Does ammonia tank truck need earthing/grounding while loading/unloading the aqueos ammonia? Options  Watch this topic  Print this topic » Normal Threaded

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vinod		#1 Posted : 09 March 2015 05:51:30(UTC)
Rank: Forum user		Dear All, Good morning, reference to the subject, can you please advise?. I have an unloading station for aqueous ammonia (19%), where tanker comes and unload the NH3. Now the question is, does the tanker require any additional earthing while its unload the ammonia?
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descarte8		#2 Posted : 09 March 2015 10:27:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		What would be the purpose of the earthing?
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vinod		#3 Posted : 09 March 2015 10:30:24(UTC)
Rank: Forum user		this came from some auditing team, i argued the requirement is only for flammable liquids.
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Ian Bell		#4 Posted : 09 March 2015 10:45:35(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		Are the auditors technically qualified to give that advice? If the solution is not classified as flammable etc then is won't fall under DSEAR and won't need earthing.
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vinod		#5 Posted : 09 March 2015 10:48:00(UTC)
Rank: Forum user		I too had the same opinion. But I just wanted to confirm. Thanks for your advise.
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PIKEMAN		#6 Posted : 09 March 2015 12:07:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		I would ask the supplier. Be cautious though - Ammonia in gaseous form is combustible.
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A Kurdziel		#7 Posted : 09 March 2015 12:12:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		How can auditors do this? They make a general statement saying a tanker carrying ammonia solution needs earthing but they don’t explain why. I can’t see why a taker carrying an aqueous solution of ammonia would need earthing as oppose to tanker carrying ammonia as a gas.
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Jane Blunt		#8 Posted : 09 March 2015 12:15:37(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		Pikeman wrote: I would ask the supplier. Be cautious though - Ammonia in gaseous form is combustible. What you say is true, Pikeman, but we don't have ammonia in gaseous form here - we have a solution in water.
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JohnW		#9 Posted : 09 March 2015 12:45:29(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		I can guarantee that if you have a leak you will smell the gas and your eyes will be streaming! For flammability, contact the supplier.
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jay		#10 Posted : 09 March 2015 14:03:47(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		A 19% aqueus solution of Amminia is not flammable. Its UN transport number is "UN 2672" ;Class 8 (Corrosive) described as :- "Ammonia solution, relative density between 0.880 and 0.957 at 15° C in water, with more than 10 percent but not more than 35 percent ammonia"
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JohnW		#11 Posted : 09 March 2015 14:11:30(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		Yes the aqueous liquid solution is not flammable. But the ammonia gas is released in the event of a leak particularly in warm conditions, so the question is can the vapour be ignited?
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PIKEMAN		#12 Posted : 09 March 2015 14:13:14(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		Sure, the aqueous solution is not flammable, but IF Ammonia vapour is given off, which is possible, it may be flammable. IMHO - with a lot of experience of working with tankers and tank transfers, would just use a flying earth lead to prevent uncontrolled static discharge. What's to lose?
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JohnW		#13 Posted : 10 March 2015 14:29:21(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		just following from mine (and Pikeman's) messages, can the vapour be ignited? Data found: flammable/explosive limit range of ammonia in air is 15–25%. Flash Point: 132degC (data from Sigma-Aldrich) so could an electrostatic spark ignite vapour with flash point 132degG..... I don't think so.
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Steve e ashton		#14 Posted : 11 March 2015 01:00:54(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		The key issue here is the flammability of ammonia. It is very strange stuff as the explosive limit range given by John's shows. Absolutely no chance of flammable or spark ignitable concentrations arising from any foreseeable spillage of aqueous solution... Forget the temperature. But note the ignition energy is very low... Once it is in the flammable range it takes very little to set it off! But no need for earthing straps on an aqueous tanker. Ammonia can burn and explode. Google johnshaven blast in Lithuania. But aqueous no. Toxic etc risk notwithstanding.
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A Kurdziel		#15 Posted : 11 March 2015 09:23:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user		Ammonia gas is flammable but ammonia is the most water soluble gasthere is. It is difficult to get it to separate from the wet stuff, so I would suggest it is unlikely that an explosive atmosphere would form just from a tanker. It is also very smelly, which means that people can detect it even at very low concentrations (less than 1%) and they assume that if they can smell it there is a lot more of it about than there really is.
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