Safety study of an experimental apparatus for extraction with supercritical co2

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering
Vol. 29, No. 03, pp. 677 - 682, July - September, 2012

ISSN 0104-6632 Printed in Brazil www.abeq.org.br/bjche

SAFETY STUDY OF AN EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTION WITH SUPERCRITICAL CO2
V. B. Soares and G. L. V. Coelho*
Laboratory of Separation Process, Department of Chemical Engineering, University Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, (UFRRJ), Phone: + (55) (21) 3787-3742, Fax: + (55) (21) 3787-3750, BR 465, Km 7, 23890-000, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil. E-mail: [e-mail] * E-mail: [e-mail] (Submitted: May 6, 2011 ; Revised: February 19, 2012 ; Accepted: March 1, 2012)

Abstract - During the process of supercritical CO2 extraction it is necessary to use high pressures in the procedure. The explosion of a pressure vessel can be harmful to people and cause serious damage to the environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the probability of death and injury in a laboratory unit for supercritical fluid extraction in the case of an explosion of the extractor vessel. The procedure is explained via a case study involving fatty acid extraction from vegetable oils with carbon dioxide above its supercritical conditions and under optimum operating conditions. According to the results, more importance should be given to the use of a protective headset because the probability of eardrum injury is superior to the probability of death from lung injury. Keywords: Safety Analysis; Pressure Vessel; Probit method; BLEVE.

INTRODUCTION Over the last few decades, the word “security” has been substituted by the expression “loss prevention” to include new questions about the safety of the environment, materials and businesses (Hendershot, 2006). This is partially due to a large number of accidents involving pressure vessels in the decade between 1970 and 1980, affecting the image and the profits of organizations. In a chemical manufacturing plant, the sudden release of pressurized material