Document Lg5exD8pkg33jJR6voDxYYg1q

SILICONES & CJRETHANE INTERMEDIATES ENGINEERING SOUTH CHARLESTON. WEST VIRGINIA MEMORANDUM May 22, 1985 TO: -^AlPT^tiepar COPY TO w. E. D. H. F. M. D. J. D. J. B. G. W. S. P. G. J. N. MOC Ballard Harrah Holmes McNeil Moody Stump Walker West Wickert FROM: A. E. Wood SUBJECT Use of Non-Asbestos Gaskets To decrease exposure to asbestos materials, the GR shop has been using non-asbestos gasketing on pump heads since 1983. They originally used Garlock 3000 with nitrile binder. No gasketing failures were reported but severe gasket deterioration was noted. So they switched to the Garlock 3200 (with SBR binder) in early 1985. In May, they again switched to the Durabula and Garlock 3700 with EPR Binder. Non-asbestos gaskets can not be a direct substitute for asbestos gasketing. Non-asbestos gaskets contain significant amounts of rubber binder and their proper selection has to consider the chemical resistancy of the rubbers to the process chemical. Asbestos gaskets are 80% fiber, 10515 rubber binder and 10% filler. If the rubber binder is attacked 90% of the gasket is left. The new non-asbestos gasketing materials on the market are 50% fiber, 30% rubber binder and 20% filler. An attack on the rubber binder can result in a catastrophic failure of the seal. Last week, I inspected four non-asbestos gaskets that were installed in pump services. Three of the gaskets were in pumps that were in the shop for routine repair and these gaskets were only 50-95% attacked. These pumps were: 1. Polycls No.2 Reactor Circulating Pump (Garlock 3200SBR binder, attacked by Ethylene Oxide). 2. Upper Island Residue Pumps (Garlock 3200-SBR binder attacked by ketenes/. UCC 011529 3. Silicones II Dowtherm Pump (Durabula-EPR binder, attacked by 700F temperatures (Mfg. said it was good to 900F) and attack of the EPR binder by Dowtherm). The fourth gasket was a Durabula gasket with an EPR binder that was used on a piston pump. The gasket "blewout" due to either an overpressure or as a result of loss of the EPR binder due to attack by oils. The above data, indicates that we have not yet had enough service life on the compressed non-asbestos gaskets, to have experienced the catastrophic failures that are possible once the binder has been attacked. But the probability of an occurrence is high if the situation is not addressed quickly. A review of our hazardous and toxic chemicals lists with respect to the resistance of the SBR binder in the Garlock 3200 has been conducted. This review indicates that this gasket is not resistant to 90fc of the hazardous and toxic chemicals in our plant (see attached listing). The Durabula gasket with the EPR binder is a newer, superior gasket but a preliminary review shows that EPR is not resistant to 50fc of our process chemicals. There are no records of where these gasketing materials have been installed. Please identify those pumps that are in services shown to attack these binders and work with the GR shop. Nelson Wickert and I to pull these pumps and verify that they have either Asbestos, Grafoil or Teflongaskets. Any other gasketing material should be replaced with one of these 3 materials. The action plan is to: 1. Identify pumps handling high impact potential chemicals that attack non-asbestos gasketing binders (will need the following information: Pump Location, Service, Property Number by 6-14-85). Send lists to . 0. Harrah and A. E. Wood. 2. Determine gasket materials used in pump. 3. Re-gasket pumps that are gasketed with compressed non-asbestos gaskets. 4. Identify pumps handling medium impact potential chemicals and repeat above procedure by 6-21-85. 5. Identify pumps handling low impact potential chemicals and repeat procedure by 6-28-85. The potential for an emission due to gasket failure is high please work with us to correct this situation as soon as possible. Attached is D. J. McNeil's letter on use of Asbestos/Non-Asbestos Gasket Valve Packing Materials. - Feel free to call me on extension 3424 if you have any additional questions. AEW/sml A. E. Wood UCC 011530 HAZAKPOPS AND TOIIC MATERIAL QUESTIOWNAIRE MEDIUM IMPACT POTENTIAL Acetic Anhydride Butyl Acrylate DM1A Butyraldehyde Chlorine Dlethylamine Ethane, Stablized (Institute) Ethyl Acrylate Isobutylene Isobutyraldehyde Natural Cas (Logan) Natural Cas (C-12 Cas) Propionic Acid " Vinyl Acetate Vlnylldene Chloride 1 C.OJ- lotVt 1X00 it 5KR JR K> RKf PL fO R_ Si R. Oor))aK WW U^lo< R UR R MR R N> R R Fo,.r M (K (- KJ R MR MR _ . January 30, 1985 0111S MR-- u,, + E:<x,r- --'V CO/A 4- JOkVov UCC 011531 HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC MATERIAL QUESTIONNAIRE LOU IMPACT POTENTIAL Acetone Amyl Acetate Brucine Sulfate Butanol Butyl Acetate CELLOSOLVE ^Acetate' Cyclohexanone D1 -1-But yIT er oxIde Dloxane Dodecanoyl Peroxide Ethanol Ethyl Acetate- " Ethylenediamine 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate-' Ethyl Silicate, Condensed Ethyl Silicate 40 Casoline, Drips (,'asoll ne, Tuel Hydrogen Isobutanol Isobutyl Acetate Tsopropanol ` Isopropyl Acetate Mesityl Oxide Methanol Hethyl~Acetate Methyl n-Aayl Ketone Methyl CELLOSOLVE Methyl Ethyl Ketone Methyl Isobutyl Ketone Nicotine Alkaloid Nicotine Solution 2,4 - Pentanedione Propane a - Propanol n - Propyl Acetate PyridiDe Triethylaoine - Trimethylamine. 25Z Toluene 1 6*rl<x,lc3lo | S8R J% F K> R * FnR fj R KIR __________KJ R, H Rr AIR F<k > r- JJR R Fa %r KJ R F*i r R yLiln, oaL we tJZ uR (JR M O d RtUKMAMjtj January 30, 1985 0111S .L\ J -- y ~ UCC 011532 Ikx>.b<iU CPR R R KI R R & R R R R R R u e. J c. R R R R R R R R R WP R R R UR HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC MATERIAL QUESTIONNAIRE HIGH IMPACT POTENTIAL -v_ ^s.n1i,T.L Acetaldehyde Acrylonitrile Allyl Alcohol Ammonia Carbon Monoxide, 512 to du Pont Dimethylamine Dimethyldichiorosilane Ethane, Liquid (Hastings) Ethylene Oxide Hydrogen, 512 to du Pont Hydrogen Chloride Liquid Concentrates Methyl Chloride Methyldichlorosllane Methyltrichlorosilane Mononethylamine Propylene Oxide Silicon Tetrachloride Sulfur Trioxide Trichlorosilane Trimethylchlorosilane Vinyl Methyl Ether <=><./ LcU 3ZOO S^ K) R -- WR-VioT F*ir w P. KIR K R. M PR -- -- N R u P- K J R. -- tJ PKJ R F:*,r UR W R. UP- 0<JfoAx>U 6*,t.cWv>o. E-re R kR ----- R -- UK. UR UR R UR UR UK -- R -- R -- xn x January 30, 1985 0111S if-- " (J E. - N* o "V Fcx%r-^ S Ki-it o-\l^ ^ ~0 Ja.Xa. UCC 011533 UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION SILICONES & URETHANE INTERMEDIATES ENGINEERING SOUTH CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA MEMORANDUM May 15, 1985 TO: w. E. Ballard J. C. Cogar* J. R. Dean E. 0. Harrah* F. M. Holmes* D. W. Moody* B. G. Stump* W. C. Young Attended Meeting FROM: D. J. McNeil* SUBJECT: Use of Asbestos/Non-Asbestos Gasket/Valve Packing Materials On 5/10/85 the above group net to discuss the use of non-asbestos gasket and valve packing materials. When the asbestos health concern was first disclosed the So Charleston location made a concentrated effort to remove anc discontinue the use of asbestos materials (gloves, insulation, etc.) This policy was also applied to asbestos gasketing and valve packing materials. Therefore, the 514 location began to buy and use other gasketing materials, such as "Blue-Gard" and Garlock 3200. No recor were kept on where these materials were used. It is the E&TS organization's position that there are significant risks involved in the use of these materials. Ncn-asbes compressed non-metallic gaskets have been shown to be inferior in chemical resistance and have a lower maximum temperature limit than teflon (Ashbaugh/Moody/Neeley letter of 6/22/82-attached). Asbestos gaskets are 80* fiber, 10* binder and 10* filler, the binder is attacked 90* of the gasket is left. The new gasketing materials are 50* fiber, 30* binder and 20* filler. An attack on th binder can result in a catastrophic failure of the seal. It is also the E&TS and Safety Department's position that asbestos materials can be stored, cut and handled in a safe tanner since the fibers are encapsulated in binder. UCC 011534 2 The action plan developed by the group was to: 1. Limit gasket and valve packing materials at 514 to BGS/WEB -Asbestos -Grafoil -Teflon (Gylon-Pawn) -Elastomers such as Viton. Neoprene, etc. in low temperature and special services only EPR, Any exception must be clearly identified and monitored with copies going to D. J. McNeil and A. E. Wood. Any exceptions need technically supportable reasons. WCY 2. Run tests on exposure during handling/cutting of asbestos materials in the 514 shops. BGS Review operating procedures JCC 3. Get rid of "other" unacceptable materials AEW 4. Try to determine where "other" gasketing materials were put in service and the risks involved in leaving them in that service. AEW/EOH Document service life of "other" materials when equipment with this material is pulled to gather data base for when asbestos becomes unavailable. Replace "other" material with one of the acceptable materials when found. BGS/ WCY 5. Review and train personnel on accepted "wet down" procedures for handling "failed" asbestos gaskets (failed means that the binder was lost) Run tests on expdsure in handling old/failed asbestos materials. 6. Run organized/weJ1 documented tests on "other" materials by contacting the MOC group (AEW) for monitoring. A. E. Wood will monitor and document these activities. Any additional concerns or questions can be addressed to him. DJM/sml Thanks for your support, f[kt- H ^ D. J. McNeil UCC 011535