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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion during a chemical reaction

Event

Event ID
642
Quality
Description
The explosion occurred in a chemical plant manufacturing raw materials for cosmetics. Fluoro-nitro-benzene and liquid chemicals were mixed in a high-pressure reactor for the development of a new product. Hydrogen gas was then injected. During the production process, about 12 hours after the start of the reaction, an abnormal reaction occurred and the reactor exploded due to a sudden increase in pressure.
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Macro-region
Asia
Country
Japan
Date
Main component involved?
Reactor / Oven / Furnace / Test Chamber
How was it involved?
Internal Explosion (Hp Explosion)
Initiating cause
Run-Away Reaction
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)
Root CAUSE analysis
Nothing is known on the runaway reaction, on the production procedures used, on the preventive and mitigating measures which could have been in place.

Facility

Application
Chemical Industry
Sub-application
Inorganic chemicals products
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
reactor
Location type
Unknown
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition
Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
WHAT IS FLUORONITROBENZENE
Fluoronitrobenzene is an organic compound with the formula FC6H4NO2.
It can be hydrogenated to give 4-fluoroaniline, which is a precursor to fluoroimide (a fungicide) and to parafluorofentanyl (an opioid).

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Post-event summary
The original entry from RISCAD, was reproting 6 injuries. The KHK database does not report any injury.

Event Nature

Release type
Gas-liquid mixture
Involved substances (% vol)
H2,
nitrobenzene fluoride
Presumed ignition source
Run-away reaction

References

Reference & weblink

High Pressure Gas Accident Cases Database of the KHK (High Pressure Gas Safety Association): <br />
https://www.khk.or.jp/public_information/incident_investigation/hpg_inc… />
(accessed May 2025)

The first entry in HIAD was coming from RISCAD, which is now closed.<br />

JRC assessment