Does aluminia ( Al2O3 ) burn??

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Isn't alumina the plural of aluminum? Perhaps that's where they got the stupid pronunciation from. Or maybe it was just a gripe because they didn't invent the Periodic Table

Anyway::::::

Alumina must be kept dry if it is eventually going to a potroom. ■

...that should be the question.

Here we go, here we go...first does alumina react with water; answered yes. Now ...how do I save the belt....? When the teacher says "One question at a time please." it is usually part of a punch line. Unfortunately on these forums it is too often the result of a well intentioned reply disturbing a preconception.

Think about it a bit. If alumina doesn't catch fire then you simply use a fire resistant belt. Easy or what? You might need to worry more about the pet coke which the belt might be called upon to convey.

Alumina is calcined buaxite by the way. Aluminum is the erroneous North American term for the metal which the Periodic Table quite precisely names Aluminium. ■

Originally Posted by louispanjang

. Aluminum is the erroneous North American term for the metal which the Periodic Table quite precisely names Aluminium.

It's English Jim, but not as we use it

Apologies for misspelling alumina as aluminia in my first post. ■

You cannot use water and once the belt is on fire, immersion in water is the only way to put a rubber fire out as it burns so hot. If you want to put a fire suppression system in it needs to be be a system that floods in carbon dioxide. It is heavier than air so it will displace it and it will suppress the fire by eliminating oxygen. This means a pre-requisite is sealing to ensure the gas is contained around the belt and that only people with self contained breathing apparatus can go near the fire. The alternate is to use fire resistant anti static belting as is used in the underground coal industry but make sure it is to British or Australian Standards as this will dictate neoprene or PVC belt which is far more fire resistant and hold their fire resistant properties over time. Alumina has a tendency to leach out the fire retardants in SBR compounded belts over time which means they will no longer be fire resistant. Using this type of belt is more expensive but my guess it would be cheaper than a flood CO2 fire suppression system.

Cheers

Colin Benjamin

Gulf Conveyor System P/L

www.conveyorsystemstechnology.com ■