Accident Description EHC 215: Vinyl Chloride _____ 14 2.2 Physical and chemical properties Some physical properties of VC are given in Table 1. On April 23, 2004, five workers were fatally injured and two others were seriously injured when an explosion occurred in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production unit at Formosa Plastics in Illiopolis, Illinois, east of Springfield. Formosa Plastics Vinyl Chloride Explosion . Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today. The explosion followed a release of highly flammable vinyl chloride, which ignited. Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature. Vinyl chloride is a flammable gas that is converted into polyvinyl chloride in … The massive explosion at the facility's chlorinate 3 plant in the Gulf state of Veracruz also injured 136 people, 13 of them seriously. At high concentrations, it has a sweet odor typical of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The massive explosion at the facility’s chlorinate 3 plant in the Gulf state of Veracruz also injured 136 people, 13 of them seriously. Topics: Polyvinyl chloride, Formosa Plastics, Vinyl chloride Pages: 6 (1374 words) Published: October 12, 2012. Vinyl chloride (VCM), a highly flammable chemical and known carcinogen, and the major component in the facility's manufacturing process, was the primary fuel for the initial fire and explosion. Without such incentives, Pemex management has only its own integrity to rely on for worker safety, and the demands for sustaining profits in the face of falling oil prices may have overwhelmed safety concerns. CSB Safety Video: Vinyl Chloride Explosion and Fire Movies Preview Investigation Report: Vinyl Chloride Monomer Explosion, Illiopolis, Illinois, April 23, 2004 [open pdf - 3 MB] "The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) determined that this incident occurred when an operator drained a full, heated, and pressurized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reactor. Vinyl chloride (VCM), a highly flammable chemical and known carcinogen, and the major component in the facility's manufacturing process, was the primary fuel for the initial fire and explosion. Unless you work in the petrochemical industry, you have probably never been near the substance called vinyl chloride. CSB Safety Video: Vinyl Chloride Explosion and Fire Explosion at Formosa Plastics (Illinois) Tuesday, Mar 06 2007 A preventable human error leads to a vinyl chloride explosion, killing five. I hope that the investigative bodies in Mexico have all the competence and authority they need, not only to get to the bottom of this tragedy, but to publicize its causes and assign responsibility wherever it needs to be assigned. Coatzacoalcos is a town at the very southernmost tip of the Gulf of Mexico, in the Mexican state of Veracruz between central Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. Playing next. The liquid evaporates readily at ambient temperatures. The resulting explosion and fire killed at least 28 people and injured over a hundred, with more still missing as of today. Although this is speculation, it is possible that Pemex, being owned by the Mexican government, has adopted a different policy and relies more on hands-on operators in its plants as a way of increasing government-paid employment. ExxonMobil Refinery Chemical Release and Fire. Higher concentrations cause acute illness and even death. A preventable human error leads to a vinyl chloride explosion, killing five. 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