Safety concerns in Batch type Tire Pyrolysis Plants

In last 10 years, batch type tire pyrolysis plants have been installed across the world and are known for the profitability but compromised safety.  Typical batch tire pyrolysis plant has 5MT to 12MT loading capacity of tires. This article is to review the environmental, health & safety concerns regarding batch tire pyrolysis plants. 100s of workers, operators and investors have died in such batch type tire plant due to explosion or accident. Given below is the detailed chart that explains the accident risk involved in batch tire plant.

 

 

 

Faults in batch tire plantsHazard and Risks
  • Lack of efficient pollution control equipment
  • The facility emits huge quantity of suspended particulate matter in air. There is powder carbon lying everywhere in the facility and around the facility.
  • There is no Gas Handling System to store and burn toxic pyrolysis gas
  • The excesses pyrolysis gas is released in the environment causing emission issues
  • This is hazardous to human health
  • Spreads bad smell around the industry
  • Manual temperature control of reactor
  • Mistakes by operator can lead to overheating and reactor explosion
  • Under heating of reactor leads to plant insufficiency
  • Required highly vigilant and experienced manpower
  • Wrong selection of material of construction for reactor manufacturing.
  • Reactor metal damage due to direct heating and opening of welding joints
  • Reactor metal damage leads to explosion within 2 years.
  • Manual carbon removal from reactor
  • Workers look like black monkeys
  • Carbon particles accumulate in the lungs of workers affecting their health and causing numerous lung diseases
  • Spreads toxic carbon through the plant
  • Reactor needs to be opened for removing carbon. There is no provision that ensures 100% prevention of accident due to carbon catching fire.
  • Most of the fire and accidents in batch tire plants happen due to opening of reactor when inside carbon is above 100 Degree Celsius.
  • Every day, during reactor door opening there is danger of explosion and accident
  • Frequent clogging of reactor vapor line
  • Reactor vapor line gets clogged due to bitumen produced in the reaction and needs to be cleaned every 2 to 3 days.
  • In case vapor line gets completely clogged, it leads to massive explosion and life hazards.
  • Unpredictable pressure built up in reactor
  • Tiny and insufficient size of reactor safety pressure release systems
  • Safety pressure release system of reactor never works
  • Adds to health hazard in case of high reactor pressure
  • Lack of gas burner system
  • Heavy black smoke from chimney
  • Gas back fire leading to worker skin burns and accidents

Given below are the post explosion photos of typical Batch Type Tire Pyrolysis Plants