Event
- Event ID
- 595
- Quality
- Description
- An inadequate nitrogen purge allowed the formation of an explosive air-hydrogen mixture in in the electrolytic cells.
[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
- Inadequate Or No Purge
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- sodium chlorite production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- Location type
- Confined
- Location description
- Unknown
- Operational condition
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
- DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS
“Sodium chlorate is an inorganic compound produced by the electrolysis of concentrated sodium chloride solutions (NaCl).
The overall reaction can be simplified to the equation:
NaCl + 3 H2O → NaClO3 + 3 H2
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chlorate]
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 7
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 127000
Event Nature
- Ignition delay
- Static electricity
References
- Reference & weblink
Table II - Industrial Incidetns 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
- Sources categories
- Zalosh
