Event
- Event ID
- 668
- Quality
- Description
- The incident occurred at a plant producing sodium aluminium hydride. A hydrogen leak at pump resulted in a fire and an explosion.
[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?
- Compressor / Booster / Pump
- 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
- sodium aluminium hydride
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- Location type
- Confined
- Location description
- Unknown
- Operational condition
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
- ” Sodium aluminium hydride or sodium alanate (NaAlH4) is an inorganic compound used as a reagent for the chemical synthesis of organic compounds. It is prepared from the elements under high pressures of H2 at 200 °C using a catalyst:
Na + Al + 2 H2 → NaAlH4 ”
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_aluminium_hydride]
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 150000
Event Nature
- Ignition delay
- Not reported
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
- Sources categories
- Zalosh
