Silvia Club of NSW

SODIUM-FILLED VALVES ARE HAZARDOUS

The Bureau of Yards and Docks, Department of the Navy issues a warning against efforts to reclaim as salvage sodium-filled engine exhaust valves once they are removed from diesels or other types of combustion engines.

Although precautions have already been cited by manufacturers, widely circulated in trade journals, both BuDoeks Safety Engineer and YDSO at Port Hueneme believe it necessary to repeat the warning with advice on proper methods for disposing of the valves once they are removed from an engine.

All service personnel and mechanics likely to encounter sodium-filled valves should be told proper methods of disposal. For instance, it should be explained that a sodium-filled valve MUST NOT BE CUT, BROKEN OPEN OR THROWN ON A SCRAP PILE Sodium burns spontaneously at very high temperature upon contact with water or moisture-laden air, therefore, there is immediate danger of explosion or severe body burns if a valve is cut or broken. There are two recommended ways to dispose of them:

1. Toss them into deep water where they cannot be recovered.

2. Bury them deep in the earth (at least 30 inches) in an authorized area not likely to be excavated.