Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Halifax explosion- Benzol?

Halifax explosion- Benzol?

Bert - 6-12-2011 at 09:04

It's the anniversary of one of the largest acidental chemical explosions of all time-

Halifax explosion

Listed in the cargo among the explosives are several tons of "Benzol". AFAIK, that's an old term for phenol? Anyone know if this is what they're referring to- I find the same cargo list in many other places as well.

[Edited on 6-12-2011 by Bert]

hissingnoise - 6-12-2011 at 09:41

Quote:

At 7.30 a.m. on December 6, the French ship Mont-Blanc left her anchorage outside the mouth of the harbour to join a convoy gathering in Bedford Basin. She was loaded with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton and 35 tons of benzol: a highly explosive mixture.

Phenol is flammable but is not explosive . . .
The other cargo most certainly was!

Neil - 6-12-2011 at 17:56

They had barrels of flammable liquid all over the deck of the ships. Funny I remembered it as benzol being a name for benzene fuel...

In any-case, when the two ships separated the sparks ignited ruptured barrels which triggered the conflagration that eventually spread to the munitions. The exploding barrels of boiling benzol made fighting the blaze impossible right up until the munitions kicked.

fledarmus - 7-12-2011 at 05:19

Benzol has had several meanings in different countries and time periods. I believe Neil is closest for this use - in the early 1900's, it was a coal-tar distillate composed of aromatic hydrocarbons, mostly benzene with some toluene and xylenes. It was used as an industrial solvent, or could be mixed with petrol as a fuel. Nice high octane number, but burns with a black smoky flame.

In Germany and Russia, I believe it actually means benzene, while the word "benzin" means gasoline.

I actually haven't seen it used to mean phenol in anything technical, but I see enough definitions that point to phenol that I can't say for sure that it wasn't.

Mr. Wizard - 7-12-2011 at 08:03

The concept that 35 tons of benzol blew up a ship which also coincidentally contained 2510 tons of high explosives is rather unlikely.

Ten minutes after the ships collided it caught fire and burned for 25 minutes. In that time period the most common form of steamship used coal burning boilers for power. This guarantees a source of ignition.

With perfect 20/20 hindsight they should have used the time to lower the lifeboats and head away from the craft.

vulture - 7-12-2011 at 12:14

Benzol is just German for benzene.

hissingnoise - 7-12-2011 at 12:27

And it's also an older British term for phenol...(benz)ene-alcoh(ol).

Neil - 7-12-2011 at 12:32

Quote: Originally posted by Mr. Wizard

The concept that 35 tons of benzol blew up a ship which also coincidentally contained 2510 tons of high explosives is rather unlikely.

Ten minutes after the ships collided it caught fire and burned for 25 minutes. In that time period the most common form of steamship used coal burning boilers for power. This guarantees a source of ignition.

With perfect 20/20 hindsight they should have used the time to lower the lifeboats and head away from the craft.

Ya need to do a re-read on your history books. The ships struck, this left the bows locked and ruptured barrels off benzene which were piled on the deck of the munitions ship. The emo reversed pulling free not knowing about the munition. The banners for a ship carrying munitions was not visible on the mont blanc. As the ships seperated the benzene ignited. The surrounding barrels boiled burst and ignited. At this point the french crew had jumped ship and rowed to shore. The burning fuel on the deck made the fire unfightable and spread the flames below deck to the picric acid which eventually did what it does best. The crew of the munitions ship were unharmed.

Mr. Wizard - 7-12-2011 at 14:52

Yes I didn't read all about it. So we have a common inflammable liquid which caught fire and involved the cargo. I'm glad the crew got off safely.

Neil - 7-12-2011 at 17:06

Ironic they got off, since it was the compounded stupidity of them that got the city blown up.

The ship was loaded illegally, had the munitions and fuel stored illegally, carried no outwards warning as to the cargo and invented their own rules of the road with regards to right of ways in the harbour.