Tarragona Explosion

[Thor]

This story didn't get much attention in the UK media.

There was a gert big bang in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain yesterday, apparently due to the detonation of a large ethylene oxide tank in a chemical facility. 

Dangerous stuff ethylene oxide, it has thermobaric weapon applications, among others.

2 fatalities reported so far, mercifully few in the circumstances.  One particularly unfortunate individual was almost 2 miles away when his building was struck by a projectile lump of metal.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/tarragona-explosion-man-crushed-death-21287224
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-chemical-factory-explosion-latest-tarragona-a9283791.html

[ElyDave]

I noticed the ethylene oxide reference as well.

As well as being unstable, it also has high toxicity (it's used as a sterilising agent in medical devices) and is also corrosive to human flesh.  Generally pretty nasty stuff.

Almost as nasty as phosgene, which is a precursor to polyurethane resins

[Mrs Pingu]

Hmm shortages of all sorts of interesting substances to come then. Wonder how that's going to imoact our supply chain...

[ian]

It'll be OK, once we've got Brexit done, we'll be importing these kinds of things from Mauritius.

[andrewc]

https://elpais.com/elpais/2020/01/16/inenglish/1579167231_602104.html    More stuff here.   

[rr]

I noticed the ethylene oxide reference as well.

As well as being unstable, it also has high toxicity (it's used as a sterilising agent in medical devices) and is also corrosive to human flesh.  Generally pretty nasty stuff.

Almost as nasty as phosgene, which is a precursor to polyurethane resins

Phosgene is used in the manufacture of TDI, ethylene oxide is used in the manufacture of polyether polyols. Polyurethane is made by reacting TDI and Polyol, with additives and catalysts, plus water and/or other blowing agents for foam.

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[ElyDave]

I noticed the ethylene oxide reference as well.

As well as being unstable, it also has high toxicity (it's used as a sterilising agent in medical devices) and is also corrosive to human flesh.  Generally pretty nasty stuff.

Almost as nasty as phosgene, which is a precursor to polyurethane resins

Phosgene is used in the manufacture of TDI, ethylene oxide is used in the manufacture of polyether polyols. Polyurethane is made by reacting TDI and Polyol, with additives and catalysts, plus water and/or other blowing agents for foam.

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I wasn't suggesting they were in any way similar, other than in general nastiness.  Back in the day I did a risk study on a Japanese facility that was producing phosgene as an intermediate for polyurethanes.  Being typically Japanese, it was not that far from a shopping mall, and relied on highly technical countermeasures and a general acceptance that it needed to be there.

Most of the medical devices industry I deal with have outsourced their ETO sterilisation becasue they just don't want to deal with it.

[rr]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

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[Andrew Br]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

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Yay ! Another PU chemist !

[rr]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Yay ! Another PU chemist !

I was so good both the plants I worked on closed soon after I left.

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[ElyDave]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

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Chemical engineer here, spent a lot of time writing comah reports for others early in my consulting career.

[Andrew Br]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Yay ! Another PU chemist !

I was so good both the plants I worked on closed soon after I left.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

I'm still in the game. More lab work and formulation development than is ideal but needs must.
It's all MDI in this job. I miss TDI and the ease of processing. I'm not up to speed on MbOCA and REACH.

[rr]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Chemical engineer here, spent a lot of time writing comah reports for others early in my consulting career.

Also a chemical engineer, although not chartered. Assessed a few.

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[rr]

Sorry the former PU chemist and COMAH inspector in me just broke out.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Yay ! Another PU chemist !

I was so good both the plants I worked on closed soon after I left.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

I'm still in the game. More lab work and formulation development than is ideal but needs must.
It's all MDI in this job. I miss TDI and the ease of processing. I'm not up to speed on MbOCA and REACH.

Did mostly TDI and a little MDI. Lots of colours and fire retardants and fire testing. Also inspected a couple plants.

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