Journal
JOURNAL OF LOSS PREVENTION IN THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES
Volume 18, Issue 4-6, Pages 531-536Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jlp.2005.07.022
Keywords
accelerating rate calorimeter; nitro toluene; onset temperature; foulant and runaway reaction
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At one of the nitro-toluene facilities, an o-nitro toluene still was in standby mode. During the standby mode feed to the still had been stopped, the column was not de-inventoried, steam flow to the reboiler was not shut off and the condenser was on total reflux. After 22 days of standby mode, steam was shut off for 5 days for annual plant maintenance. Eight days after the re-start of steam, the still exploded, hurling debris as far as one mile. The internal packing was expelled from the column and landed on the ground burning. The incident was investigated to establish the contributing factors leading to explosion. Accelerating Rate Calorimetery was extensively used to determine the onset temperature for exothermic activity in the presence/absence of a number of materials to establish the underlying cause of the accident. It was found that foulant collected in the column over a period of years accelerated the 'runaway reaction'. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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