3 replies to this topic

[paulhorth]

I have been looking at news reports of the terrible explosion at West, Texas, a couple of days ago. The reports mention a liquid ammonia storage vessel, and a fire before the explosion.  The extent of the devastation seems huge, and it appears to me to indicate a vapour cloud explosion rather than a BLEVE ( which would occur with a fire and pressurised liquid storage).

But - I thought that ammonia vapour is not explosive if mixed with air, in the way that hydrocarbon vapour would be. Is that wrong?

Can anyone confirm whether a vapour cloud explosion would be possible with ammonia?

 

Paul

[latexman]

Their ammonium nitrate storage got involved in the fire and blew up.  I read they had 270 tons on site at their last inventory.

 

Somewhat similar to an incident in Texas City in 1947 - http://usnews.nbcnew...rs-earlier?lite

 

Anhydrous ammonia will burn, but it is not easy to get it to burn.   Anhydrous ammonia is classified by the DOT as a non-flammable gas.   Ammonia vapor is flammable over a very narrow range of 16% to 25% by volume in air and a strong ignition source at about 1200 F must be present.  It is possible, but not probable.  Lets see what the investigators say about 2-3 years from now.

Edited by latexman, 19 April 2013 - 04:36 AM.

[Art Montemayor]

I posted the news fotos as soon as I got them locally the following day.

 

You can see them in this Forum.

[paulhorth]

Art, Latexman,

You might be interested to read this, if you haven't already seen the story:

 

http://www.reuters.c...E93J09N20130420

 

Paul