Incidents explosion, acetic acid

Addition of fresh platinum oxide catalyst to a hydrogenation reaction in acetic acid caused immediate explosion. Several similar incidents, usually involving acetic acid as solvent, are known to the author. 

See DUST EXPLOSION INCIDENTS (reference 15) See Calcium oxide Water (reference 3) Potassium chlorate Fabric, 4017 Nitric acid Cellulose, 4436 Hydrogen peroxide Acetic acid, Jute, 4477 See also COTTON... 

The compound (formulated as the double salt, (fuel + oxidant), rather than the mixed salt) may be formed during the preparation of lead bromate from lead acetate and potassium bromate in acetic acid, and is explosive and very sensitive to friction. Although lead bromate is stable up to 180°C, it is an explosive salt [1]. Further details of the incident are available [2]. 

There are chemical explosion hazards associated with stored reprocessing residues. The explosion near Chelyabinsk in the Urals in 1958 was, it has been suggested, powered by interaction of sodium nitrate and/or nitric acid with sodium acetate/acetic acid in nitrate wastes neutralised with sodium acetate, then stored and allowed to concentrate by radioactive heating [1]. A reprocessing incident at Tomsk in 1993 was apparently caused... 

The federal government fined the company 3 million dollars for the various citations in relation to the accident.122 Hoechst is another company that has had repeated problems a serious pollution problem at Griesheim, Germany in 1993, as well as seven major incidents, mostly in Europe, between January 1995 and June 1996, including leaks of acrylic acid and a fire and explosion in an acetic acid plant at Clear Lake, Texas a fire in a 2-ethylhexanol plant in Oberhausen, Germany and problems with the methanol plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.123... 

Contact of cellulose acetate with 1200 1 of uncooled anhydrous acid in acetic anhydride led to a particularly disastrous explosion [1], and interaction of benzyl cellulose with boiling 72% acid was also explosive [3], Perchlorate esters of cellulose may have been involved in all these incidents. 

Contact of the hot concentrated acid or the cold anhydrous acid with cellulose (as paper, wood fibre or sawdust, etc.) is very dangerous and may cause a violent explosion. Many fires have been caused by long-term contact of diluted acid with wood (especially in fume cupboards) with subsequent evaporation and ignition [1,2]. Contact of cellulose acetate with 1200 1 of uncooled anhydrous acid in acetic anhydride led to a particularly disastrous explosion [1], and interaction of benzyl cellulose with boiling 72% acid was also explosive [3], Perchlorate esters of cellulose may have been involved in all these incidents. 

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