At one time or another, most refineries experience spontaneous ignition of iron sulphide either on the ground or inside equipment. When this occurs inside equipment like columns, vessels, and tanks and exchangers containing residual hydrocarbons and air, the results can be devastating. Most commonly, pyrophoric iron fires occur during shutdowns when equipment and piping are opened for inspection or maintenance. Instances of fires in crude columns during turnarounds, explosions in sulphur, crude or asphalt storage tanks, overpressures in vessels, etc., due to pyrophoric iron ignition are not … [Read more...]
Deck Cargoes
The phrase ‘deck cargoes’ refers to items and/or commodities carried on the weather deck and/or hatch covers of a ship and thereon exposed to sun, wind, rain, snow, ice and sea, so that the packaging must be fully resistant to, or the commodities themselves not be denatured by such exposure.Deck cargoes, because of their very location and the means by which they are secured, will be subjected to velocity and acceleration stresses greater, in most instances, than cargo stowed below decks.The stowage, lashing and securing of cargoes, therefore, require special attention as to method and … [Read more...]