Ebook: Fire and Explosion Properties Examinations of Toluene-Methanol Mixtures Approached to the Minimum Oxygen Concentration

Nation Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 2007. pp. 9.
The minimum oxygen concentration (MOC) is an important parameter for safety
recommendation and fire and explosion prevention at bulk of the practical processes with
fuel-air-inert mixtures. While guaranteeing the loading oxygen concentration controlled lower than the MOC carefully, fires/explosions are no longer possible. Whereas, it fills with potential
flammability hazard for flammable mixtures used in a foregoing process prior to the MOC.
In this study, critical fire and explosion properties that stand for the explosion sensitivity
(lower explosion limits, LEL/upper explosion limits, UEL), explosion maximum indices (Pmax/(dP
dt–1)max) and explosion hazard degree (Kg index/St Class) of various toluene/methanol mixing
solvents (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 Vol.%) were experimentally determined within a closed spherical vessel of 20 liter (20-L-Apparatus) at 1 atm and 150°C. Especially, we mainly discussed the flammability danger of above flammable mixing solvents before the MOC
accompanying with reducing different loading oxygen concentrations; up to each MOC was obtained correspondingly. The present work also demonstrated the unique inert effects and variations on flammability characteristics, compared by different initial oxygen concentrations and various toluene/methanol components in our testing arrangement. Finally, the triangle flammability diagram was established for indicating the dangerous fire/explosion hazard region, graphically. Through this study, the proposed significant experimental-derived outcomes approached to the MOC can be very useful in relevant industrial processes, and can be recommended to process safety control systems as the intrinsically safer design for forestalling serious fire and explosion accidents, accordingly.