Butadienes limiting oxygen concentrations

An explosion and fire occurred in the pipework of a vessel in which dilute butadiene was stored under an inert atmosphere, generated by the combustion of fuel gas in a limited air supply. The inert gas, which contained up to 1.8% of oxygen and traces of oxides of nitrogen, reacted in the vapour phase over an extended period to produce concentrations of gummy material containing up to 64% of butadiene peroxide and 4.2% of a butadiene-nitrogen oxide complex. The deposits eventually decomposed explosively. 

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