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Explosion of Hydrogen and Sodium Borohydride in a Pharmaceutical Plant (784)

The loss of control of a reaction caused a fire in a pharmaceutical plant caused a reaction runaway and the rupture of a 6 m reactor. A cloud containing sodium borohydride and hydrogen was emitted. The production manager evacuated the installation. When the cloud reached electrical equipment, an explosion occurred. The cooling circuit was damaged. The thermal oil leaked and ignited. The fire spread to a large part of the plant. Firefighters intervened. The water of extinction was confined in basins. Storage tanks that were not affected by the fire were emptied.

Fire in the Hydrogenation Reactor of a Alcohols an Acids Production Plant (783)

A fire started on the primary hydrogenation reactor of a chemical plant synthesizing alcohols and acids by reactions between olefins and a H2 / CO gas mixtures. The alcohols are synthesised in 3 steps: HP (280b) / BP (3b) ozonisation, primary hydrogenation (63b), vacuum distillation and final hydrogenation (63b).A pressure drop was noted on the hydrogenation unit, caused by a leak from a thermally insulated pipe (DN 50, 3.6 mm). The pipe was containing hydrogen at 40 bar and was connected to a separator.

Explosion at a Rubber Factory, Caused by Accidental Hydrolysis of Chemicals (781)

At a rubber factory, an explosion occurred inside a lubricant container filled with 18 tonnes of tri-(nonylphenyl) phosphite (TNPP or TNPA). This tank was typically stirred and maintained at 45C. However, the heating circuit routed to the container had broken down 7 days earlier. With the polluted TNPP scheduled for disposal, the accident occurred during a sawing operation to remove the walkway interfering with the manhole opening.

Explosion at the Electrolysis Unit of a Chemical Factory (778)

An explosion occurred a the Lurgi electrolysis unit of a chemical factory. The plant suffered extensive damage and one man died. The electrolysis plant produced hydrogen for process use and oxygen as a waste product by electrolysis of potassium hydroxide solution. The investigation concluded that the explosion probably occurred on the oxygen separating drum into which hydrogen had leaked.

Explosion in a Chlorine Production Plant (777)

The event occurred at the chlorine drying towers. The towers, made of PVC, exploded suddenly and violently in a mercury amalgam cell chlorine plant. Because of failure of the electrical power system a circuit breaker tripped out the mercury pumps stopped and the steel bottom plates in the cells became exposed. The alarm did not work since both the AC power supply to the mercury pumps and that for the alarm system were taken from the same source. Meanwhile the DC power and brine supply to the cells were not interrupted.

An Explosion in the Hydrogen Storage of an Ammonia Production Unit (776)

The explosion took place in the hydrogen gasometer. The bell in the gasometer was lifted 15-20 m straight up and cracked. The cover fell down on the pipe bridge besides the gasometer. The cylindrical part of the bell fell down into the gasometer basin. The reason for the explosion was transportation of oxygen into the hydrogen gasometer. This was due to poor drainage, and corresponding overpressure in the oxygen flow line. No persons were injured. The hydrogen gasometer was destroyed, and there was also considerable damage to the 02 and N2 gasometers.

Failure of a Pipe a Ammonia Plant Due to Hydrogen Embrittlement (775)

The cracking happened in an ammonia plant, started up in 1970, on the pipe leading hot synthesis gas from the synthesis convertor to the first heat exchanger. This pipe was affected by six cracks and consequent leakages, along a time span from 1978 to 1982. Following each cracking, repair/re-welding was performed. Before the last cracking, part of the pipe was replaced with a new piece. All the crack occurred at a approximately 90 degrees bend of the pipe. No serious fires occurred.

Explosion in an Ammonia Production Plant (773)

The event occurred during welding works which ignited accidentally released hydrogen. The plant had been partially shut down for repairing works to a pipe affected by internal cracks. The repairing schedule foresaw grinding and external welding of the defective parts. Despite the purging phase to guarantee drying of the pipe section, further water leakage was hindering the work, so that additional measures was taken, also to avoid too much gas waste. The hydrogen entered the system by a leaking valve, undetected at the time of job preparation and during subsequent checks.

Fire in a Steam-Methane Reformer Reactor of a Refinery (772)

The accident happened in a refinery unit, constructed ten years before. A pigtail ruptured in a steam reformer for the production of hydrogen, and caused a major fire, which destroyed most of the tubes (54) in one quadrant of the large steam-methane reformer furnace. No personnel was hurt. Main causes were bad weld quality and shortening of pigtails over the life of the plant, which significantly increased the cyclic stress at the root of the weld from thermal expansion and tube bowing.

Explosion of a Potassium Storage Tank at an Ammonia Plant (771)

The accident happened in an anhydrous ammonia plant, commissioned in March 1977. Hydrogen accumulated inside a Benfield solution (hot potassium) storage tank and was ignited by a static charge, which caused the explosion.Mechanism by which hydrogen may have entered the storage tank are described in the paper (block valve leakage, H2 solubility in Benfield solution, etc.).The explosion sent the tank roof and sidewalls some 37m into the air, expelling an estimated amount of 114 m3 of solution into the process area.
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