Event
- Event ID
- 662
- Quality
- Description
- A hydrogen leak occurred in a CO (carbon monoxide) - hydrogen separation cold box of an acetic acid plant.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Unignited Hydrogen Release
- Nature of the consequences
- Leak No Ignition (No additional details provided)
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Heat Exchanger
- How was it involved?
- Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
- Initiating cause
- Unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- acetic acid plant
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- Separation equipment
- Location type
- Unknown
- Operational condition
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
- DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT
A CO-hydrogen separation cold box is an insulated steel structure that houses cryogenic equipment used to separate carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) from a gas mixture based on their different boiling points. It operates at very low temperatures to partially condense and then distill the components, achieving high purity separation of the CO and H2 products.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS
The process adopted in this plant was probably the methanol carbonylation, where methanol and CO reacts in presence of a catalyst.
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- No ignition
References
- Reference & weblink
Marsh Rerports 100 LARGEST LOSSES
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- Collections
