Hope you are doing fine. Take care of yourselves.
Yao
---------------------- Forwarded by Yao Apasu/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT on 02/12/2001 
06:29 PM ---------------------------


Habiba Bayi
02/12/2001 02:54 PM
To: Ruth A Lancaster@ENRON, Perry.Ewing@resins.com, "Ewing,Mamie H" 
<mamie.ewing@dhs.state.tx.us> @ ENRON, Katrin 
Haux/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Yao 
Apasu/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Stacy.Walker@enron 
communications.com, Whitney Anderson <wa@paradigm-pr.com>, Susan Brady 
<sbrady@tindallfoster.com> @ ENRON, "Anderson,Carla" 
<carla.anderson@dhs.state.tx.us> @ ENRON
cc:  
Subject: Boiling water in the microwave



---------------------- Forwarded by Habiba Bayi/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT on 
02/12/2001 02:55 PM ---------------------------


Felicia Legier
02/12/2001 09:33 AM
To: Amadou Ba/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Keith 
Sparks/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Sean 
Long/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Carla 
Galvan/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Habiba 
Bayi/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Monique Phillips/Enron@EnronXGate
cc:  

Subject: Boiling water in the microwave



---------------------- Forwarded by Felicia Legier/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT on 
02/13/2001 08:20 AM ---------------------------
From: Doris Culpepper@EES on 02/06/2001 10:58 AM
To: Felicia Legier/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT
cc:  

Subject: Boiling water in the microwave


> Boiling Water in Microwave This is scary and I know most of you do this:
>
>  I feel that the following is information that any one who uses a
> microwave oven to heat water should be made aware of.
>
>  My 26-year old son decided to have a cup of coffee.  He took a cup of
> water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had
> done
> numerous times before).  I am not sure how long he set the timer for but
> he
> told me he wanted to bring the water to a boil.  When the timer shut the
> oven off, he removed he cup from the oven. As
> he looked into the cup he noted that the water was not boiling but
> instantly
>  the water in the cup "blew up" into his face.  The cup remained intact
> until
> he threw it out of his hand but all the water had flown out into his face
> due
> to the buildup of energy.
>
>  His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his
> face
> which may leave scarring.  He also may have lost partial sight in his
left
> eye.
>
>   While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated
>  that this a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be
>
> Heated in a microwave oven.  If water is heated in this manner, something
> should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir
> stick,
> tea bag, etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a
tea
>
> kettle.
>
> Please pass this information on to friends and family.
>
> Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: "Thanks
> for
> the microwave warning.  I have seen this happen before.  It is caused by
a
>
> phenomenon known as super heating.  It can occur anytime water is heated
> and
> will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated is new, or
> when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).
>
> What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can
> form.
> If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface
scratches
>
> inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles
> cannot
> form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not
> boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.
>
> What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which
is
>
> just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the
> hot
> liquid.  The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage
> spews when opened after having been shaken."
>
> If you pass this on ...  you could very well save someone from a lot of
> pain
> and suffering.
>
>
> General Electric's response:
>
> Thanks for contacting us, Mr. Williams.  I will be happy to assist you.
> The
> e-mail that you received is correct.  Microwaved water and other liquids
> do
> not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually
get
>
> superheated and not bubble at all.  The superheated liquid will bubble up
> out
> of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is
> put
> into it.
>
> To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid
> for
> more than two minutes per cup.  After heating, let the cup stand in the
> microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.
>
> I hope this helps.  Should you need any further assistance, please
contact us.