Issue No :05

Process Hazards
Issued By:
Shritharan- CTO SHE Communicator Date: 03-Feb ,2014
Title

Process Hazards testing capability at IPDO Process Safety Lab

Introduction

This issue discusses:

 About the capability available at the IPDO Process Safety testing laboratory for the
identification and assessment of process hazards.
 How the data obtained from the testing can be used to generate process safety information
(PSI) for carrying out risk assessments and PHA’s.

The capability at the IPDO PSL can be divided into the following areas of process hazards
assessments :
 Chemical Reaction Hazards
 Powder handling and processing hazards

Chemical Reaction Hazards

Following are the instruments available for chemical reaction hazards assessment:
 DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter)
 RSD (Rapid Screening Device)
 RC1e (Reaction Calorimeter)
DSC DSC is a thermal screening instrument used to
determine whether the starting materials,
intermediates, RM’s, reaction masses, distillation
residues, mother liquors and final products are
thermally stable at their intended storage, handling
and processing temperatures.

Please remember that

 DSC is only a screening instrument and the
data cannot be directly used for arriving at
safe operating conditions for plant scale
Fig 01 processing.
 DSC does not give an indication of the
pressure generated due to the liberation of
decomposition gases from the thermal
decomposition

However the data from DSC can only give an initial

indication and should be followed by further detailed
tests to have a confidence on the safe operating
parameters at the plant scale.

The thermogram (Fig 01) on the left side indicates the

thermal decomposition of a IPA distillation residue.
RSD RSD is also a thermal screening device. However
apart from the thermal data it can also provide
pressure data. The pressure data can be used to
assess whether pressurisation of the process
vessel can be expected in the event of the
decomposition of the process contents.

Parametres like the maximum pressure (Pmax)

and the rate of pressure rise (dP/dt) can be
obtained from the testing. The parameters Pmax
and dP/dt indicate the severity of the thermal
Fig 02 decomposition, secondary reaction.

The trace on the left side (Fig 02) indicates the

pressure rise due to the decomposition of the same
IPA distillation residue mentioned in the earlier Fig01.
The trace indicates that the decomposition is
associated with pressure increases from ambient to
~33 barg at a very rapid rate. Such pressure rise rates
can lead to rupture of process vessels leading to
explosions.
RC1e Reaction calorimeter is used to study the thermal
effects and the gas generation (gases which are by
products) from chemical reactions.

The following data can be obtained from reaction

calorimetry:

 Total heat of reaction and associated adiabatic

temperature rise
 Thermal conversion and heat accumulation
Fig 03  Power output of the reaction (W/Kg)
 Kinetics of the reaction
 Total gas liberated
 Rate of gas liberation

Note: Refer to Issue No: 03 to know how the above

data can be used to ensure safe operation in the plant
scale.

Softwares Apart from the above instruments, the following

softwares are available:

PHYSPROPS- Phsical properties

CHETAH (Chemical thermodynamics and hazard
Evaluation)
Powder handling and processing hazards
The following tests are carried out at the IPDO PSL for assessing the hazards associated with
powder processing and handling:
 Dust explosion screening test by Modified Hartmann Tube
 Burning Behaviour test
 Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) by MIE apparatus
 Minimum Ignition Temperature by BAM Oven
 Layer Ignition temperature (LIT) for dust layers
 Thermal Stability analysis by DSC, Lutolf Oven
 Impact sensitivity test by Fall Hammer
 Bulk Powder resistivity

Dust Explosion Screening This tests is carried out to know the explosion class of
the dust cloud generated from the powder processing
operations. Following is the interpretation of the
results:

Class Behaviour
St 0H No burning / explosion
St 1H Burning
St 2H Explosion

Burning behaviour test
Minimum Ignition Energy by MIE
apparatus
This test provides an indication of the extent to which
a localised hot spot will propagate through a given
mass of powder. The below table gives the
classification of the observations:
Class Observation
1 No ignition
2 Brief Ignition, Rapid extinction
3 Localised combustion or glowing
without flame
4 Glowing without sparks
5 Slow quite burning with flames
6 Very rapid combustion
This test is used to obtain the minimum ignition
energy capable of igniting a dispersed dust. The
below gives the classification of the hazard:
MIE (mJ) Remarks
<1 mJ Extremely sensitive to ignition.
Precautions taken should be as for
flammable liquids and gases.

1- <10 mJ High sensitivity to ignition. Electrostatic

hazard from bulk powders of high
resistivity should be considered.
Restrictions on use of high resistivity
materials (plastics).

10-25 mJ The hazard from electrostatic

discharges from dust clouds should be
considered
 25-100 The hazard from electrostatic
mJ discharges from dust clouds should be
considered
100-500 Earthing of personnel advised.
mJ
>500 mJ Low sensitivity to ignition.
Minimum Ignition Temperature (MIT) This test is used to determine the minimum
by BAM Oven temperature of a hot surface capable of causing a
ignition of a dust cloud.

The test result defines the maximum permissible

surface temperature of enclosure of electrical
equipment or hot surfaces. This data is then used in
the area classification to select the appropriate class
of electrical equipments.

Layer Ignition Test (LIT) This test is carried out to determine the minimum
temperature of hot surface capable of igniting a 5 mm
layer of powder.

This test indicates the ignition sensitivity of powders

to ignition by hot surfaces (eg: steam coils in air tray
driers)

Thermal stability analysis by Lutolf This test indicates the thermal stability of the powders
Oven in the presence of air.

The data can be used to assess the risk associated

with operations carried out in the presence of air (eg:
drying in air tray driers)

Impact sensitivity by Fall Hammer This test is carried out to assess the sensitivity of the
powder to impact.

The powder is impact sensitive if a spark or bang

sound is observed form the test.

Bulk powder resistivity This test indicates how conductive or insulative the
powder is. This indicates the static charge retaining
capability of the powder.
Resistance Behaviour
6
≤ 10 Ω-M Highly conductive
> 106 Ω-M Static dissipative
12
≥ 10 Ω-M Highly resistive
Highly resistive powders can produce hazardous
electrostatic discharges.