Hydrogen Explosion at Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB) Plant Injures Five Workers
An explosion at a linear alkylbenzene (LAB) plant caused substantial damage to the facility and injured five workers. Production remains down, and the company has sent a letter to customers declaring force majeure.Four of the five injured workers were treated and subsequently released from local hospitals. A fifth worker, whose back was broken in a 30-foot fall, is in a body cast but is expected to recover fully. The plant was down for routine maintenance when an explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13 1998. A preliminary report local administration attributed the explosion to the ignition of hydrogen in or around a reactor.A subsequent fire, which was put out by 8:30 p.m., was fed by paraffins that leaked from pipes broken in the explosion, according to the report.
Event Date
October 13, 1998
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
Experts investigation reproduced in laboratory the operative conditions of the plant and concluded that "the root cause of this accident was direct and sustained contact between the steam and accumulated sludge at the bottom of the reactor." "A review of possible chemical reactions between steam, aluminum and aluminum chloride confirms that the predominant reaction mechanism is the exothermic hydrolysis of aluminum chloride to produce HCl vapor. Significant amounts of hydrogen gas can also be generated as the aluminum reacts with the acid/steam mixture after it is stripped of its protective oxide coating."
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
vessels and pipes
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
The plant was down for routine maintenance when an explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. The bottom of the reactor R-2 was plugged with ca. 180 gallons of a sludge-like mixture that likely consisted of a mixture of coarse aluminum powder, aluminum chloride and various hydrocarbons.
Consequences
Number of Injured Persons
1
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Unknown
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Unknown
Release Type
Release Substance
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
CSB Safety Bullettin
https://www.csb.gov/file.aspx?DocumentId=5612
(accessed Jan 2023)
Accident analaysis peformed by Exponent
Available at https://www.exponent.com/experience/october-1998-explosion-at-the-conde…
(accessed Dec 2019, not available anymore))
Ali Reza P.E., et al. , Runaway reactions in aluminum, aluminum chloride, HCl, and steam: An investigation of the 1998 CONDEA Vista explosion in Maryland
Process Safety Progress 21 (2002) 2061-267 https://doi.org/10.1002/prs.680210312