Document QeObK79xrgnqeNQ4DORMevoo

FAfaz i.eallug/Konga bl e McQuarrle/Shlrley Montgomery Pratt/Boyd/Webb MONSANTO CHEMICAL COMPANY Texas City, Texas July 26, I960 To: W. T. Anderson Subject: Inspection of VCM Tank Car On July 22, G. C. Marken, G. E. Pratt, N. B. Erd and myself inspected a VCM tank car, SHPX-5120, at the Richmond Tank Car Company where it had been sent to be cleaned. This tank car was built in January of 1957 and had been in VCM service for over three years without being cleaned. The overall condition of the tank car was pretty good. Pine rust particles had accumulated at the bottom of the tank car. There were a few streaks of a yellow-to-white substance in the rust particles. Laboratory analysis of this substance found the following: (a) Positive test for iron (b) Positive test for chlorides (c) Water extract was acidic (d) 65# loss on ignition (mostly polymer) The origin of the ruBt particles is not certain. Some of these particles may have been pumped from the VCM storage spheres or resulted from corrosion in the pipe lines or the tank car wallB. Residual VCM may have polymerized when the vessel was steamed prior to our entering the car. The absence of caustic was indi cated. The good overall condition raised some doubt that this VCM tank car was representative of dirty VCM tank cars. No easy way was found to determine when future VCM tank carB should be cleaned other than that presently U3ed. CBY 1114491 RSV0031292 '* i -2 Technical Service would like to inspect a VCM tank car which needs to be cleaned and has previously been sandblasted. Sandblasting may cause active Bites in the tank car walls which promote polymerization and corrosion. DLK:sm 7-28-60 D. L. Kristinik CBY 1114492 RSV0031293