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Chemical Reaction
Titanium is melted in a furnace with copper crucibles. The crucibles are cooled with water to prevent them from overheating, but if anything happens to make the water run out, the copper will melt in the intense heat used to melt the titanium, which has been estimated at around 1,835 degrees Celsius. This can cause water to leak into the molten titanium. Molten titanium chemically reacts with water in such a way as to absorb all of the oxygen in it. This sets the hydrogen free, which causes the explosion.
Dangers of a Titanium Blast
The double explosion of steam and hydrogen, caused when water comes in contact with molten titanium, is as powerful as 200 lb. of dynamite going off at once. In the first several years of commercial titanium production, six people were killed by these types of explosions. In 1960, a titanium plant operator at the California plant of the titanium division of Harvey Aluminum was decapitated by a furnace explosion of this kind. Approximately 50 of such explosions occurred between 1950 and 2000, but no fatalities between 1960 and 2000 because of improved safety standards.
Titanium Warehouse Fire
On July 14, 2010, a titanium warehouse in Los Angeles, California, caught on fire. Because of the known dangers of spraying water on burning titanium, firefighters were unable to enter the warehouse or spray water on the fire. Despite these precautions, a titanium explosion happened at 12:25 a.m., followed by another explosion some time during the night. Three firefighters and a cameraman were hurt by the explosions. The fire department was forced to allow the titanium to burn out rather than to attempt to put it out, and six buildings were burned down.
Titanium Dust Explosions
Titanium powder or dust is mixed with other metals to make them stronger, because it weighs only 45 percent as much as steel but is just as strong.Titanium dust can also explode. According to Reade Advanced Materials, a cloud of titanium dust at a concentration of .045 oz. per foot can ignite at a temperature of 460 degrees Celsius, resulting in a "severe" explosion hazard.