• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.58 no.4
• /
• pp.610-617
• /
• 2020

In process installations, chemicals operate at high temperature and high pressure. Propylene is used as a basic raw material for manufacturing synthetic materials in the petrochemical industry; However, it is a flammable substance and explosive in the gaseous state. Thus, caution is needed when handling propylene. To prevent explosions, an inert gas, carbon dioxide, was used and the changes in the extent of explosion due to changes in pressure and oxygen concentration at 25 ℃, 100 ℃, and 200 ℃ were measured. At constant temperature, the increase in explosive pressure and the rates of the explosive pressure were observed to rise as the pressure was augmented. Moreover, as the oxygen concentration decreased, the maximum explosive pressure decreased. At 25 ℃ and oxygen concentration of 21%, as the pressure increased from 1.0 barg to 2.5 bar, the gas deflagration index (K_g) increased significantly from 4.71 barg·m/s to 18.83 barg·m/s.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.600-608
• /
• 2017

Hazard risk of explosion on pharmaceutical raw materials dust in pharmaceutical industry often exists when it is handled or processed in the industrial sites, and explosion accident is caused by this. In this study, the dust explosion characteristics of the three pharmaceutical raw materials samples were measured. The main explosion characteristics are as follows: $P_{max}$, MIE and MIT of loxoprofen acid having $5.31^{\circ}C$ of median diameter are obtained 8.4 bar, 1 mJ < MIE < 3 mJ and $550^{\circ}C$. $P_{max}$, MIE and MIT of camphorsulfonate having $95.63^{\circ}C$ of median diameter are obtained 7.9 bar, 30 mJ < MIE < 100 mJ and $510^{\circ}C$. $P_{max}$, MIE and MIT of rifampicine having $26.48^{\circ}C$ of median diameter are obtained 7.9 bar and 1 mJ < MIE < 3 mJ and $470^{\circ}C$. The deflagration index ($K_{st}$) and the explosion index (EI) were obtained by using these data. The explosion hazard assessment of pharmaceutical raw materials dust was compared and examined. As a result, the explosion hazard assessment according to deflagration index and explosion index were the explosion class with St 2 and the explosion hazard rating of severe for loxoprofen acid & rifampicine and St 1 and strong for clopidogrel camphorsulfonate, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.78-84
• /
• 2020

The F&EI technique is one of the risk assessments with many advantages. It can save time and effort compared to quantitative risk assessment (QRA). By using the evaluation result of this technique, it is possible to check the effectiveness of the investment cost. In addition, a relative risk ranking can be created and used to establish the facility management cycle and to prioritize investment. However, evaluating the target process can be evaluated more than the actual risk since the LCCF, a loss prevention measure, is too limited. In addition, calculating premiums via this method can result in excessive premiums, making it difficult to evaluate the risk precisely. Therefore, new safety guard was added to the LCCF of the F&EI risk assessment with reference to HAZOP and LOPA techniques. Newly added LCCFs are Deflagration arrester, Check valve, SIS, and Vacuum beaker, etc. As a case study, F&EI risk assessment was performed on Acetone storage tank of a API (Active pharmaceutical ingredient) plant to compare actual MPPD. The estimated loss amount was 592,558$ for the existing technique and 563,571$ for the improved technique, which was reduced by about 5% compared to the previous one.This proved that a more precise evaluation is possible and that the efforts for safety at the workplace are reflected in the evaluation results.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2011

Using 20 L spherical explosion vessel and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), an experimental investigation was carried on explosion characteristics and thermal decomposition of some reactive organic dust. As the result, the minimum explosion concentration of Benzoyl peroxide (BPO), Phthalic anhydride (PA) and 1-Hydroxybenzotriazol (HBT) exist between 10 and 15 g/$m^3$, which indicates that their explosion sensitivity are high. The maximum Kst values of HBT, PA and 97 % BPO are 251, 146 and 80 [$bar{\cdot}m/s$], respectively and the explosion severity of HBT is the explosion class of St-2. The flame velocity was also calculated from the combustion time of dust and flame arrival time to estimate the flame propagation characteristics in a closed vessel. The decomposition temperature and heat of decomposition reaction for 97 % BPO and HBT are $107^{\circ}C$ (1025 J/g), $214^{\circ}C$ (1666 J/g), respectively and it was found that these low decomposition temperature and high released heat affect the explosion characteristics.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2024

Fuel gases such as methane and propane are used in explosion hazardous area of domestic plants and can form non-uniform mixtures with the influence of process conditions due to leakage. The fire-explosion risk assessment using literature data measured under uniform mixtures, damage prediction can be obtained the different results from actual explosion accidents by gas leaks. An explosion characteristics such as explosion pressure and flame velocity of non-uniform gas mixtures with concentration change similar to that of facility leak were examined. The experiments were conducted in a closed 0.82 m long stainless steel duct with observation recorded by color high speed camera and piezo pressure sensor. Also we proposed the quantification method of non-uniform mixtures from a regression analysis model on the change of concentration difference with time in explosion duct. For the non-uniform condition of this study, the area of flame surface enlarged with increasing the concentration non-uniform in the flame propagation of methane and was similar to the wrinkled flame structure existing in a turbulent flame. The time to peak pressure of methane decreased as the non-uniform increased and the explosion pressure increased with increasing the non-uniform. The ranges of K_G (Deflagration index) of methane with the concentration non-uniform were 1.30 to 1.58 [MPa·m/s] and the increase rate of K_G was 17.7% in methane with changing from uniform to non-uniform.