Tag Archives: Rayleigh jets

The chemistry of the Tianjin warehouse blasts

Posted on August 18, 2015 by

The Tianjin warehouse blasts on August 12 caused a weak surface quake in the Chinese port city, made houses uninhabitable in a 2-km radius, absolutely decimated a parking lot of 8,000 cars in its vicinity, blew a crater below the warehouse, released a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2015 Tianjin warehouse explosions, ammonium nitrate, calcium carbide, potassium nitrate, Rayleigh jets, sodium cyanide | Comments Off

Why does sodium react so explosively with water?

Posted on January 27, 2015 by

In January 1947, the American War Assets Administration dumped drums of sodium left over after the end of World War II into Lake Lenore in eastern Washington state. A video of the event – it really was an event – … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alkali metals, coulomb fission, hydroxyl ions, potassium, Rayleigh jets, sodium | Comments Off