Explosion at a Hydrogen Storage of a Research Facility (525)

On September 1, 1992, an explosion in this facility occurred due to an accidental release of hydrogen at the Institute of Energy Conversion, University of Delaware, US. Hydrogen gas was used in research reactors to deposit amorphous silicon thin-films. The explosion occurred during the replacement of a hydrogen cylinder which was stored in a ventilated gas cabinet equipped with sprinklers. This and other hazardous gases flowed to an enclosed reactor in an adjacent room.