Experimental evaluation of the influence of nonmetallic contact materials and their surface roughness on the mechanical sensitivity of a safety matchhead composition

Abstract

Matchworks industries are especially prone to have fires and explosions. Reported information shows that impact and frictional loads, due to the interaction between the processing equipment and building materials (concrete and wood), lead to accidental ignitions. This study is aimed at investigating the influence of building materials and their surface roughness on the mechanical sensitivity of a safety matchhead composition. The results revealed that the type of contact material and its surface roughness has a great influence on the impact and friction sensitivity, ranging from 5.88 to 30.8 J and 36 to 360 N, respectively. This experimental investigation identified the critical surface roughness at which the matchhead composition was initiated at a minimum impact and frictional load. The matchhead composition was found to be highly sensitive to critical surface roughness values of 19.6–22.5 and 7.1–8.2 μm for concrete and wooden materials, respectively. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Process Saf Prog 38: e12023, 2019