Mists combustion

Thermal Process. In the manufacture of phosphoric acid from elemental phosphoms, white (yellow) phosphoms is burned in excess air, the resulting phosphoms pentoxide is hydrated, heats of combustion and hydration are removed, and the phosphoric acid mist collected. Within limits, the concentration of the product acid is controlled by the quantity of water added and the cooling capabiUties. Various process schemes deal with the problems of high combustion-zone temperatures, the reactivity of hot phosphoms pentoxide, the corrosive nature of hot phosphoric acid, and the difficulty of collecting fine phosphoric acid mist. The principal process types (Fig. 3) include the wetted-waH, water-cooled, or air-cooled combustion chamber, depending on the method used to protect the combustion chamber wall. 

In wetted-wall units, the walls of a tall circular, slightly tapered combustion chamber are protected by a high volume curtain of cooled acid flowing down inside the wall. Phosphoms is atomized by compressed air or steam into the top of the chamber and burned in additional combustion air suppHed by a forced or induced draft fan. Wetted-waU. plants use 25—50% excess combustion air to reduce the tail-gas volume, resulting in flame temperatures in excess of 2000°C. The combustion chamber maybe refractory lined or made of stainless steel. Acid sprays at the bottom of the chamber or in a subsequent, separate spraying chamber complete the hydration of phosphoms pentoxide. The sprays also cool the gas stream to below 100°C, thereby minimising corrosion to the mist-collecting equipment (typically type 316 stainless steel). 

Hot combustion gases are quenched and saturated with water in a spray chamber called a hydrator. An absorber bed of carbon or graphite rings may be mounted above the hydrator in the same stmcture to obtain more complete absorption of P40 q and to assure that the gas stream is cooled to about 100°C. Weak acid from mist collection is sprayed on the absorber bed, and product acid at 75—85% H PO leaves the hydrator through a heat exchanger. 

Like many other combustible Hquids, self-heating of ethyleneamines may occur by slow oxidation in absorbent or high-surface-area media, eg, dumped filter cake, thermal insulation, spill absorbents, and metal wine mesh (such as that used in vapor mist eliminators). In some cases, this may lead to spontaneous combustion either smoldering or a flame may be observed. These media should be washed with water to remove the ethyleneamines, or thoroughly wet prior to disposal in accordance with local and Eederal regulations. 

Oxidant Any material that can react with a fuel (gas, dust or mist) to produce combustion. Oxygen in air is the most common oxidant. 

Electric cyclones, which utilize an electrode in the center of the cyclone to establish an electric field within the cyclone body. This device is more efficient than the standard cyclone. It is probably more applicable to mists and droplets than to dry particulates, due to possible fire or explosion hazards with combustible dusts. 

Exposures to chemicals may involve solids, liquids, or airborne matter as mists, aerosols, dusts, fumes (i.e. pm-sized particulates), vapours or gases in any combination. Many situations, e.g. exposure to welding fumes or to combustion products from fossil fuels, include mixtures both of chemicals and of physical forms. Quantification of exposure is then difficult. 

Spraying, misting or fogging of flammable/combustible materials or strong oxidizing agents ... 

Combustion processes are the most important source of air pollutants. Normal products of complete combustion of fossil fuel, e.g. coal, oil or natural gas, are carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrogen. However, traces of sulphur and incomplete combustion result in emissions of carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, oxides of nitrogen, unburned hydrocarbons and particulates. These are primary pollutants . Some may take part in reactions in the atmosphere producing secondary pollutants , e.g. photochemical smogs and acid mists. Escaping gas, or vapour, may... 

Air emissions for processes with few controls may be of the order of 30 kilograms lead or zinc per metric ton (kg/t) of lead or zinc produced. The presence of metals in vapor form is dependent on temperature. Leaching processes will generate acid vapors, while refining processes result in products of incomplete combustion (PICs). Emissions of arsine, chlorine, and hydrogen chloride vapors and acid mists are associated with electrorefining. 

Fire Hazards - Flash Point Not flammable Flammable Limits in Air (%) Not flammable Fire Extinguishing Agents Not pertinent Fire Extinguishing Agents Not To Be Used Not pertinent Special Hazards of Combustion Products Phosphoric acid mist may form in fires. Toxic oxide of nitrogen may form Behavior in Fire No data Ignition Temperature Not pertinent Electrical Hazard Not pertinent Burning Rate Not pertinent. 

A BLEVE involving a container of flammable liquid will be accompanied by a fireball if the BLEVE is fire-induced. The rapid vaporization and expansion following loss of containment results in a cloud of almost pure vapor and mist. After ignition, this cloud starts to bum at its surface, where mixing with air is possible. In the buoyancy stage, combustion propagates to the center of the cloud causing a massive fireball. 

Spraying, misting, or fogging of flammable, combustible, or toxic liquids... 

Airborne particulate matter may comprise liquid (aerosols, mists or fogs) or solids (dust, fumes). Refer to Figure 5.2. Some causes of dust and aerosol formation are listed in Table 4.3. In either case dispersion, by spraying or fragmentation, will result in a considerable increase in the surface area of the chemical. This increases the reactivity, e.g. to render some chemicals pyrophoric, explosive or prone to spontaneous combustion it also increases the ease of entry into the body. The behaviour of an airborne particle depends upon its size (e.g. equivalent diameter), shape and density. The effect of particle diameter on terminal settling velocity is shown in Table 4.4. As a result ... 

The key point here is to determine if flammable or combustible materials are being processed under conditions of temperature and pressure such that, if a release occurs, a significant quantity of the material may be released into the air as either a gas, vapor, mist, or aerosol. If such conditions are present, the user should assume that the potential for a vapor cloud explosion exists. Otherwise, VCE hazards can be ignored. 

Confined Explosions. In situations where the vapors are confined within a building, vessel, or other such enclosure, flammable materials with flash points below the temperature within the enclosure may have the potential for an explosion. Similarly, in confined situations, combustible materials, regardless of temperature, can pose a potential for explosion if dispersed as an aerosol, mist, or dust. 

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