Where is the appropriate place to vent the ethylene oxide tank?
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If a nitrogen seal is installed on the ethylene oxide tank, is it necessary to have an exhaust system? Where is the appropriate location for this exhaust (including its destination after passing through the safety valve)? Is it safe to discharge it into the torch?
The exhaust gas containing ethylene oxide must not be sent to a flare for combustion; generally, such exhaust gas is either fed into the EO reabsorption tower within the plant (SD process) or into an exhaust gas absorption tower (SHELL process). It is also possible to build an exhaust gas absorption tower in the tank area, where water is used in a cyclic manner for absorption, and samples are taken regularly for analysis. If the concentration of EO or ethylene glycol exceeds a certain level, the gas is either discharged or recycled.
Are there any things to note when venting EO directly?