Event
- Event ID
- 914
- Quality
- Description
- In a graphite purification workshop, the cooling circuit of an electric furnace leaks, the water decomposes in contact with materials heated to a temperature of 1,800°C; the gas mixture (hydrogen, air...) explodes. The carbon contained in the furnace is dispersed and ignites.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- France
- Date
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
- Root CAUSE analysis
- INITIATING CAUSE was the leaking of water into the high temperature reactor, which brought to water thermolysis.
Nothing is known on the reason for the leak.
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- graphite production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- graphite purification reactor
- Location type
- Confined
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- The furnace and the roof covering it were destroyed.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Hot surface
References
- Reference & weblink
Description of the event in the French database ARIA <br />
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/10466/ <br />
(accessed September 2020)
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ARIA
