Inhibiting effects of gas–particle mixtures containing CO2, Mg(OH)2 particles, and NH4H2PO4 particles on methane explosion in a 20-L closed vessel

Abstract

The main risk factors from methane explosion are the associated shock waves, flames, and harmful gases. Inert gases and inhibiting powders are commonly used to prevent and mitigate the damage caused by an explosion. In this study, three inhibitors (inert gas with 8.0 vol% CO2, 0.25 g/L Mg(OH)2 particles, and 0.25 g/L NH4H2PO4 particles) were prepared. Their inhibiting effects on methane explosions with various concentrations of methane were tested in a nearly spherical 20-L explosion vessel. Both single-component inhibitors and gas–particle mixtures can substantially suppress methane explosions with varying degrees of success. However, various inhibitors exhibited distinct reaction mechanisms for methane gas, which indicated that their inhibiting effects for methane explosion varied. To alleviate amplitude, the ranking of single-component inhibitors for both explosion pressure (Pex) and the rate of explosion pressure rise [(dP/dt)ex] was as follows: CO2, NH4H2PO4 particles, and Mg(OH)2 particles. In order of decreasing amplitude, the ranking of gas‒particle mixtures for both Pex and (dP/dt)ex was as follows: CO2–NH4H2PO4 mixture, CO2‒Mg(OH)2 mixture, and pure CO2. Overall, the optimal suppression effect was observed in the system with the CO2–NH4H2PO4 mixture, which exhibited an eminent synergistic effect on methane explosions. The amplitudes of Pex with methane concentrations of 7.0, 9.5, and 11.0 vol% decreased by 37.1%, 42.5%, and 98.6%, respectively, when using the CO2–NH4H2PO4 mixture. In addition, an antagonistic effect was observed with CO2‒Mg(OH)2 mixtures because MgO, which was generated by the thermal decomposition of Mg(OH)2, can chemically react with water vapor and CO2 to produce basic magnesium carbonate (xMgCO3·yMg(OH)2·zH2O), thereby reducing the CO2 concentration in a reaction system. This research revealed the inhibiting effects of gas‒particle mixtures (including CO2, Mg(OH)2 particles, and NH4H2PO4 particles) on methane explosions and provided primary experimental data.