Is there a defect in the process of the hydrogen peroxide production unit?

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Below are the relevant reports on the accident found online, Part 1. On March 18, 2015, during operations in a confined space at Shandong Haiming Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Haiming Company), an explosion occurred in the hydrogenation tower of the hydrogen peroxide production facility, resulting in the death of 4 people and injuries to 2 others at the scene. Haiming Company is affiliated with Shandong Runxing Investment Group Co., Ltd. and is located in Zhanhua Economic Development Zone, Binzhou City. It has 400 employees, and its main products include hydrogen peroxide, liquid chlorine, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, and azobisisobutyronitrile. The company’s production capacity for hydrogen peroxide is 100,000 tons per year; it obtained a safety production license on June 30, 2012. The company uses the anthraquinone process to produce hydrogen peroxide, involving processes such as hydrogenation, oxidation, extraction, and purification. In the hydrogenation section, the 2-ethylanthraquinone working fluid is filtered and preheated; it then mixes with hydrogen through pipes before entering the hydrogenation tower. There, under the action of a catalyst, it undergoes continuous hydrogenation to produce a hydrogenated fluid, which is sent to a regeneration filter before being stored in a tank. From there, it is transferred to the oxidation tower where an oxidation reaction takes place to produce hydrogen peroxide. In the second half of 2014, the catalyst efficiency in the fixed-bed of the hydrogenation tower of the hydrogen peroxide plant declined. In February 2015, the company replaced the catalyst in the fixed-bed middle tower. After resuming operation on March 13, flow deviation occurred in the fixed bed, resulting in uneven distribution of the working fluid. On March 17, Chen, the workshop supervisor, contacted Deng, a technical specialist from the catalyst manufacturer, to come to the company to provide guidance and conduct analysis. On the morning of March 18, Chen, Deng, and five others went to the plant site again. Since the structure of the bottom tower in the fixed-bed reactor was the same as that of the central tower, Chen assigned two maintenance workers to open the access hatch in the bottom tower in order to enter it and check the dimensions of the distributor. At around 9:46, an explosion occurred in the base tower, resulting in 4 deaths and 2 injuries. II. At 3:50 a.m. on July 5, a fire broke out at Bohaoyuan Chemical Company in Tashan Industrial Park, Leping City. Upon receiving the report, the fire brigade stationed at Tashan Industrial Park under the Leping City Public Security Fire Department immediately sent firefighters to extinguish the fire, and the flames were brought under control by 11 a.m. on the same day. According to verification by a reporter from China Jiangxi Net with the Publicity Department of the Leping Municipal Party Committee, the accident did not result in any casualties. It is understood that the accident was caused by a fire resulting from the spill of hydrogen peroxide; fortunately, no explosion occurred. Three. On the afternoon of January 25, 2016, a fire broke out in Workshop 1 of Jiangsu Lihua Cultural and Industrial Co., Ltd., located in the Changshu Economic Development Zone. At the time of the fire, thick smoke filled the area and spread over several kilometers. Based on the investigations and preliminary analysis, the cause of the accident is believed to be extreme cold weather. He said that the sudden drop in temperature caused the electrical seals on the valves of the hydrogen pipelines to freeze and crack, leading to hydrogen leakage; the intense pressure generated static electricity, which in turn triggered a fire. The hydrogen pipeline had an automatic shut-off system, and later the fire ignited the adjacent aromatic hydrocarbon pipelines ； IV. At around 1 a.m. on April 25, an explosion and fire broke out suddenly at the Zhangjiang Chemical Plant located within the Yanchang Chemical Industry Base in Zhangshu City. The Yichun Fire Brigade promptly dispatched fire teams to the scene to provide support. It is understood that **the substance in question is hydrogen peroxide, a highly reactive oxidizing agent with strong explosive properties. During the rescue operation, there were multiple explosions at the scene. At around 10 a.m. today, the fire at the scene was largely under control. One person is missing as a result of the incident, and the cause of the accident is under further investigation.

I am not part of the mainstream in this industry; I work in a technical role, specifically in process management and direction control. I would like to say briefly: there are no defects in the production process; it is unknown whether there are any defects in the design ； Even if there are design flaws, as long as management keeps up, there will be no problems. In recent years, hydrogen peroxide accidents have occurred frequently, and the 100% reason lies in poor management! What we value proves to be the weak link ； What we advocate reveals what our shortcomings are.

In fact, any accident can ultimately be attributed to human factors: knowing the dangers associated with a particular process, we should put more effort into design and management to prevent accidents from occurring.