Posted on 03/17/2016 5:34:11 PM PDT by COBOL2Java
HONOLULU (AP) — A 29-year-old student was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after an explosion at a University of Hawaii laboratory, officials said Thursday.
The woman suffered burns on her face and serious injuries to her arm, said Shayne Enright, a spokeswoman for Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. She was taken to The Queen’s Medical Center in serious condition after the explosion early Wednesday evening.
No one else was hurt.
Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins said responding firefighters were told the woman was mixing gases when the blast happened. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Firefighters found hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen compressed gas cylinders in the lab.
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
No doubt at least one of them was halogenated
>Firefighters found hydrogen, oxygen
Well, I guess there was some extra fuel and oxidizer left over.
Fail for an incomplete reaction! Next?
Not much to go on, but if she had burns, there was a reaction involved, and if the reactants were gases, that almost certainly would be the oxygen and hydrogen.
If the vessel she was filling had any trace precious metal catalysts left in it as contaminants, that could be enough to cause the reaction. Labs with compressed hydrogen often use that material for catalytic hydrogenations, so platinum or palladium residue might be the culprit. But again, all the above is pure speculation, as the amount of technical info provided is really, really spotty.
I do some serious gas mixing after a big burrito at Toro Viejo. Seems legit.
Before the explosion, she was heard to exclaim, “This proves the birth certificate is a phony!”
Isn’t this similar to the JPL guys ?
So why didn’t they try to interview her about just what the experiment was?
Oxygen plus any number of things could equal a pretty impressive kaboom.
They talked about the gases, but nothing else. Who knows what else was in the glassware. Not just gases but liquids or solids, some of which can be pretty gnarly on their own. Or what the intent of the experiment was.
Kelp, people just don't like teachers blowing up their kids!
She might have airway burns and have an endo-trachial tube in her mouth right now.
College can be dangerous, Fawn Liebowitz was killed in kiln explosion.
I have been very lucky when it comes to lab explosions.
I hope the recovery is short and complete.
So, what superpowers did she get?
What on earth is funny about this?
.
Yeah, but at least she had some good times with Otter before she bought it - at least according to her roommate.
Same here.
You mind if we dance wiff you dates?
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