Expert: ammonium nitrate or explosion are the real culprit of non metallic sodiu

Posted by Thomas Shaw on November 13th, 2018

August 18th 20 am, the Tianjin Binhai New Area, the air Bureau of the building, here has been a temporary requisition for the coastal explosion rescue headquarters.

In a blue tent with flood control, Tianjin city in charge of safety and production of vice mayor He Shushan, Beijing military area command Shi Luze, Tianjin, and other relevant responsible person and some experts, such as sitting around the table, the table covered with a Tianjin port '12 - 8' explosion area image map of the big map.

That night, here is a rescue work conference. During the day of the survey results, confirm the previous command master Ruihai dangerous goods the quantity and distribution of, located at the core area of the explosion crater center, formerly placed in the 800 tons of ammonium nitrate and 500 tons of potassium nitrate is likely to is an important cause of the accident.

"China Times" reporter learned that the explosion of a new discovery of more than 300 tons of sodium metal, because it is flammable and explosive, it is likely to become a site of a time bomb, for the accident rescue and disposal to bring new problems.

800 tons of ammonium nitrate

"We want to fire again to save antichemical now." On the 18th, Tianjin port 8 - 12 "Ruihai, dangerous goods warehouse particularly serious fire explosion accident of the ten news conference, Tianjin municipal Party committee deputy secretary and mayor Huang Xingguo said" many of our comrades have never encountered such a complicated problem. "

At present, in addition to on-site rescue, another main task is the exploration of hazardous chemicals, mainly by the Beijing defense forces responsible for. 18, involved in the rescue of the Beijing Garrison chemical group sent a few teams, subregions on surrounding the accident investigation and on the investigation of the container were numbered -- No. 1 as empty containers, No. 2 is provided with the case of a non hazardous chemicals, No. 3 is box of hazardous chemicals. On the same day, participating in the investigation of the troops found that the core area of the accident there are two large container of metal sodium, which has a container site has cracked, metallic sodium scattered in the ground.

And he Shushan also at the press conference confirmed the presence of sodium metal scene, "the Ruihai logistics hazardous chemicals is a total of seven major types of approximately about 40 varieties, including oxides, flammable solids and cyanide, which flammable solid sodium metal and metal magnesium 500 tons and 700 tons of cyanide, oxides, including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, other part is already blow up the."

As the cause of the accident has not been announced, the real explosion caused widespread speculation. Previously, a culprit mentioned in the media explosion accident may be made of metal sodium. However, the experts involved in the rescue of the accident does not think so, because the power of the metal is not so large, and there is still a lot of metal sodium. Presumably, the ammonium nitrate may be the real culprit.

Ministry of Public Security Fire Bureau Deputy Director Niu Yue in an interview with CCTV further confirmed that Ruihai company storage of goods, including about 800 tons of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate about 500 tons, dangerous chemicals a total of about 3000 tons.

It is understood that the main purpose of ammonium nitrate is fertilizer and explosives, while nitrate can also be configured with black powder, explosives and fireworks and other products. Qu Ruijing, a senior researcher at the chemical industry, told the China Times reporter, ammonium nitrate itself is a kind of explosive, powerful, in case of fire will produce a strong explosion.

At present, the core of the explosion area formed a huge puddle, nearly 10000 square meters. "China Times" from the headquarters to understand, according to Ruihai company provides storage of dangerous goods schematic diagram, the puddle zone is ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate storage area, that is to say, the centre of the explosion just stored with 800 tons of ammonium nitrate and 500 tons of potassium nitrate, which may be a culprit in the huge explosion.

The man behind the accident

It is understood, Ruihai company "business" hazardous chemicals stored separately in the warehouse of the "box", "arrived in the library," storehouse "," hazardous chemical libraries "and" hazardous chemical libraries second ". But the stacking sequence of these regional hazardous chemicals is confusing. The "box" stacked dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrachloride titanium, formic acid, acetic acid, hydriodic acid, methyl sulfonic acid, calcium carbide, "arrived in Library stacking of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sodium cyanide, diphenyl amine, dimethyl aniline;" transit warehouse stacked hydrosulfide sodium, sodium sulfide, sodium hydroxide, maleic anhydride, hydroiodic acid; and two hazardous chemicals warehouse stacked potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, calcium silicate, sodium sulfide, methyl sulfonic acid, cyano acetic acid, Dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid and other goods.

The chemical industry professionals said, this layout is obviously wrong Ruihai international. In accordance with the classification of hazardous chemicals, 4 categories and 5 kinds of dangerous chemicals can not be stacked together.

Similarly, the management of hazardous chemicals, the operator must undergo a rigorous training. However, Ruihai company stevedores foreign admits, the position of the workers had no after training of dangerous chemicals, qualification certificate has not been made. "China Times" reporter learned from an injured Ruihai employees, he posts the operation of protective measures only a top safety helmet.

In the view of Qu Ruijing, Ruihai company of dangerous chemical warehouse, in fact, is a similar to the transfer station yard, extensive management, many aspects are in violation of relevant regulations and standards. "The main problem is the amount of the standard. With sodium cyanide as an example, the maximum storage quantity should be only 10 tons, but in fact the Ruihai International stacked 700 tons. May not just the total amount, the number of individual packaging is also very likely to exceed, otherwise not due to pressure and the valve

Porous Prilled Ammonium Nitrate (PPAN)

More info: http://www.sinooan.com

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Thomas Shaw

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Thomas Shaw
Joined: March 17th, 2018
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