What are the risks after the cracking of refining equipment?
Thread Content
Considering the aforementioned factors related to the causes of fragility in refining equipment, as well as methods for detection and assessment of its remaining service life, equipment that has become fragile faces severe safety and operational risks on multiple levels. First, there is the risk of physical rupture: the toughness of such materials decreases significantly after they become fragile, resulting in low-stress brittle fractures even under normal operating pressures. The fracture speed is close to the speed of sound, and without any visible plastic deformation, the material breaks apart into numerous fragments that can be ejected hundreds of meters away. These fragments can damage nearby equipment and buildings, posing a threat to the lives of those present at the site. II. Chain reaction risks of safety accidents: After brittle fracture occurs, flammable, explosive, and toxic substances contained within the equipment will leak in large quantities, rapidly forming combustible vapor clouds. Upon encountering an ignition source, these clouds can trigger explosions and fires; moreover, the spread of toxic substances such as hydrogen sulfide can lead to widespread poisoning of people. Incidents similar to those that occurred at the Songyuan petrochemical plant in Jilin were caused by stress corrosion fracture, which resulted in chain reactions leading to explosions. III. Risk to production continuity: Sudden failures caused by brittleness can lead to unplanned shutdowns of the equipment, forcing the entire oil refining production line to stop operating urgently. This disrupts the production schedule and may also affect associated facilities upstream and downstream, resulting in significant losses in production capacity and increased maintenance costs. IV. Secondary and derivative risks: Brittle failure can also damage surrounding supporting systems such as electricity and water supply. For instance, after the earthquake in Venezuela, the oil refining facilities became unstable due to structural embrittlement, which further exacerbated the paralysis of the energy supply system and slowed down the overall process of resuming production and operations.
After reading the original poster’s sharing, it is indeed very comprehensive. What equipment that has undergone embrittlement fears the most is low-stress brittle fracture; once this occurs, the consequences can be catastrophic. I would like to add a few points that need attention in practice: During regular inspections, pay close attention to any changes in the material properties, especially in equipment that is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over extended periods of time. Conducting regular hardness tests and impact tests can help detect signs of embrittlement in advance. If the equipment has already become brittle, it is recommended to reduce its load immediately and arrange for a replacement. If necessary, install explosion-proof walls or barriers to minimize the risk of debris scattering. Emergency drills for accidents should focus on dealing with sudden situations such as brittle fractures, including quickly shutting off the materials and activating the emergency spraying system; it is absolutely not advisable to rely on regular leakage response plans. However, these specific procedures need to be determined based on your factory’s actual process conditions and equipment manuals; if major safety modifications are involved, it is advisable to consult a qualified pressure vessel inspection agency.