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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion in a metal processing factory

Event

Event ID
477
Quality
Description
The explosion affected a furnace for the annealing of wire in special reducing atmosphere. An excess of hydrogen resulted from an insufficient purge with [96% N2 and 4% CO].

[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?
Reactor / Oven / Furnace / Test Chamber
How was it involved?
Internal Explosion (H2-Air Mixture)
Initiating cause
Inadequate Or No Purge
Root causes
Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was the creation of a flammable atmosphere (probably air-hydrogen).
The ROOT CAUSE was probably due to a shortcoming in the purging procedure.

Facility

Application
Steel And Metals Industry
Sub-application
metal annealing
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
furnace
Location type
Confined
Location description
Unknown
Operational condition
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
3600

Event Nature

Release type
gas mixture
Ignition delay
Auto-ignition

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