Thermal Destruction of Cyanide Fumes: Important Safety Advice

Summary for thermal destruction of cyanide fumes Discussion

Thermal destruction of cyanide fumes is questioned by Francis James, who asks what temperature would be needed to thermally destroy cyanide fumes or gases from material in an induction furnace process. In reply, an answerer notes that firefighters often worry about hydrogen cyanide in fire situations, especially from pyrolysis of polyurethane furniture, and says this suggests high temperature alone is unlikely to effectively destroy HCN. The practical advice given is to identify the source of the cyanide and prevent it from entering the furnace in the first place, rather than relying on thermal destruction after the fact. The thread does not provide a specific destruction temperature, and the answer emphasizes source control and prevention as the safer approach.