Document emR4kDaMOdZBN0M4KLD2kxYOe

ETHYL CORPORATION Medical Department 451 Florida Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70801 TELEPHONE: Area E 387-01 DISTRIBUTION S. A. S.D. W.E. T-R. H.M. M.R. D'Armond Motsinger Rinehart, Sc.D. Robinson, M.D. Taylor Zavon, M.D. D.E. Cooper October, 1974 ETH0Q003623 ETHYL CORPORATION Medical Department Baton Rouge, Louisiana STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEY Of Baton Rouge Plant Preliminary Survey of Materials and Processes in SODIUM AREA I. General The portion of the Ethyl Baton Rouge plant designated as the Sodium Area converts brine to sodium, caustic soda, and chlorine. A simplified chart of Sodium Area operations as supplied by Mr. Motsinger is attached. We have made some supplementary indications on the chart to help tie it into the descriptions in this report. The principal manufacturina operations are: 1) Brine treating. All sulfate must be removed and a very dry salt prepared for feeding the sodium cells. Brine is heated and saturated for the caustic cells. 2) Downs Cells. In these the dry salt is mixed with some calcium chloride to reduce its melting point, and the melted salt electrolyzed to sodium and chlorine. (The TEL-TML operations use most of the sodium. Most of the chlorine goes to the Hydrocarbon Area for manufacturing solvents, ethylene dichloride, and vinyl chloride. By-product HC1 then goes into making ethyl chloride and methyl chloride there for use in the TEL-TML plant). 3) Hooker cells. These cells convert a saturated salt solution to caustic soda, hydrogen, and chlorine. At present the crude caustic liquor is shipped to Allied Chemical. The hydrogen is vented. The chlorine goes mainly to Hydrocarbon Area operations. 4) Chlorine recovery. The chlorine from the Downs cells is dry, but the considerable water in the hot chlorine from the Hooker cells must be removed in three stages. Part of the dry chlorine is liquefied and filled.into tank cars. The remainder goes to the Hydrocarbon Area. ETH00003624 II. Materials (Raw, Product, By-product, Supportive) 21 Brine-treating seccion Barium chloride. This is purchased in bags (e.g. from E. Kuhlmann of France) and dumped into a dissolver pit. The solid is dissolved in water heated by injected steam, and stirred by injected air. Barium sulfate sludge. The sulfate content of the raw brine from Allied is precipitated by addition of barium chloride solution in (five) treating tanks. The resulting barium sulfate sludge is allowed to settle for hauling to a landfill area. Caustic is added to the tank to overcome the accumulating acidity from the reaction. Diatomaceous earth is added as an assist just before the filtration of the brine. Natural ga.s, fuel for dryers and other operations Downs Cells section (154 cells, 7 volts/cell) (600C) Sodium chloride, dessicated, as feed. Calcium chloride, solid, added to salt feed for cells Metallic sodium, mainly used in TEL manufacture. Excess to storage and sales. Chlorine to chlorine recovery section. Sodium-calcium sludge is filtered into drums and hauled to river. Sodium oxide vapors. Most of this is an aerosol, drawn into hoods and exhausted through low chimneys. Released several times a day when cells must be opened. (Face Masks used for personnel protection) Hooker (Diaphragm) Cells section (132 cells) (550 volts) Clarified, saturated brine Hydrogen chloride to reduce pH. Asbestos for diaphragms. Anodes, graphite. See Supportive materials. Cell liquor. Mixture caustic soda plus unreacted salt. Product pumped "across the fence" to Allied Chemical. 11.5% NaOH, 15% NaCl. ETH00003625 Chlorine, wet, to cooler and dryers. Hydrogen by-product. To roof vent. 3. Chlorine Recovery Chlorine, wet, then dried. Some is liquefied. Chill Water for 1st stage sweat-out. Freon in chiller stage. Sulfuric acid for acid scrub. "Gunk" from liquid chlorine stripper. This is a mixture of off-gases from caustic cells, and consists of chlorides of nitrogen and carbon. The material is mostly CHgCl, CH^Cl^r CHC13 , CC1 with small amounts of NCl^. Separated as bottoms in rhe stripper, it is washed with caustic, and scrubbings are sewered. (There are plans to move these bottoms to the HC area for processing). Supportive Materials Graphite anode make-up Spacers Graphite Sheets Mastic, heated in box One cell/day is re-built with new anodes. Bus bar clean-up and tinning section for clean-up for tinning bars in furnace Metallic lead, formed into bases of cells for electrical conductor. Other Supportive and Maintenance Materials Paint, protective, for bases of diaphragm cells Paints, other (check with Maintenance) Roofing Compound ETH00003626 Lime. 2 million lbs, slurried and also bagged, kept at-the-ready, in case of sodium cell shut-down or spills. Soda Ash. Scattered on floors, then swept up to maintain dry surface, prevent electrical shock. Soaps and Cleaners, Misc. HTH. Shower sanitizer. (Check with Maintenance) Lubes, Misc. (See also memo DEC/HMT, 10/14/74 on compressor lubes.) Charcoal. This is dried as a service to HC Area and returned to them. III. Indicated Problems, Nov; Under Remedial Study Sodium Oxide. (See under "Downs Cells") Brine-treating tanks. Hot, salty mist may be capable of being reduced. "Gunk" disposal (See under "Chlorine Recovery") Sodiurn-calcium sludge disposal. (See under "Downs . Cells" .) Attachment: SODIUM AREA (Simplified lay-out of operations) DEC:daw D.E. Cooper October, 1974 ETH00003627 ETH00003628