The Spontaneous Heating and Ignition of Hay and Other Agricultural Products

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Abstract
The crux of the problem of spontaneous ignition of hay has been to find a satisfactory explanation for the great increase in temp. above the bacterial death point. This paper proposes an explanation based on the formation of unsaturated compounds by microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. When air obtains sudden entrance to the interior of a heating stack, these compounds are rapidly oxidized and the temp. is quickly raised to the ignition point (as in the case of oily rags). If the rapid entrance of air to the stack does not occur, the unsaturated compounds are only slowly oxidized and the temp. slowly diminishes without ignition. Arguments are given for the probable formation of unsaturated residues by microorganisms under the specified anaerobic conditions.

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