Sampling and Characterization of Airborne Post-Detonation Particulate Targeting Crystalline Silica
Abstract
Silicosis arises from exposure to crystalline silica dusts, a well-known hazard in mining and other occupational environments. Phases of crystalline silica (e.g. quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite) are naturally occurring minerals in the earths crust but under the correct thermal and pressure conditions can be derived from amorphous silica, or can transition from one crystalline phase to another. In this work, four detonation tests were performed: ~84 grams (g) of pentolite sampled for 30 minutes post-detonation; ~160 g of AFX-260 sampled for 30 minutes post-detonation; and two more ~160 g AFX-260 samples each sampled for 15 minutes post-detonation. Airborne post-detonation particulate was sampled onto polyvinyl chloride sampling filters for X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis targeting crystalline silica and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the XRD scans the primary crystalline component matches iron oxide (Fe2O3), although the primary peak for quartz is also evident. TEM analysis for crystalline vs amorphous morphologies showed that crystalline particles were metallic rather than silica, confirmed with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Most particles were spherical and not electron-dense, matching amorphous morphologies. Overall, there is a minimal presence of crystalline silica detected in the post-detonation particulate sampled and analyzed via XRD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1072722
Entities
People
- Ariel Parker
- Richard Salisbury
- Saber Hussain
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine