Explosions Due to Hydrogen and Hydrogen Sulfide Build-up
As paper mills have begun to close up their water systems and move toward zero effluent discharge, they are finding that closing a mill’s water system can lead to changes in a mill’s water chemistry. These can include a build-up of nutrients which can increase the amount of microbes in a mill’s system. In the absence of oxygen that might be found in tanks, chests, and pipes, anaerobic bacteria can thrive.
When certain types of anaerobic bacteria break down the organic material found in a mill, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen gases can be formed and released. One group of anaerobic bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria or SRB, produce hydrogen sulfide gas as a byproduct of their metabolic process. Other anaerobic bacteria, including clostridia, produce hydrogen gas as a byproduct of their metabolic processes.
Both these gases, if present in sufficient amounts, can be a safety concern — particularly for explosions — in a paper mill. Monitoring for these gases can help detect harmful levels of the gases before incident occurs.
RPTA issued Technical Bulletin 16, Hydrogen and Hydrogen Sulfide Gases, which provides guidance on monitoring for these gases.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued a Bulletin that provides guidance on hot work in such areas.
LATEST NEWS
Industry Benchmarking Survey
The next Profile Study will be initiated this December for first-quarter ’25 sampling. All past Survey reports can be accessed at this member-only page.
2024 Summer Webinar
On July 24th, we held a webinar on In-Line Freeness Measurement, presented by BTG Instrument Representatives Jason Shipman and Tyler Spivey. Webinar slides and recording are available at this RPTA members only site, along with materials from other past webinars
UPCOMING EVENTS
2024 Fall Roundtable
Paper Machine Roll Design and Operation, Appleton, WI.
Wednesday, October 16, 1:00 to 5:00 PM – Engaging seminar on roll design and operation, at the Hilton Paper Valley Hotel, followed by a group dinner.
Thursday, October 19, Morning - Tour of a roll manufacturer’s facility
2025 Winter Webinar
A mid- to late-January Zoom webinar on Recovered Fiber Grades and Quality, to include presentations on the incoming product and on impacts to the production process.
2025 Production-Technical Seminar
Next year’s P-T Seminar will be held on May 5 & 6, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, co-located with TAPPICon 2025. Session topics will be:
- Safer Operations
- Ways to improve paper properties, e.g.; ply bond, formation
- Wet end chemistry optimization (a 2-hour mini-course by highly experienced consultant)
- Solid waste reduction
An exciting change: RPTA members will register with RPTA and we will register the group with TAPPICon. The cost for each member will be less than prior years and will include the entire 4-dayTAPPICon program, instead of just RPTA’s two days.
Stay tuned as details develop.