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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion in a chlorine production plant

Event

Event ID
473
Quality
Description
A hydrogen and air mixture formed during shutdown of a sodium chloride electrolysis system, due to back-filling of the feed lines. The mixture ignited and exposed.

[Zalosh and Short, 1978]
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Macro-region
North America
Country
United States
Date
Main component involved?
Electrolytic Cell
How was it involved?
Internal Explosion (H2-Air Mixture)
Initiating cause
Wrong Operation
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Facility

Application
Chemical Industry
Sub-application
chlorine production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
elextrolytic cell, feed lines
Location type
Confined
Location description
Unknown
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
195000

Event Nature

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Ignition delay
Electricity

References

Reference & weblink

Table II - Industrial Incidents of Appendix A of Zalosh and Short<br />
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN FIRE AND EXPLOSION INCIDENTS<br />
Quarterly Report No. 2 for Period December 1, 1977 - February 28, 1978<br />
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6566131<br />
(accessed September 2020)

JRC assessment