Isobutane explosion

Pasadena, Texas (Ref. 14) 23 (unknown number in buildings) An isobutane and ethylene release in a polyethylene plant resulted in an explosion that destroyed the facility, including the control room, and also damaged an administration building 0.5 mi (0.8 km) away. 

A massive explosion in Pasadena, Texas, on October 23,1989, resulted in 23 fatalities, 314 injuries, and capital losses of over 715 million. This explosion occurred in a high-density polyethylene plant after the accidental release of 85,000 pounds of a flammable mixture containing ethylene, isobutane, hexane, and hydrogen. The release formed a large gas cloud instantaneously because the system was under high pressure and temperature. The cloud was ignited about 2 minutes after the release by an unidentified ignition source. 

Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA 1967 Isobutane 7 people died when a leaking 10-inch gate valve liberated a cloud which exploded. Fires and secondary explosions continued for two weeks ( 1M) UVCE ... 

R. Saferstein, J.M. Chao J.J. Manura, Isobutane Chemical Ionization Mass Spectro-graphic Examination of Explosives , JAssoc of... 

A catastrophic explosion and major fire occurred within a major refinery as operations prepared a system for valve maintenance. This refinery stored a flashing flammable fluid (isobutane with a boiling point of 11° F or —12° C) in two spherical tanks. The spheres connected to an alkylation unit via a 10-inch (25 cm) line. Operating line pressure was about 50 psig (345 kPa gauge) and one of the valves in this underground system was in an open pit. [9]... 

Caution Isobutane is highly flammable and explosive. Perform sampling and analytical operations in a well-... 

Butane, isobutane, and propane are asphyxiants and should be handled in a well-ventilated environment it is recommended that environmental oxygen levels are monitored and not permitted to fall below a concentration of 18% v/v. These vapors do not support life therefore when cleaning large tanks, adequate provisions for oxygen supply must be provided for personnel cleaning the tanks. Butane is highly flammable and explosive and must only be handled in an explosion-proof room that is equipped with adequate safety warning devices and explosion-proof equipment. 

The flammable gases used by the petrochemical industry have been involved in many accidents.109 A Are and explosion following a leak of ethylene and isobutane from a pipeline at a Phillips plant in Pasadena, Texas, in 1989, killed 23 people and injured 130.110 The U. S. Occupa... 

PETROLEUM GAS, LIQUIFIED, COMPRESSED (68476-85-7) Highly flammable gas a mixture ofpropane, butane, isobutane, propylene, butylenes, and other flammable hydrocarbon gases of low molecular weight refined from petroleum [explosion limits in air (vol %) 2.2 to 9.5... 

ISOBUTANAL (78-84-2) Forms explosive mixture with air (flash point — 1°F/ — 18°C). Oxidizes slowly in air, forming isobutyric acid. Violent reaction with strong oxidizers, strong acids, bromines, ketones. Incompatible with caustics, ammonia, amines. 

Flammable gas autoignition temperature 460°C (860°F) fire-extinguishing measure shut off the flow of gas and use a water spray to disperse the gas and keep fire-exposed containers cool. Isobutane forms explosive mixtures with air the LEL and UEL values are 1.9% and 8.5% by volume of air, respectively. 

Event. An explosion in a polyethylene reactor was caused when a seal blew out on an ethylene loop reactor, releasing ethylene-isobutane and setting off a series of fires and explosions. 

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for the quantitative analysis of a series of nitrate ester explosives 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN), triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGN), metriol trinitrate (MTN, 1,1,1-tri(hydroxymethyl) ethane trinitrate), PGDN, NG and PETN [19]. The MS ionization techniques included El, Cl and NCI. Methane was the usual reagent gas for Cl and NCI, but isobutane and ammonia were also studied. Quantitation was carried out using SIM. 

In another early work [22], a packed column GC-MS was used for the analysis of different explosives, including the nitroaromatic 2,4-DNT and 2,4,6-TNT, the nitrate ester NG, and the nitramines RDX and tetryl. Ionization modes were El, Cl, and NCI, using methane, isobutane and ammonia as reagent gases. Other explosives, which did not elute from the GC column and were introduced into the mass spectrometer by solid probe, included picric acid, dipicrylamine, PETN and HMX. 

Scheme 1 illustrates the synthesis of prismane ([3]prismane) 1 by Katz and Acton Benzvalene 5 reacts with the powerful dienophile, 4-phenyltriazohnedione 6, in diethyl ether-dioxane to give the 1 1 adduct 7 (60-70%). Refluxing 7 with KOH in MeOH/HjO, followed by treatments with acidic CuCljand aqueous NaOH, gives azo compound 8. Irradiation of 8 through Pyrex in isobutane at 35°C affords prismane 1 (1.8%) as an explosive colorless liquid. Prismane is stable at room temperature. One of the key steps of this synthesis is a photochemical nitrogen extrusion (Scheme 1). 

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