I’m willing to offer a generous reward – can benzene and styrene storage tanks be placed in the same fire-resistant container? Thank you

If they say you can do it, then you can; if they say you can’t, then you can’t. There are reasons for compliance as well as for non-compliance. Rights tend to involve such ambiguous situations

Previously, the storage tanks for the raw material benzene, the intermediate product ethylbenzene, and the final product styrene in styrene production plants (where benzene and ethylene are combined to produce ethylbenzene, which is then dehydrogenated to yield styrene) were all located within one tank farm, and no problems were reported; it is new requirements that have emerged in recent years. I checked clause 7 of section 3.2.1 of GB 50351-2014, the \"Code for Design of Fire Dikes in Tank Areas\": \"Tankers storing liquids of toxicity grade I and II shall not be located within the same fire dike as tankers storing other flammable and combustible liquids.\" This clause does not have any accompanying explanatory text. It is recommended to consult the editorial office and ask what factors led to this decision. I also took another look at item (1) under the protective distance provisions in Clause 4.8.2 of the explanatory notes in GB 50984-2014 “Code for Design of Layout of Petrochemical Plants”. It states that “places where people gather should be located in relatively safe areas; there must be a certain protective distance between such places and sources of VCE explosion hazards or leaks of highly toxic gases.” This distance can be determined by referring to the recommended values in Table 2, or through analytical calculations regarding the dispersion of toxic substances in case of leaks. In Table 2, the recommended protection distances from office buildings/central laboratories, control rooms, etc., for the sources of vaporization resulting from leaks of highly toxic gases or liquids (when they constitute major hazard sources) are 200 meters and 150 meters respectively. Although it only appears in the explanatory notes, this provision is required to be followed in the approval and acceptance of many local projects. In my opinion, the reason for formulating Clause 7 of Article 3.2.1 in GB 50351 is related to the aforementioned provisions on protective distances. It is necessary not only to ensure a protective distance that safeguards the safety of people in areas such as office buildings, central laboratories, and control rooms during normal operations, but also to ensure the safety of rescue personnel in the event of accidents such as fires in tank storage areas. If calculations based on analyses of the spread of toxic material leaks show that the required protection distance is indeed small (for example, less than the firing range of fire pumps or foam fire trucks), it may be possible to reach an agreement with local experts.

The requirement that toxic liquids should not be stored together with other liquids within the same fire dike is perhaps aimed at reducing the impact of accidents and enhancing safety. Benzene and styrene have similar properties, and styrene is also toxic; in my opinion, it would be appropriate to store them in the same storage area, with a weir placed between the benzene tanks and the styrene tanks to separate them

A clever workaround: The regulations state that \"storage tanks for liquids with toxicity levels I and II should not be located in the same fire protection area as storage tanks for other flammable and combustible liquids.\" Benzene has a toxicity level of I (extremely high), while styrene has a level of III (moderate); these do not fall under the category of liquids with toxicity levels I or II as specified in the regulations. It would be worth discussing with relevant experts whether it is possible to exempt oneself from complying with this rule. :lol

Is there an official explanation?! ! ! Thank you! ! !

The standard states that \"storage tanks for liquids of toxicity levels I and II should not be located in the same fire protection area as storage tanks for other flammable and combustible liquids.\" This applies to new construction, expansion, and renovation projects of above-ground liquid storage tanks. For existing tanks built before the issuance of this standard, it is considered acceptable to follow the regulations in effect at that time; however, making adjustments in such cases is difficult. It is permitted to maintain the current status as long as appropriate control measures are put in place. But if modifications or expansions are to be carried out, compliance with the current standards is required. Please refer to this.