Epichlorohydrin through vent tank

[SafeTguy]

While filling a bulk tank with epichlorohydrin from a road tanker, the bulk tank vented or burped and less than 50 pounds emitted. The question is how did this happen. The bulk tank was less than 3/4 full with 70,000 pounds capacity remaining. Liquid level was approximately 10 feet from full. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Nitrogen on tank: 2 lbs
Pump rate: 640 lbs per minute

 

[bimr]

You have not provided a complete description of your application, so there is not much to go on. Maybe you should start by reviewing the handling and storage recommendations from the chemical supplier:

http://www.resins.com/resins/am/ACECH/ACECH-4-1-4.html

http://www.resins.com/resins/am/ACECH/ACECH-4-1-9.html

 

[SafeTguy]

Thank you for your response. I tried to provide all the pertinent information. We have been transferring ECH fron tankers to bulk tanks for 5+ years. We have participated in product stewardship with the supplier. Our supplier does not have an answer for this strange event.

What additional information do you think is needed to assist in determining what may have happened.

Other opinions have included entrainment and others have maintained that the tank must have been full, however, we have completeted a mass balence for the last 2 years, (last time tank was empty) and the balence shows 70000 lbs of space remaining at time of incident.

 

[bimr]

A complete idea of what you are doing is necessary for someone to evaluate your system. As an example:

Are you pumping?
Type of pump?
How do you know it burped?
Length of unloading pipe or hose?
Temperature of system?
Diameter of pipe?
Pipe material?
Tank Height?
Tank Diameter?
Fill Connection Height?
ETC...ETC.

You are requesting someone to give you an answer while at the same time, the person know little of what you are doing.

Why don't you hire an engineering firm to do a haz-op review of your system? With the haz-op review, they should look at each piece of equipment and operation in your system.