Oxygen tank explosion?

Question

Can a medical Oxygen tank explode from just heat? Like sitting in a car?

Answer 1

I am a paramedic and deal with oxygen tanks every day. A hot car will not make an oxygen tank explode, but I have seen an oxygen tank as a missile. The O2 in the tank is under very high pressure and a couple years ago we tested a theory. An O2 tank was dropped on the ground and purposely broke the neck of the tank and the O2 pushed the cylinder with enough force to go through a wall. So it wont explode but can kill someone as a missile if dropped.

Answer 2

Oxygen is not combustible and it cannot explode, like hydrogen or methane.

Oxygen only helps combustion

Answer 3

yes but if the lid did open.. oxygen is incredibly flammable!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

No. A safety valve will pop if the pressure gets too high. Those tanks are built to take four times the pressure they'll ever see.

Answer 6

Oxygen itself is not flammable, but it is required for combustion.  You need something to burn (fuel) in addition to the oxygen.  (The car will burn, for example, but the oxygen will not)

Answer 7

Oxygen under immense pressure from heat won't explode.

The first answer was right, it'll probably cause the lid to pop open and release the gas.

You want to see an explosion, grab some K(potassium) and add it with water.