Silane is a chemical compound with chemical formula SiH4. It is the silicon analogue of methane. At room temperature, silane is a gas, and is pyrophoric — it undergoes spontaneous combustion in air, without the need for external ignition.

Several industrial and medical applications exist for silane and functionalized silanes. For instance, silanes are used as coupling agents to adhere glass fibers to a polymer matrix, stabilizing the composite material. Silane has a repulsive smell.

A number of fatal industrial accidents produced by detonation and combustion of leaked silane in air have been reported. Diluted silane mixtures with inert gases such as nitrogen or argon are even more likely to ignite when leaked into open air, compared to pure silane: Even a 1% mixture of silane in pure nitrogen easily ignites when exposed to air.

An Silane (SiH4) detector can be used to measure the concentration in the air. There are many Silane detectors on the market, Airmet can help you selecting the correct model for you application. Give us a call or use the product selector below.

   > CAS nr. 7803-62-5
   > Relative density: 1.11
   > Standard Range: 0 - 15 ppm
   > Low Alarm Level (TWA): 5 ppm
   > High Alarm Level (STEL): 10 ppm