Growing interest in hydrogen builds on the recognition that clean hydrogen can play a crucial role in global decarbonization. Currently 40% of all carbon dioxide emissions come from power plants burning fossil fuels to generate energy. Other relatively high pollution sectors include transportation and industrial factories. Consumption of hydrogen for energy produces only water, and hydrogen has a high energy density by mass, which makes it an interesting low carbon alternative. The demand for hydrogen has increased threefold since 1975 and is expected to continue this trajectory, with the dema ..read more

Onset temperature is the lowest temperature at which a chemical reaction is occurring at a measurable rate. Unlike certain flammability related quantities, chemical reactions are essentially always occurring, and there is still non-zero rate of reaction even at low temperatures where measurement is not possible. In other words, there is not a temperature “switch” that initiates a reaction. Therefore, the reported onset temperature is highly dependent on the instrument sensitivity, the procedure utilized for collecting the data (i.e. the time-temperature history of the material), the type of in ..read more

Adiabatic calorimetry is a powerful tool that can be used to support plant safety. A calorimeter is a device that is used to measure the amount of heat associated with chemical or physical processes. An adiabatic calorimeter is designed to ensure that there is no heat transferred between the system and its surroundings. Therefore, an adiabatic calorimeter is designed so that the exothermic heat produced by a reaction directly goes to increasing the temperature of the material. As the temperature increases, the rate of reaction often exponentially increases. On a large plant scale, the availabl ..read more

  Why perform a risk analysis? Risk Analysis goes by many names and many acronyms. While the techniques differ by industry or application (see Tables 1 and 2), all are set to accomplish the same goal: to identify hazards within a process. Some industries have regulatory requirements to perform risk assessments. Others are prompted by insurers or another Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) or have been initiated by internal corporate objectives. The results of a risk analysis can be used to justify process improvements. Additionally, identifying and mitigating hazardous scenarios th ..read more

When designing a safe process, our goal is to reduce risk by implementing layers of safeguards. One example of a risk in processing is a loss of containment, and a potential cause of this is an unexpected buildup of pressure. Emergency relief systems (ERS) are a safeguard used to mitigate overpressure scenarios to protect people, the environment, and infrastructure. If these systems are not adequately sized, installed, or maintained, catastrophic incidents can occur. We typically categorize potential sources of overpressure as either reactive or nonreactive, and it is important to note that re ..read more

Dust is found somewhere in almost every process, and yet very few understand how dangerous it can be! A study conducted by Powder Bulk & Solids showed that between 2016 and 2020 there were an average of 31.8 dust explosions per year. Many factors influence the combustibility of dust such as particle size and moisture content, and it is also highly situational with factors such as confinement and dispersion impacting the likelihood for a dust to explode. It may be surprising how many types of dust can be explosive if the right conditions are met: these include wood, metals, food products, a ..read more

A General Strategy for the Safer Scale-Up of Batch and Semi-Batch Reaction Thermal runaway incidents continue to occur in batch production facilities in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Serious incidents can result in death, injury, capital loss, and business interruptions. Despite the best efforts of the chemical/pharmaceutical industries to be responsible, a major incident casts a negative light on this industry as a whole. In order to prevent incidents from occurring there is a need for all R&D, process development, and batch production facilities to have an effective proces ..read more

Battery safety is a much-discussed topic, and its importance continues to remain front and center as the energy storage industry continues to expand. Fauske & Associates flammability team actively supports customers with battery safety testing. Up to now we have primarily focused on flammability analysis of the gas that is released during battery thermal events. We experimentally determine the LFL, Pmax, and Kg as required by industry accepted standards such as ANSI/CAN/UL 9540A Ed. 4 which references a number of other standards (e.g., ASHRAE, ASTM, EN, ISO, NFPA and Canadian standards). T ..read more

Amy Theis, Director Risk Management Services The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) CPL 03-00-008 Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP, reissued) has been in effect since March 11, 2008. The purpose of this OSHA NEP is to reduce the risk of fires and/or explosions occurring at facilities that handle combustible particulate solids. This Instruction references other applicable OSHA regulations and is supported by related National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards. These NFPA standards include: This is where a corporate level combustible dust audit can hel ..read more

Please enjoy this latest edition of Process Safety News!   What's Inside: Letter from the President The Impact of Physical Properties for Reactive and Nonreactive Emergency Relief System Design – Part 1 Webinar Announcement: Reactive System ERS Design Basics & ERS Case Studies Don’t Get Zapped! Key Considerations During a Reactive Hazard Assessment Click here to read now!   ..read more