More on this, it’s gotten even more crazy. https://futurism.com/the-byte/shipping-containers-spontaneous-combustibles?fbclid=IwAR2MeaDfTJ-ANUu3i2_t58wABLogGKm9bXzTj6ElTEL9NvB1K44yUbXFZoE
Oh geez. Smh.
The ship is currently anchored near Victoria, about 5 miles offshore.
The flames that broke around 11 a.m. Saturday were related to two damaged containers carrying hazardous materials used in mining, class 4.2 of Xanthates (Potassium Amylxanthate).
interesting
It remains unclear exactly what the containers contain, but according to Cornell University, “spontaneous combustibles” refer to volatile chemicals that can “spontaneously ignite in the presence of air” or even water vapor, such as white phosphorous. With such a vast swathe of the global economy relying on container shipping, wrecks can pose substantial environmental hazards, as when the MSC Napoli — pictured above — ran aground in 2007.
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It’s also unknown whether the contents of the containers will pose an environmental risk, although a Canadian government representative told the Vancouver Sun that an analysis of “pollution threats and hazards” is ongoing.
The most immediate concern, though, is that a ship could hit the partially submerged containers and prompt a fire or explosion, with the US Coast Guard Navigation Center warning vessels to “exercise extreme caution” in the region.
I have a bit of familiarity with two violently and spontaneously reactive materials, elemental sulfur and aluminum alkyls. You don't want to mess with these except in very controlled conditions and containment. For example, a shipping container bobbing in the ocean is the opposite of a controlled condition. For these two materials, liquid water or humidity in the air = kaboom.