Shandong State Administration of Work Safety Approves “3.11” Urea Tower Explosion Investigation Nanhuan Machinery Factory Allegedly Has Direct Responsibility for the Explosion Accident

The reporter was informed on June 16 that the Shandong Province Safety Supervision Bureau formally approved the investigation report of the Jinan Municipal Government on the “3.11” urea synthesis tower explosion accident investigation team of Pingyin Luxi Chemical Third Chemical Fertilizer Factory Co., Ltd. The report pointed out that Nanhua Chemical Machinery Factory has direct responsibility for this explosion.

The accident investigation team formed by the Jinan Municipal Government believes that the “3·21” urea synthesis tower explosion accident was due to the lack of understanding of the serious consequences of the safety leakage of the urea synthesis tower steam leak in the chemical machinery plant of Sinopec Nanjing Chemical Industry Company. Due to the improper installation and use of the new leak detection hole structure, the steam accelerated into the laminate plate, resulting in more serious consequences than the welded leak detection hole. Due attention has not been given to the user to perform the notification obligation, resulting in Leakage of steam into the laminate caused severe stress corrosion, leading to a major liability accident.

At 21:20 on March 21, 2005, a urea synthesis tower explosion occurred at Pingyin Luxi Chemical Third Fertilizer Factory Co., Ltd. The accident caused a total of 4 deaths, 32 injuries, and direct economic losses of approximately 7.8 million yuan, causing a high degree of concern among chemical fertilizer companies nationwide. On March 22nd, the Jinan Municipal People's Government established the Pingyin Luxi Chemical Third Chemical Fertilizer Factory led by the Jinan City Safety Supervision Bureau, the Municipal Quality Supervision Bureau, the Supervision Bureau, the General Trade Union, the Public Security Bureau, and the Pingyin County government. The “3.11” urea synthesis tower explosion accident investigation team of the company limited, and invited relevant experts from Shandong Antai Chemical Pressure Vessel Inspection Center, Jinan Petrochemical Design Institute and Mingshui Chemical Fertilizer Plant to participate in the accident investigation. The investigation team went to Nanhua Chemical Machinery Factory and Jiangsu Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Testing Center twice to design, manufacture and supervise the “3.11” explosive urea synthesis tower of Pingyin Luxi Chemical Third Fertilizer Factory Co., Ltd. , After-sales technical service investigation and evidence collection. In late December 2005, the investigation team made a special report to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China on the “3·21” accident investigation, evidence collection and the nature of the accident.

According to the report, the cause of the accident was that the leak detection pipe of Pingyin Fertilizer Plant's urea synthesis tower was connected to the 16MnR ply plate using a pipe thread connection method. The leak detection pipe was loosely sealed or loosened during use, leaking the leaked steam to Between the urine tower plates, alkali ions such as sodium in the leaked steam are concentrated to a higher concentration, resulting in severe stress corrosion cracking, resulting in a large number and severe stress corrosion cracks in the urea tower before explosion. The medium is severely leaked, eventually causing bumps and explosions of the internal medium. When the manufacturer of Nanhua Chemical Machinery Factory delivered the R-1102 urea synthesis tower of Luxi Chemical No. 3 Chemical Fertilizer Plant, there was no looseness in the actual structure of the tower's leak detection hole during transportation, installation and use, which would cause a leak in the steam to the layer. Leakage between boards and inform the user of the serious consequences, so the accident was caused by the explosion of heavy casualties and property caused by the quality (including manufacturing and service) of the urea synthesis towers manufactured by the Chemical Machinery Plant of Sinopec Nanjing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Lost liability accident. Nanhua Chemical Machinery Factory has direct responsibility for this explosion. The original plant manager (current party secretary) Liu Jinbao has leadership responsibility for this explosion; the chief engineer of design technology, chief engineer Chen Jianjun, changed the structural design of the steam leak detection hole, and failed to inform the user of the accident on the ground of confidentiality. The person directly responsible has direct responsibility for the accident.

It is understood that there had been a urea synthesis tower explosion in the country before, but no accident investigation report was formally announced. The determination of the responsibility for this explosion accident has been controversial in the industry.