Huge Catastrophic Explosion at a Hazardous Goods Warehouse in Tianjin

Background Information

In August of 2015, there was a huge catastrophic explosion at a hazardous goods warehouse in TianJin (天津). This catastrophe resulted in 165 people dead or missing, including local inhabitants living near the warehouse and more than 700 people injuired. This explosion happened at Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics (Ruihai Logistics), where handling hazardous chemicals such as calcium carbide, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate at the port. The cause of explosion was the mistreated chemicals stored in this warehouse.

According to the report released by China on February of 2016, the “immediate cause of the accident was spontaneous ignition of overly dry nitrocellulose store in a container that overheated” (Citation needed[http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/02/Chinese-Investigators-Identify-Cause-Tianjin.html]). The nitrocellulose is the element highly flammable, reactive and explosive when it is dry. In fire, it produces poisonous gases. Since it was summer with low humidity in Tianjin, the agents keeping wet level of nitrocellulose had evaporated. From the first ignition of nitrocellulose, flames reached ammonium nitrated fertilizer stored nearby and then it exploded, according to investigators.

Nitrocellulose is a white, granular chip or fibrous material, used for automobile lacquers, in printing inks, explosives and rocket propellants. (hazardous substance fact sheet). It should be kept as wet with damping agents such as water or alcohol to prevent ignition, therefore the container should be always closed tightly. Not only that, it should be keep away from heat, hot surface, sparks and other ignition sources. [https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/44263835#section=Safety-and-Hazards]

Fire-fighting: water is the only effective agent for extinguishing burning nitrocellulose.

Ammonium nitrate is a white crystalline solid, highly soluble in water. It is an important fertilizer which used widely in agriculture. It is also used as an explosive in mining. With any ignition source or heating, it may cause violent combustion or explosion. It should be kept away from other combustible materials.

*Fire & Explosion Hazard: It is not combustible itself, but has potential to enhance combustion of other substances. When it is exposed to high temperature, there is a risk of combustion.  [https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/22985#section=Health-Hazard]