Prevention of emissions from VCM unloading facilities

Emissions of VCM during unloading operations can occur from the decoupling of pipe connections, when VCM between the connections is not evacuated before decoupling. Provisions are required to purge coupling connections to VCM recovery or incineration. 

Plants unloading VCM only from trucks, railcars or ships equipped with vapour return systems on their tanks avoid releases from the mobile tanks as the gas phase flows of the supplying and receiving VCM tanks are in balance. 

Measures have to be undertaken to avoid any increase of oxygen content in order to prevent the formation of vinyl polyperoxides during the storage. 

Cross-media effects No cross-media issues identified. 

Any residual VCM remaining in the reactor before opening would be emitted to the environment without additional measures, whether that is between every batch or every 50 batches. Therefore, before opening, the reactor is degassed and steam-flushed. 

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