Inert material hazards

Early decisions made purely for process reasons often can lead to problems of safety and health (and environment) which require complex and often expensive solutions. It is far better to consider them early as the design progresses. Designs that avoid the need for hazardous materials, or use less of them, or use them at lower temperatures and pressures, or dilute them with inert materials will be inherently safe and will not require elaborate safety systems. ... 

What you don t have, can t leak. If we could design our plants so that they use safer raw materials and intermediates, or not so much of the hazardous ones, or use the hazardous ones at lower temperatures and pressures or diluted with inert materials, then many problems later in the design could be avoided. 

In particular, PB and PMP are inert materials and usually present no health hazard. PMP is employed extensively for a number of medical and food packaging appHcations. Several grades conform to FDA regulations and to the health standards of other countries. Flammability of polyolefin resins is equal to that of PP, around 2.5 cm /min (ASTM D635). However, during combustion or pyrolysis, smoke, fumes, and toxic decomposition products are formed and can pose a health hazard. 

The hazard of an explosion should in general be minimized by avoiding flammable gas-air mixtures in the process. Again, this can be done either by changing process conditions or by adding an inert material. It is bad practice to rely solely on elimination of sources of ignition. 

Designs that avoid the need for hazardous materials or use less of them or use them at lower temperatures and pressures or dilute them with inert materials will be inherently safe and will not require elaborate safety systems. 

Hydrotreating also produces some residuals in the form of spent catalyst fines, usually consisting of aluminum silicate and some metals (e.g., cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten). Spent hydrotreating catalyst is now listed as a hazardous waste (K171) (except for most support material). Hazardous constituents of this waste include benzene and arsenia (arsenic oxide, AS2O3). The support material for these catalysts is usually an inert ceramic (e.g., alumina, AI2O3). 

Many advanced materials, such as KEVLAR , have applications that depend on their chemical inertness. What hazards do such materials pose for the environment In your opinion, do the benefits of using these materials outweigh the long-term risks associated with their use Give reasons to justify your answer. 

The technology is not applicable to metals or other inorganic materials. Pretreatment to reduce the quantity of inert material mixed with hazardous waste will reduce the cost of this technology. Excess water in sohd wastes to be treated is undesirable. 

Transportation of nitroglycerine and similar nitric acid esters is very hazardous and only permitted in the form of solutions in non-explosive solvents or as mixtures with fine-powdered inert materials containing not more that 5% nitroglycerine. 

According to Bums, the incorporation of about 25% of an inert material such as lime stone materially decreased the explii hazard of AN... 

Fully cured polyurethanes present no health hazard they are chemically inert and insoluble in water and most organic solvents. Dust can be generated in fabrication, and inhalation of the dust should be avoided. Polyether-based polyurethanes are not degraded in the human body, and are therefore used in biomedical applications. Some of the chemicals used in the production of polyurethanes, such as the highly reactive isocyanates and tertiary amine catalysts, must be handled with caution. The other polyurethane ingredients, polyols and surfactants, are relatively inert materials having low toxicity. 

The focus of this chapter has been on commercial and military explosives, but the detection of improvised devices must also be considered. Peroxide explosives such as TATP and HMTD should also be incorporated into training protocols. Owing to the instability of peroxide explosives, extraordinary care must be taken in handling these explosives. It has been demonstrated that inert materials, such as stainless steel bars, can be stored with peroxide explosives and later removed and used as safe training materials [42], Additional research is needed to determine the odor mimics that might contain peroxide by-products which can be used as effective training aids free from the hazards of having to prepare and maintain peroxide explosives. 

Storage tanks Dikes Emergency valves Inspections Procedures Specifications Limitations Design separation, inerting, materials of construction Capacity and drainage Remote control hazardous materials Flash arresters and relief devices Contamination prevention, analysis Chemical, physical and quality stability Temperature, time and quantity... 

Depending on the complexity or hazardous nature of the process, this startup period may be subdivided. The test period may involve simulations with water or other inert materials before active chemicals are introduced. 

For these reasons, the characterization of hazardous solid materials has changed and, with it, the requirements for pollution control. In addition to its nature, described by certain properties (e.g., radioactive) and compositions (e.g., containing toxic components), legislation often defines the term hazardous material by below a certain particle size . With this definition, totally inert materials, consisting of or containing ultrafine particles, become hazardous by law and require processing. 

DISPOSAL AND STORAGE METHODS absorb with an inert material (e.g., dry sand, earth, vermiculite), and place in a secured, sanitary landfill or in a chemical waste container dispose of container and unused contents in accordance with federal, state and local requirements store in a cool, dry location with adequate ventilation outside storage is preferred containers should be bonded and grounded for transfers to avoid static sparks separate from oxidizing materials, acids, and sources of halogens keep away from any area where the fire hazard may be acute. 

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES generally stable rather inert chemically hazardous polymerization will not occur temperatures >400°F, including temperatures produced through adiabatic compression, heat, and flames will contribute to its instability does not attack glass or mercury at normal temperatures a very strong oxidant reacts with combustible and reducing materials FP (NA) LFL/UFL (NA) AT (NA) HF(-132.1 kJ/mol gas at 25°C). 

A train derailment in Brownson, Nebraska, resulted in a tank car of phosphorus overturning and thephosphoms igniting upon contact with air. Phosphorus is shipped under water, so there was water inside the tank car. CHEMTREC (Chemical Transportation Emergency Center) was called, and responders were told correctly that the phosphorous would not explode. However, the water inside the tank car turned to steam from the heat of the phosphoms fire. The pressure from the steam caused a boiler-type of explosion that had nothing to do with the phosphorus. This is just another example of the hidden hazards that emergency responders must be aware of when dealing with hazardous materials. Not only do the hazardous materials have to be considered, but also the container and any inert materials that may be involved with the product. 

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