What did pepcon make?

PEPCON produced ammonium perchlorate, which is a chemical found in solid rocket fuel. 2. Because of the Challenger explosion in January 1986, there was a large amount of ammonium pechlorate at the plant at the time. 3.

What is the difference between burning and explosions?

A key difference between fire and explosion is that in fire, the fuel (e.g. burning candle) and the oxidizer (air) are clearly separated. Oxygen molecules, necessary to maintain the occurrence of combustion, reach the flame largely by diffusion.

How much PSI is in a nuclear bomb?

At 50 seconds after the explosion, when the fireball is no longer visible, the blast wave has traveled about 12 miles. It is then traveling at about 784 miles per hour, which is slightly faster than the speed of sound at sea level….Overpressure.

Peak overpressure	Maximum Wind Speed
10 psi	294 mph
5 psi	163 mph
2 psi	70 mph

What happened at the PEPCON plant in Henderson?

The plant manufactured rocket fuel. (Jeff Scheidl/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Kendra Brown and Pat Hinds watch the scene at the PEPCON plant in Henderson on May 4, 1988, after a fire and explosion rocked the Las Vegas Valley. Their business, Unicorn Sailing Center, located over a mile away, was severely damaged by the blast.

What happened at the Nevada chemical plant in 1988?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On May 4, 1988, a fire followed by several explosions occurred at the Pacific Engineering and Production Company of Nevada (PEPCON) chemical plant in Henderson, Nevada. The disaster caused two fatalities, 372 injuries, and an estimated $100 million of damage.

What was the result of the Henderson explosion?

A series of explosions on May 4, 1988, near the city of Henderson, Nevada, claimed two lives, injured approximately 327 people, including 15 firefighters, and caused damage estimated over 100 million dollars. The explosions affected a large portion of the metropolitan Las Vegas area and caused the activation of disaster plans by several agencies.