Document pew8xY33dVaL9pzz5QQQDjakE

October 4, 1970 Mr. Eric Cohen Chief, Air Compliance Section Region V, U.8. KBS 230 South Dearborn St. Chicago, Xlliaoia 60604 Dear Mr. Cohen: The General Tire and Rubber Company, In co^liance with the RatlcghS Salealon Standard for vinyl chloride. Section 61.64, Is reporting,!* emergency annual vest valve discharge. * On September 29, 1978 at 3:4? p.a. Reactor 315 was manually vented to the atmosphere to prevent the relief valve frcm unseating. The, high iressure resulted from the reactor overheating which say have been caused by an excess of initiator being charged to the reactor, or the reactor walls may have had polymer build-up that reduced the heat transfer capacity of the reactor. The estimated loss of vinyl chloride to the atmosphere was l3 pounds. This loss was estimated by measuring the amount of vinyl chloride vented to the gasholder, the difference in level of the batch In the stripper compared to other batches, sad the conversion of the batch at the time the reactor was --"'Vy vented to the atmosphere: a. Vinyl chloride charged to reactor 10,500 lbs. b. Iblyrinyl chloride formed at the time the reactor was vented 6,462 lbs l chloride vented to gniholdmr ft.3 x 0.1855 lb./ft.3) d. Pounds vinyl chloride in reactor when vented to atmosphere e. Difference in level f. Pounds vinyl chloride lost to atmosphere 2,4ll lbs 1,627 lbs. 105 163 lbe SENG 004235 -2- Vha t)M jnitwi recorder for Reactor 315 indicated a pressure of 165 peig, the polymer operator west to investigate and found the pressure gauge 00 Reactor 31? reading over 200 psig. He immediately began to vent the reactor to the gasholder and continued to vent it until the gasholder was full. Ho decrease in pressure was observed, so the reactor was vented to the atmos phere to prevent the relief valve from opening. The polymer operators Involved have been re-instructed as to the most probable causes of reactor over-pressurization leading to emergency dishcarges, how to recognize conditions leading to these discharges, and what corrective action must be taken to avoid them. Very truly yours, GXB:sm cc: A. D. Jeffrey R. W. laundrie 0. X. Brumbaugh Technical Superintendent GENC 004236