A minor explosion in a glass vial at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Engineering Center at approximately 2:45 p.m. today caused the evacuation of the south side of the building that houses the chemical engineering department. One minor injury was reported.
The explosion occurred during an experiment being conducted by a chemical engineering graduate student. The student sustained a minor cut on the chin from the exploding glass vial and was treated and released at Wardenburg Health Center on the CU-Boulder campus.
The student was managing a chemical reaction between three chemicals: tripropargylamine, tetraethylene glycol diazide, and copper (II) disoprophyl salicylate.
No other students were in the room at the time of the explosion and there was no structural damage to the laboratory.
The Boulder Fire Department and CU Police responded to the scene. Hazmat crews conducted a walk-through of the area to make sure there was no further danger.
As of 4:50 p.m., all of the building had reopened except for the corridor where the lab is located.
-CU-