Static electricity from clothing caused an explosion of self-made hydrogen, resulting in death

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Man’s clothes generated static electricity, triggering an explosion of homemade hydrogen and killing him (photo series) 2008-02-18 10:18:14 Source: Sichuan Online (Chengdu) 27 comments from netizens; click to view. Key point: Yang Yun, 44 years old, was from Shiyang Town in Anyue County, Sichuan Province. Four years ago, in order to afford his son’s college education, he and his wife went to Wenjiang to work. After his wife lost her job, he made hydrogen at home and filled balloons with it for his wife to take to the park to sell. On the evening of February 16, Yang Yun caused the leaked hydrogen to explode due to static electricity on his clothes, and died instantly in the explosion. Cloth static triggers homemade hydrogen explosion; he collapses in a pool of blood, reported by China West City News on February 18th. “Bang!” ”At 10:30 p.m. on the 16th, a loud noise was heard coming from No. 37, Jingyang Lane, Ning Street, Wenjiang, Sichuan. Yang Yun, 44 years old, went outside to check on his homemade hydrogen tank; yet as soon as he stepped out of his house, an explosion occurred, and he collapsed in a pool of blood, never getting up again. Staff from the Wenjiang Work Safety Bureau analyzed that it was the static electricity generated by the acrylic clothing worn by Yang that ignited the leaked hydrogen, leading to this tragedy. Cost savings: Homemade hydrogen leads to tragedy. Yesterday, when reporters went to the apartment where Yang Yun used to live, they saw that the ceiling on the balcony had been damaged by the exploding hydrogen cylinders; there were also traces of blood on the floor and walls. Two small beds are placed in the 10-square-meter bedroom, with 26 hydrogen balloons floating in the air. Yang Yun’s spouse, Wang Zhonggui, had swollen eyes and was lying in bed crying bitterly. Yang Jian, the eldest son who had rushed back from Chongqing, tried hard to hold back his sadness and kept wiping his mother’s tears; he simply could not believe what was happening before his eyes. The youngest son, Yang Yuanhui, told reporters about the thrilling incident. Yang Yuanhui said that his family is from Shiyang Town, Anyue. Four years ago, in order to afford his brother’s college education, his father moved from their hometown to Wenjiang to work as a tricycle rider, while his mother took odd jobs at a factory. Last year, my mother lost her job. My father found some containers that resembled gas cylinders somewhere, and he obtained some chemical substances to produce hydrogen at home. He filled balloons with this hydrogen and had my mother sell them near the park, in order to cut costs and earn a little money. After 10 p.m. on the 16th, the family washed their feet and got ready for bed. Before going to bed, the father worried about the hydrogen tank by the door, so he pushed it open to check. To everyone’s surprise, a loud bang was heard as soon as they stepped outside. He and his mother quickly went outside to take a look; the powerful blast wave caused minor injuries to his right ear, while his father lay in a pool of blood – the whole scene was utterly gruesome. His mother fainted on the spot, and his head was ringing with a sense of emptiness. Seeing this, the neighbors immediately called 110 to report the incident. Police and safety inspectors arrived one after another to conduct an investigation, and later Yang Yun’s body was taken to the funeral home. Hoping for the best, but those hopes were shattered. “I only make a few cents from each balloon; if I had known this, I would never have allowed him to make hydrogen by himself.” ”Wang Zhonggui, wiping away his tears, said in a broken voice that there had been problems with that tank from the start – the welding at the lid part wasn’t strong enough, causing hydrogen to leak from time to time. They had planned to take it for repair long ago, but haven’t found a place to do it recently. Thinking that nothing had gone wrong in the past and that balloon sales had been good recently, the couple decided to produce more hydrogen that night to fill the balloons so they could sell them the next day. Little did they know, Yang Yun would encounter misfortune as a result. Yang Jian, the eldest son, said that his father is a very honest and hardworking person. He will graduate from university in July this year; currently he works at a company in Chongqing and earns over 2,000 yuan per month. Father’s greatest wish is that his two sons can support themselves. He often dreams with them about buying a house in Wenjiang in a few years, so that the whole family can live together and enjoy a happy life. Now, all the good wishes have been shattered. His top priority is to bury his father first, and secondly, to take care of their mother together with his brother. At present, this accident is being investigated and handled by Wenjiang Liucheng ** in cooperation with the Work Safety Supervision Bureau. According to Li Jin, head of the Safety Supervision Section at the Wenjiang Safety Supervision Bureau, hydrogen is a flammable and explosive substance; **by regulation, it can only be sold by legitimate stores that possess the appropriate qualifications. Yang Yun’s production of hydrogen on his own is already a violation of regulations, and the hydrogen he produces has quality issues; it’s possible that Yang does not have a good grasp of the techniques involved and is unable to properly control parameters such as pressure. Li Jin said it was the first time they had encountered such a situation; it is estimated that the concentration of hydrogen gas leaking at that time was high, and static electricity generated between that hydrogen gas and the acrylic clothing worn by Yang led to an explosion, resulting in the tragic death of people. Li Jin warned citizens that if they want to make hydrogen balloons themselves, it is best to purchase ready-made hydrogen from reputable stores; they should never try to produce hydrogen on their own to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again. At the same time, he said that an explosion will occur only when the hydrogen concentration is high, in reaction with the static electricity generated by acrylic clothes; the likelihood of an explosion occurring with hydrogen balloons used by children during play is very low. If anyone is found to be producing hydrogen illegally, it can be reported to the safety supervision authorities.