Document qmkdrwYjyxOeZjkYvkJk17vrR

/: X ? U^Ol&r $<$91 / ./ r'^y/ UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION SILICONES & URETHANE INTERMEDIATES ENGINEERING SOUTH CHARLESTON. WEST VIRGINIA MEMORANDUM May 22, 1985 TO: All Department Heads COPY TO: W. E. Ballard D. H. Harrah F. M. Holmes D. J. McNeil D. J. Moody B. G. Stump W. S. Walker P. G. West Wickert MATERIALS ENGINEERING CENTRAL FILE c/% %%* *.759 PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT 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 resistan^-of the rubbers to the process chemical. Asbestos gaskets are 80% fiber, 10% 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. Polyols No.2 Reactor Circulating Pump (Garlock 3200SBR binder, attacked by Ethylene Oxide). 2. Upper Island Residue Pumps (Garlock 3200-SBR binder attacked by ketenes|.ucco|57|5 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 90* 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 50* 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 E. 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 UCC 015716 A. E. Wood HAZARDOUS AND TOIIC MATERIAL QUESTIONNAIRE MEDIUM IMPACT POTENTIAL oe. ^,-k Acetic Anhydride Butyl Acrylate Butyl Chloride-" Butyraldehyde Chlorine Diethylamine Ethane, Stablized (Institute) Ethyl Acrylate Isobutylene Isobutyraldehyde Natural Gas (Logan) Natural Gas (C-12 Gas) Propionc~Acid Vinyl Acetate Vinylidene Chloride \\ Q, <(<&. P(xr WlR K/ R. K> K. Fos vr K> R. N R. - FokkT MK ^*1 rKJ R January 30, 1985 0111S Oorft\)a\^ ipir R MR R MR R K> R R -- MR UR -- -- _ 'JRL - *^o+ J lS -Ctic.Cft -V J,Ve UCC 015717 HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC MATERIAL QUESTIONNAIRE CUm l(&| LOW IMPACT POTENTIAL ^rU-le^lo. ClmlaMU Acetone Acetylene Amyl Acetate ....... Brucine Sulfate - .... SRR. IS 4t.V it on\^ F*\r hi e Butanol Butyl Acetate CELL<5S0LVE~Ac eTat e Cyclohexanone Di-t-ButyT Peroxide ___________ MR ____________ JJR Dioxane Dodecanoyl Peroxide KJ R. Ethanol Ethyl Acetate Ethylenediamine 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate Ethyl Silicate, Condensed Ethyl Silicate AO Gasoline, Drips Gasoline, fuel Hydrogen Isobutanol Isobutyl Acetate Isopropanol Isopropyl Acetate Mesityl Oxide Methanol Methyl Acetate" IJ R. ( MR C^r Ft. r fjft- MR R Fa r MR Fa,r hJ R Fair R. Methyl n-Aayl Ketone MR ' Methyl CELLOSOLVE be Methyl Ethyl Ketone Methyl Isobutyl Ketone Nicotine Alkaloid vQ hR -- Nicotine Solution 2,A - Pentanedione Propane n - Propanol n - Propyl Acetate Pyridine Triethylaaine ~ _____________ -------------____ VK MR hlh Triaethylaalne, 25Z Toluene |JR .2 ?* LbfMKtAj WR= M + JkSl January 30, 1985 0111S Rv*r Sk-l.. o^L -- J J y UCC 015718 V>ol* ill c- pe R R R K> R __R R ____ R <? R R R R R Wfc *J R K. R -- R -- <2 R e. R R R -- UR R R R Ki R. HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC MATERIAL QUESTIONNAIRE HIGH IMPACT POTENTIAL ^ Acetaldehyde Acrylonitrile Allyl Alcohol Ammonia Carbon Monoxide, 512 to du Pont Dimethylaolne Dimethyldichlorosilane Ethane, Liquid (Hastings) Ethylene Oxide Hydrogen, 512 to du Pont Hydrogen Chloride Liquid Concentrates Methyl Chloride Methyldlchlorosilane Methyltrichlorosllane Monotae t hyl ami ne Propylene Oxide Silicon Tetrachloride Sulfur Trioride Trichlorosllane TrinethylcKlorosilane Vinyl Methyl Ether || <e*rlcW ilOo s hJ R. -- - K>R- vlo V Fa> r M R. JR KJ R MR R. -- .-- N R. W R. KJ R. ---- pj PKJ R F~>r KIR uR UR DorA>k 6^l..Wvi E0vr kiR -- -- R --. MR MR MR R *-- MR MR MR -- ___ __ ._. -- January 30, 1985 OlllS - K<o 'V ^ UCC 015719