12.6 PROCESS VESSELS AND PIPES. Stainless steels such as AISI 304L or 310L or their equivalent are suitable for most duties. They are widely used in the process plant depending on the severity of the conditions of AN solution. Nitric acid spargers require special attention as hot nitric acid can be corrosive to stainless steel, reducing its life. 119Ammonium Nitrate and Fertiliser Safety - K D Shah Titanium. For better corrosion resistance, titanium has been used for nitric acid spargers. A passive layer of titanium oxide provides corrosion resistance. If this protective layer is broken, the exposed metal surface can be oxidized in the right medium, the resulting combustion process can be highly exothermic. Therefore, care is needed when considering this application. Uhde uses PTFE nozzles for the nitric acid sparger at the inlet of the AN reactor (Erben, 2009; Kamermann and Pieper, 2021). The use of titanium in AN process, however, is not without some differences of opinion, as there have been at least two major accidents involving the detonation of AN where use of titanium was considered a factor (Stengel reactor at Joplin, 1989 and AN neutraliser at Port Neal, 1996, see Chapter 29). In addition, a few fire accidents have occurred involving fierce combustion of titanium within equipment such as a heat exchanger. In another accident, an ignition was caused by sparks in two beds of structured packing in a distillation tower, when a battery-powered grinder was used (Anon, 2002). A number of mechanisms have been put forward for the highly exothermic titanium oxidation reaction. For the Stengel reactor accident, the production of red fuming nitric acid (RFNA) has been postulated via decomposition of nitric acid to release NO2, and the NO, interacting with the acid to generate the RFNA. Another theory put forward is based on the incandescent reaction between iron oxide (FeO) with nitric acid. In the case of the heat exchanger fire, the cause was traced to the presence of organic compounds present in the off-gases feed. The authors of the IChemE article conclude that the accumulation of iron oxide or other materials such as organic residues and Pyrophoric substances on titanium packing can promote or accelerate the combustion of titanium. It recommends observation of extreme caution as a matter of general practice when carrying out work on equipment or internals constructed from titanium. To establish the safety of the use of titanium for nitric acid spargers, appropriate testing or assessment has been carried out by a number of companies. The details of such work do not seem to be available in the open literature. Special care is advisable when urea off-gases are used as a source of ammonia. The presence of contamination with incompatible substances such as iron should be avoided. Spirally wound stainless steel with PTFE has been found to be satisfactory for jointing duties in the main process vessel, whereas PTFE has been successfully used as jointing material in low-pressure systems, such as fluid bed coolers and fan ducts. Silicone-based sealants show good resistance to AN attack, they have found successful applications for sealing gas ducts, elevator casing and similar equipment. PTFE and glass fibres are widely used in abatement equipment, scrubbers and filters as they show good resistance to AN attack. Free ammonia, which may be present in the gas streams, can attack the glass. Therefore, appropriate care should be taken to avoid corrosion. 120