University of Cagliari

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture

Chemical Engineering and biotechnological processes

Course of Safety and Environmental Chemical Engineering

Exercise-2 (Safety)

BY Tiegisti Fessehaie Embaie

Date 29/12/2022
Exercise 3.1
A process plant inventories the following chemicals:
a) vinyl chloride
b) ethylene oxide
c) cyclohexane
d) methyl ethyl ketone

Determine the hazards associated with these chemicals using the SDS you can find in internet (specify
the source and vendor). Synthetic description is required (5-6 lines on average). Finally, in 2-3 lines
describe the additional information you might request to perform an appropriate assessment of the
risk associated with these chemicals.

Solution.

a) VINYL CHLORIDE (VC) – Colourless liquid or gas faintly sweet odour, boiling point = -13.9 °F,
TLV = 5 ppm in air. VC is an irritant via inhalation and to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Causes
skin burns by rapid evaporation and freezing. Severe fire and explosion hazard. When heated to
decomposition, it emits toxic phosgene gas.

b) ETHYLENE OXIDE (EO) – gas or liquid colourless with characteristic odour, boiling point=51.3
°F; TLV_TWA=1 ppm; EO is an irritant via inhalation and to skin, eyes and mucous membranes.
Potential acute health effects: Causes serious eye irritation. Liquid can cause burns similar to frostbite.
Toxic if inhaled. May cause respiratory irritation. Causes skin irritation. Dermal contact with rapidly
evaporating liquid could result in freezing of the tissues or frostbite. Ingestion of liquid can cause
burns like frostbite.

c) CYCLOHEXANE (CE) – liquid phase, clear, colourless with sweet odour, boiling point=81°C,
TLV_TWA=100pmm; CE causes eye and skin irritation. vapours may form explosive mixture with
air.

d) METHYL ETHYL KETONE (MEK) – liquid phase, colourless with sweer odour, boiling point=
80°C; TLV_TWA= 200 ppm; highly flammable liquid and vapor, causes serious eye irritation, may
causes drowsiness or dizziness. Furthermore, it is necessary to know the concentration of these
chemical substances, the temperature, and the pressure of the place they are stocked or where they
are to be used to be safer and keep them to the appropriate conditions
Exercise 3.2

For the following air mixture, determine the the mixture TLV-TWA.
a) 4 ppm of carbon tetrachloride with a TLV of 5 ppm,
b) 25 ppm of 1,1-dichloroethane with a TLV of 100 ppm,
c) 5 ppm of diethylamine witn a TLV of 5 ppm,
d) 20 ppm of cyclohexanol with a TLV of 50 ppm,
e) 10 ppm of propylene oxide with a TLV of 2 ppm.

Then determine whether workers continuously exposed to this mixture during the entire work shift
are overexposed and if yes calculate (if it exists) the maximum concentration of propylene oxide for
the workers to be underexposed.

Solution:

conc.(ci) in TLV in
ppm ppm Ci/TLV
CCl4 4 5 0.8
1,1-dichloromethane 25 100 0.25
diethaylamaine 5 5 1
cycloxanol 20 50 0.4
propylene oxide 10 2 5
total 64 7.45

As we can see from the above table we calculated the total concentrations of the air mixture and the
total Ci/TLV values inorder to calculate (TLV-TWA)mix

= 8.590604027ppm

but in our case

> (TLV-TWA)mix => 64>8.59064

Which means there is over exposure

And since the concentration of propylene oxide is still > (TLV-TWA)mix
10 > 8.59060403
there is no any concentration of propylene oxide that can lowers the over exposure
Exercise 3. 3
A drum with a diameter of 0.85 m contains 0.18 m3 of toluene. If the lid is left open determine the a)
time required to evaporate all of the toluene, and b) concentration of toluene (in ppm) near the drum
if the local ventilation rate is 28.34 m3/min. The temperature is 90 °F and the pressure is 1 atm.
Assume a non ideal-mixing coefficient equal to 0.5.

Based on the obtained results evaluate if a man working near the drum is overexposed and if yes
evaluate the ventilation rate needed to avoid overexposure. Then explain if the same approach can be
adopted in the case where the volume of toluene is 0.01 m3,

Solution:

We have all the datas that we need to calculate mass flow rate and concentration of toluene near the
drum and from the mass flow rate we can easly find the time required (knowing the volume and
density of toluene)

Where - the mass transfer coefficient (K) is :

- And saturated pressure (Psat) can be calculated from Antoine law

A B C T
6.95805 1346.773 219.613 32.2
Time = 80.64403915 hr in volume of 0.18m3
If we have small volume like 0.01m3 the time to be exposed will be shorter(4.5hr), which is good
Another solution to reduce the exposure concentration might be to increase the ventilation rate.

Cppm =619.9 , since it exceeds the TLV value, the man working near the drum is overexposed. We
need to increase the ventilation rate in order to reduce the concentration.

The preferable value of Qv is about 880m3/min which results to a maximum concentration value
of toluene (19.96378ppm)but still less than TLV value. We are restricted by the TLV of toluene that
is 20ppm.

Exercise 3-4

The liquid mixture of VOCS reported in the Table is splash filled in a tank having a volume of 5 m3
and a diameter of 1 m. In 8 hours about a half of the tank is filled. The ventilation flowrate in the zone
is 6000 m3/hr. Temperature and pressure are 25 °C and 1 atm, respectively.

Vol percent Species TLV

Component
(%vol) (ppm)
Heptane 30 400
Toluene 70 20

Evaluate whether a person that works near the tank is overexposed or not.
Solution

first we need to calculate the transfer coefficients of toluene and heptane as we know the molecular
mass of them and transfer coefficient of water(Kw).

And from the below data We can evaluate the Saturation pressures at T=25°C and P=1atm through
the Antoine’s law.

A B C T
Toluene 6.90253 1267.828 216.823 25
Heptane 6.95805 1346.773 219.693 25

Even though we have % vol we need to change it to % mass in order to fine partial pressure using
Raoult’s law:-

Parallely we can calculate ørfVc where ø is 1 for splash filling of the vessel and rfVc is the volumetric
flowrate displaced (m3/min) = 0.005208 m3/min
Having all the above values we can calculate exposure concentration :

Psat(atm) x(mass%) Pi(atm) ørfVc KA Cppm

Toluene 0.060107 0.236671 0.014226 0.005208 0.228186 332.016
Heptane 0.037438 0.763329 0.028577 0.221846 648.8575
Total 980.8735

Then from this we can calculate TLVmix = 53.82629ppm

Since TLVmix < sum of Cppm , a person that works near the tank is overexposed
Exercise 4.1

A 30.5% hydrochloric acid solution is pumped from one storage tank to another. The power input to
the pump is 2.5 kW and is 60% efficient. The pipe is plastic PVC pipe with an internal diameter of
50 mm. At a certain time the liquid level in the first tank is 4.1 m above the pipe out-let. Because of
an accident, the pipe is severed between the pump and the second tank, at a point 2.1 m below the
pipe outlet of the first tank. This point is 27 m in equivalent pipe length from the first tank. Compute
the flow rate (in kg/s) from the leak. The viscosity of the solution is 1.8 × 10-3 kg/m s, and the density
is 1600 kg/m3.

Solution:

you need a trial and error solution.. Watch out for the signs in the mechanical energy

From the above given value we can calculate A:-

= 0.000107m2

Where Reynolds number can be calculated =

And based on the value of Reynolds number, we can obtain ɛ from pipe roughness table .
Then we can find Fanning Friction Factor;-

f = 0.004
and this f will help us to calculate head loss term from the length (K length) :-

- = 8.64104
- head loss term by the valve is 0 as we do not have any valve.
 - And head loss term at the exit is

- head loss term of the entry ( Kf entry )will be calculated :-

= 0.500804 and

From all the head loss terms we can calculate Frictional losses(F)by guesting the discharge velocity

Then we calculate our discharge velocity by the following formula :-

Then using the goal seeker in excel we compare the guess and calculated value of the discharge velocity

Finally we calculate the flow rate by the following formula :-

= 14.05479(m/s)

Exercise 4.2

A cylindrical closed vessel with a 10 m inside diameter sits on top of a concrete pad within a 20 m 2
diked area to contain any leaks. Such a vessel contains liquid toluene. A leak of 10 cm diameter
occurs on the side of the vessel located 1 m above the bottom. By the time the leaking flow was
stopped, the liquid level in the diked area had reached a height of 0.79 m. Temperature and pressure
are 25° C and 1 atm, respectively. After the leak is stopped (hole is closed) all the methanol is
recharged within the vessel almost immediately (in a neglectable interval of time).
(a) Calculate the total amount of toluene spilled into the dike in m3 and kg.
(b) What was the original liquid level in the tank, in m?
(c) If the liquid level in the tank at the end of the spill was 8.5 m above the bottom of the tank,
estimate the length of time for the leak in minutes.
(d) Evaluate the minimum ventilation flowrate to avoid the overexposure of a man working close
to the vessel.
Solution:

In order to Calculate the total amount of toluene spilled into the dike ,we need to subtract the volume
of the tank from the volume of pad at the same height of 0.79m and we obtain 253.985m3 and if we
consider this much of volume inside the tank it will cover the height of 3.235478m(hL). from this we can know
the level of the tank before leakage :-

3.235478m + 8.5m = 11.73548m=hL°

The mass spilled we have the formula:

𝒎 = 𝑽 ∗ 𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚

Where

total amount of toluene spilled (m) = 253985 kg

To calculate the time taken for a leak

for the leak height we have the formula in terms of time :-

t = 66.17min