Explosive-vapor formation

The vapor explosion, resulting from the very rapid heat transfer process that can take place when a hot, molten material comes into contact with a cooler liquid (which has a boiling point much less than that of the molten material), was analytically investigated. Fragmentation or particle atomization was shown to be a necessary prerequisite for vapor explosions. Also, the various mechanisms of fragmentation of molten materials which have been proposed were critically examined and compared to available data from controlled experiments and recorded explosion disasters.