Process Safety News Article, Summer 2010
Explosions or fires occur frequently in many process vessels or storage tanks that contain flammable chemicals. This frequent occurrence of explosions in the process industries is due to an explosive mixture being present in the vapor space and either the lack of knowledge about the inherent safety implications or inadequate safety procedures.
In order to minimize the risk/prevent an explosion, it is important to evaluate the flammability characteristics of gas/vapor mixture such as the lower flammability limit, the upper flammability limit, the limiting oxygen concentration, and the deflagration index....
