Catalyst explosion: A case history

Abstract

In May, 1979, an explosive rupture of a vessel took place during preparation of a catalyst solution at the Pittsburg, California plant of Dow Chemical U.S.A. About fifty contractor employees were injured, including two fatalities. Property damage amounted to two million dollars. The operation consisted of chlorination of powdered iron suspended in an agitated mixture of chlorinated aromatic heterocyclics to produce a ferric chloride solution for use elsewhere. The operation had been subjected to then current reactive chemicals screening tests and to a number of pilot plant runs; these tests and runs did not reveal any potential for explosion. Today's tests, including the CSI-ARC, properly conducted and analyzed, would have revealed potential difficulties.