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This data is from the European Hydrogen Incidents and Accidents database HIAD 2.1, European Commission, Joint Research Centre.

Explosion and Fire in a Metal Hydride Storage Production Plant
An explosion and fire occurred at around at a solid hydrogen storage company. The accident occurred while a press used to compact magnesium hydride and natural graphite into pellets was being reassembled following maintenance. The manufacturing of the pellets created dust inside the vacuum chamber. This dust built up on various areas of the press (bellows, front and rear of the press, valve, stripper, inside of the airlock and dispenser). To prevent excess powder build-up, the press was cleaned three times a day at the end of each shift. The explosion occurred after the press had been cleaned and when the employees had placed the pressing cavity under vacuum before the injection of argon.Three employees were injured; one suffered slight burns and the two others has ruptured eardrums. The employees extinguished the flames in the casing of the vacuum pump and the press airlock before the fire-fighters arrived. Property damage was primarily limited to objects immediately adjacent to the press but the pellet production line was shut down for several months. The decision to build an extension to the shop was pushed back.The report issued by one of the specialist firms postulated an explosion of the magnesium hydride and/or hydrogen dust inside the pelleting chamber containment. Hydrogen may have been desorbed at ambient temperature from the magnesium hydride powder. Moisture in the air can produce this phenomenon (according to MgH2 + H2O 3H + MgOH ). A failure of the vacuum system after the doors of the press were closed may have caused the powder mixture to become suspended and form a confined cloud that spontaneously ignited in contact with air. The firm recommended conducting a variety of tests to establish the characteristics of the powder mixture (stability, etc.) and substantiate/disprove the assumptions made.
Event Date
March 15, 2013
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
The immediate cause is suspected to be the desorption of hydrogen from the magnesium hydride (MgH2) which caused an explosion due to the failure of the vacuum system. The root cause is the complete lack of sound safety procedures, and the failing to learn from the experience of past accidents.
Facility Information
Application Type
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
solid-state hydrogen storage , pellets press, mechanical workshop
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
The press had been reassembled after maintenance consisting in dust cleaning, and was putting under vacuum. Two incidents with serious consequences had already occurred in the past. The first, in 2010, involved an experimental powder mixture that caught fire, burning the arm of a technician. The second occurred in 2012, when the press was cleaned with a vacuum cleaner although this was prohibited.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
The plant failed to learn from past accidents (two incidents with serious consequences).After this last accident, the workshops were cleaned and rearranged (separate testing and storage areas, etc.) and employee training improved. The plant operator also plans to reorganise production by:1. adding more maintenance staff, setting up hydride teams (furnaces and pelleting) and assembly teams (cartridges and tanks), creating testing units (NDT, etc.) and adding a compliance and monitoring team to the HSE department. 2.overhauling the documentation and quality procedures. 3.creating a simpler and safer magnesium hydride pelletizing line (and ultimately automate it) and revise the production conditions for the various machines.
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The employees extinguished the flames in the casing of the vacuum pump and the press airlock before the fire-fighters arrived.
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References

ARIA data base
event no. 43573

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