Cylinders
About a year ago there was a cylinder explosion in Luraville, FL. A fill station attendent was filling a 30 cu ft Al pony bottle with 100% oxygen. Reports differ, but some say that while the cylinder was hooked up to the banks, but before the valve was turned on, the woman dropped the cylinder, a hissing was heard, and then the cylinder exploded: flash oxygen fire and all.
The woman was killed, several others were injured, and much of the store was damaged.
The store was Cave Excursions, owned and operated by Bill Rennaker, with whom we’ve been diving and friends ever since we began cave diving.
Then the investigation began. Reasons for the explosion varied, but my father and I are of the belief that the Cylinder exploded due to a crack in the neck. Aluminum cylinders made of the 6351 alloy (which is any Luxfer Al cylinder made before 1988) have a tendency to develop cracks in the neck which weaken the integrity of the cylinder and cause them to explode- usually during the filling process. Because of this, my father decided that he would no longer fill Al cylinders made before 1988.
Because he doesn’t want to die. Nor do I for that matter.
Now why am I mentioning this now?
I was recently made aware of the Press Release that Luxfer issued pertaining to the incident:
August 23, 2004 — Investigators continue to believe that the July 27, 2004 incident in Luraville, Florida was caused when an operator was about to fill oxygen into a scuba cylinder that was not designed for oxygen use, and most probably the valve and/or cylinder had not been purged of all organic matter. Ignition from the fall caused the organic matter in the cylinder to burn, which caused the resulting fire and explosion.
Investigators have determined that the cylinder was made of aluminum alloy 6061. Investigators have ruled out the cylinder as a cause of the explosion.
Now I’m perfectly willing to admit that I could be wrong, but it is my firm belief that it was a 6351 cylinder, that they are dangerous, that Luxfer should admit that the alloy is no good, and issue a complete recall of all these old cylinders. Unfortunately, I doubt this will happen. All that I can do, and other dive stores can do, is stop filling these cylinders. Like I said, I don’t want to die.
And I don’t want any more of the people I know to die.