 substances liable to spontaneous combustion
4.2 substances liable to spontaneous combustion

Copra

Copra is dried coconut meat. Used mainly for extracting coconut oil, after extracting oil the seedcake is mainly used as animal feed.

Calicut, Kerala

Due to oil content Copra is classified as Dangerous Goods, Class 4.2, substances liable to spontaneous combustion. Oil expelled seedcake of Copra falls under same classification due to its nature of spontaneous combustion.

UN number assigned to Copra is UN 1363. IMDG Code describes Copra as Dried kernels of coconuts, with a penetrating rancid odour which may taint other cargoes.

Traditional bullock-powered coconut oil mill. ...

Further stowage requirement states “The cargo shall be stowed “Away from” pipes and bulkheads which are liable to become heated (e.g. engine-room or heated fuel tank bulkheads). During the voyage regular temperature readings shall be taken at varying depths in the hold and recorded. If the temperature of the cargo exceeds the ambient temperature and continues to increase, ventilation shall be closed down”.

Cotton, Dry

UN 3360  Class 4.1   FIBRES, VEGETABLE, DRY

 Cotton Dry is transported globally as bales.  Prior to 1st January 1999 all cotton bales were transported as Class 4.1, Flammable solids, by sea transport.  During the preceding years extensive studies were conducted on the flammability of cotton bales.

English: Cotton Bale

 These studies  conducted by US Department of Transport (DOT) included cigarette, matches, open flame tests, spontaneous combustion and self-heating properties of cotton bales. Bales of varying measurements and density were put through these tests to evaluate the hazard involved during transport.  

 US DOT submitted the results of these tests to IMO in 1998 and IMO approved the same resulting in provisions for cotton bales having certain density to be excluded from the provisions of Class 4.1, flammable solids, under IMDG Code.

 Special provision 299 of IMDG Code states

Consignments of:

(i) Cotton, dry having a density not less than 360 kg/m3;

(ii) Flax, dry having a density not less than 400 kg/m3;

(iii) Sisal, dry having a density not less than 360 kg/m3 according to ISO 8115:1986; and

(iv) Tampico Fibre, dry having a density not less than 360 kg/m3.

 are not subject to the provisions of this Code when transported in closed cargo transport units.

Further Reference :

U.S. Cotton Bale Dimensions

ISO 8115 : 1986 Cotton bales — Dimensions and density

National Cotton Council of America

China Cotton Association

 

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