adjective
- igniting spontaneously when exposed to air at or below room temperature
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- The pyrophoric metal burst into flames as soon as it contacted the air.
- Laboratory workers must handle pyrophoric materials with extreme caution.
- Certain iron sulfide compounds are pyrophoric and pose fire hazards.
- The pyrophoric nature of white phosphorus makes it dangerous to store.
- Special inert atmosphere containers are required for pyrophoric substances.
- The chemist used nitrogen gas to prevent the pyrophoric reagent from igniting.