Can a gas tank explode due to heat?

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asked Feb 19, 2020 in Safety by grogonamission (340 points)
Can a gas tank explode due to heat?

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answered Feb 19, 2020 by Grahlu (51,270 points)
A gas tank could explode due to expansion in the heat if the gas tank wasn't vented.

Gas tanks on vehicles are vented through a little vent tube that connects to the gas cap filling hole.

Also your gas tank is vented through a charcoal canister that helps to absorb vapors released from the gas tank and sometimes you'll smell gas in the hot weather after you fill your gas tank up.

That is usually the charcoal canister absorbing and releasing those gas vapors.

If the gas tank were not vented then eventually the expansion of the gas tank due to the heat could cause the gas tank to bulge out and explode.

But I've never heard of a case where a cars or other vehicles gas tank exploded due to the heat of the weather.

Mostly the gasoline explodes due to the vapors such as when the car catches on fire and then eventually the vapors from the gas tank explodes.

Or when a spark ignites the vapors on the gas tank such as someone cutting something around the gas tank and then the spark gets to the gasoline vapors.

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