What was the cause of the explosion at Williams Olefins in Geismar Louisiana?
The report concludes that process safety management program deficiencies at the Williams Geismar facility during the 12 years leading to the incident allowed a type of heat exchanger called a “reboiler” to be unprotected from overpressure, and ultimately rupture, causing the explosion.
Why did the reboiler rupture at the Williams Olefins Plant?
On October 3, 2013 Williams Olefins announced the results of their internal investigation. The company said that a rupture in the heat exchanger caused a vapor cloud “which was ignited by an unknown source, causing the explosion.”
How many total fatalities and injuries resulted from the Williams Olefins explosion in Geismar Louisiana?
– Williams Olefins LLC in Geismar was cited for six process safety management standard violations, including one willful, by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an explosion in June killed two workers and injured 80 people.
What is an olefin plant?
Olefins are hydrocarbons that have one or more double or triple bonds between carbon atoms in their linear chain. An example of an olefin is ethylene (C2H4), which is the smallest olefin. Olefin processing plants are a component of a full crude oil stream from which a wide range of valuable products are extracted.
What are the uses of olefins?
Olefins are used as building block materials for many products, including plastics, detergents and adhesives. Ethylene is the largest volume organic chemical produced globally and a basic building block for the chemistry industry.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of olefin?
It is a very heat sensitive fiber. Its melting point is around 300 degrees but damage can occur at lower temperatures. > Olefin can be damaged by Friction – Even dragging a heavy piece of furniture across an olefin carpet can cause permanent marks from the heat generated by friction.
What do olefins do?
What is the difference between paraffins and olefins?
The key difference between olefins and paraffins is that olefins essentially contain one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, whereas paraffins do not contain any double or triple bond between carbon atoms. Olefin and paraffin are common terms for two different groups of hydrocarbon compounds.
How is olefin produced?
Olefin production is a petrochemical process in which saturated hydrocarbons are broken down into smaller, often unsaturated ones. It is the principal industrial method for producing the lighter alkenes commonly known as olefins, including ethene or ethylene, propene or propylene and butadiene.