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ChE 6210

Industrial Safety

An Assignment on-“The Fire Risk Associated with Hand Sanitizer

and Accident Study”

Submitted by

Name: Mysha Momtaz

Std. ID: 0419022037

Department of Chemical Engineering

BUET
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Case:

On 21st July 2020, Dr Rajib and his wife Dr Anusua Bhattacharya, 32, a physician of a hospital at
Shyamoli, suffered burn injuries in the fire incident at their residence as fire originated from hand
sanitizer spillage. Later, Dr Rajib died.

Hand sanitizer is very important nowadays to maintain proper sanitization, especially during this
pandemic, and is being frequently used worldwide. As alcohol holds the highest proportion among
the manufacturing components of hand sanitizer and it is also a fuel, so its concentration must be
consistent to the usual ambient temperature of that country to avoid accidents. We know that when
a fuel comes into contact with the oxygen of air and any ignition source, it creates fire.

Flash Point Temperature:

The temperature at which the fuel is volatile enough to produce a flammable vapor, and gives rise
to momentary flashing flame for the first time, is called the flash point temperature. If the flash
point temperature of any fuel or fuel mixture is below the room temperature, it creates flammable
vapor and it is very much likely to initiate fire.

My Task:

Assuming the ambient temperature is 30° C, I have analyzed the flash point temperatures of hand
sanitizers made up of three types of alcohols individually by assuming a basis of 100 lb of
solutions-

1. 78% methanol, 22% water by weight

2. 78% ethanol, 22% water by weight
3. 78% i-propanol, 22% water by weight

Procedure:

 At first, the flash point temperatures of flammable components present in the hand sanitizer
i.e. methanol, ethanol and i-propanol have been collected from established literatures
 Then, the partial pressure required to flash those fuel, P, have been calculated by Antoine
equation:

𝐵
Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶 where, T is in °C and P is in mm Hg
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 Then, the saturation vapor pressure of pure flammable component, Psat, have been
determined by Raoult’s law:
P = x. Psat where, P = Partial pressure required to flash, Psat = Saturation vapor pressure
of pure flammable component and x = mole fraction of pure flammable component in the
hand sanitizer
 Now, for determining the flash point temperature of the hand sanitizers, the vapor pressures
for certain temperatures have been calculated by Antoine equation. The saturation vapor
pressure curve for each flammable component have been drawn where x axis holds the
temperatures and y axis represents the corresponding vapor pressures of the flammable
component. For that, the vapor pressure of that component in the hand sanitizer will be
equal to the saturation vapor pressure of pure flammable component at flash point, Psat. The
temperature corresponding to this pressure at the curve will be the flash point temperature
of that hand sanitizer.

1. Flash Point of 78% Methanol, 22% Water by Weight

From literature, the flash point of pure methanol is 12 °C and its partial vapor pressure at this
temperature, P has been calculated from Antoine equation-

(For methanol, A = 8.08, B = 1582.27 & C = 239.73)

𝐵
Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

Or, P = 62.29 mm Hg

The values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book, Elementary Principles of
Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.

Table 1: Mole fractions of components

Component Pounds Molecular Moles Mole Fraction

Weight
Water 22 18 1.22 0.33
Methanol 78 32 2.44 0.67
Total 3.66 1.00
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So, the saturation vapor pressure of pure flammable component is,

P = x. Psat

62.29
Or, Psat = P/x = = 92.97 mm Hg
0.67

Now, the saturation vapor pressure curve has been drawn by calculating corresponding vapor
𝐵
pressures at certain temperatures from Antoine equation again, Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

As mentioned before, the values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book,
Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.

Table 2: Temperatures and corresponding vapor pressures from Antoine equation

Temperature (°C) Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

0 30
5 41.17
10 55.47
15 73.87
20 97.28
25 126.79
30 163.63
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Saturation Vapor Pressure Curve for Methanol

180 163.63
160

Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

140 126.79
120
97.28
100
73.87
80
55.47
60 41.17
30
40
20
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Temperature (°C)

Figure 1: Saturation vapor pressure curve for methanol

As the vapor pressure of methanol in the hand sanitizer will be equal to the saturation vapor
pressure of pure flammable component at flash point, Psat = 92.97 mm Hg, so, from graph, the
flash point of this hand sanitizer is 19.02 °C.

The ambient temperature has been assumed to be 30 °C. The flash point of this hand sanitizer is
less than ambient temperature. So, there is a high chance of fire incident through spillage.

2. Flash Point of 78% Ethanol, 22% Water by Weight

From literature, the flash point of pure ethanol is 13 °C and its partial vapor pressure at this
temperature, P has been calculated from Antoine equation-

(For ethanol, A = 8.11, B = 1592.86 & C = 226.14)

𝐵
Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

Or, P = 28.13 mm Hg

The values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book, Elementary Principles of
Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.
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Table 3: Mole fractions of components

Component Pounds Molecular Moles Mole Fraction

Weight
Water 22 18 1.22 0.42
Ethanol 78 46 1.70 0.58
Total 2.92 1.00

So, the saturation vapor pressure of pure flammable component is,

P = x. Psat

28.13
Or, Psat = P/x = = 48.50 mm Hg
0.58

Now, the saturation vapor pressure curve has been drawn by calculating corresponding vapor
𝐵
pressures at certain temperatures from Antoine equation again, Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

As mentioned before, the values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book,
Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.

Table 4: Temperatures and corresponding vapor pressures from Antoine equation

Temperature (°C) Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

0 11.65
5 16.55
10 23.15
15 31.94
20 43.52
25 58.54
30 77.86
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Saturation Vapor Pressure Curve for Ethanol

90
77.86
80

Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

70
58.54
60
50 43.52
40 31.94
30 23.15
16.55
2011.65
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Temperature (°C)

Figure 2: Saturation vapor pressure curve for ethanol

As the vapor pressure of methanol in the hand sanitizer will be equal to the saturation vapor
pressure of pure flammable component at flash point, Psat = 48.50 mm Hg, so, from graph, the
flash point of this hand sanitizer is 21.80 °C.

The ambient temperature has been assumed to be 30 °C. The flash point of this hand sanitizer is
less than ambient temperature. So, there is a high chance of fire incident through spillage.

3. Flash Point of 78% i-Propanol, 22% Water by Weight

From literature, the flash point of pure i-propanol is 13 °C and its partial vapor pressure at this
temperature, P has been calculated from Antoine equation-

(For ethanol, A = 7.74, B = 1359.52 & C = 197.53)

𝐵
Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

Or, P = 19.16 mm Hg

The values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book, Elementary Principles of
Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.
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Table 5: Mole fractions of components

Component Pounds Molecular Moles Mole Fraction

Weight
Water 22 18 1.22 0.48
i-Propanol 78 60 1.30 0.52
Total 2.52 1.00

So, the saturation vapor pressure of pure flammable component is,

P = x. Psat

19.16
Or, Psat = P/x = = 36.85 mm Hg
0.52

Now, the saturation vapor pressure curve has been drawn by calculating corresponding vapor
𝐵
pressures at certain temperatures from Antoine equation again, Log10P = A- 𝑇+𝐶

As mentioned before, the values of A, B & C have been taken from Table B.4. of the book,
Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes” by Richard M. Felder & Ronald W. Rousseau.

Table 6: Temperatures and corresponding vapor pressures from Antoine equation

Temperature (°C) Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

0 7.20
5 10.65
10 15.45
15 22.04
20 30.92
25 42.72
30 58.19
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Saturation Vapor Pressure Curve for i-Propanol

70
58.19
60
Vapor Pressure (mm Hg) 50 42.72
40
30.92
30 22.04
20 15.45
10.65
7.2
10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Temperature (°C)

Figure 3: Saturation vapor pressure curve for i-Propanol

As the vapor pressure of methanol in the hand sanitizer will be equal to the saturation vapor
pressure of pure flammable component at flash point, Psat = 36.85 mm Hg, so, from graph, the
flash point of this hand sanitizer is 22.69 °C.

The ambient temperature has been assumed to be 30 °C. The flash point of this hand sanitizer is
less than ambient temperature. So, there is a high chance of fire incident through spillage.

Incident Study:

In case of previously mentioned accident, the hand sanitizer that was used must had a flash point
below the ambient temperature. And of course, the reason behind higher flash point was the
concentration of flammable component (usually alcohol) high enough to yield the overall mixture
a flash point lower than the ambient temperature. That’s why due to spillage, it caught fire in
contact with air and ignition source.

The hand sanitizers with three types of alcohols investigated above has shown the potential risk of
fire incident through spillage due to having a flash point lower than the ambient temperature. So,
the accident that took place might have possessed hand sanitizer with any of these three
concentrations.
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The accident would not take place if-

 The percentage of water was increased or the percentage of alcohol was decreased
 The flash point of the hand sanitizer was higher than the ambient temperature
 The hand sanitizer was away from the ignition source

So, in brief, the alcohol concentration in hand sanitizer must be decreased by increasing the amount
of water in the mixture so that the overall flash point rises above ambient temperature.