Chlorine Tonner Handling Bigger containers are commonly known as tonners.

. Chlorine tonner is of welded steel construction with a net carrying capacity of 900 980 kgs. It is cylindrical in shape with concave dished ends on both sides. This design is basically adopted as a safety measure to prevent pressure rupture in case undue pressure builds up inside the tonner. On one side of the dished ends, two valves are located near the center. Both the valves are covered by a protective hood connected to the container by means of lugs. The inside ends of the valves are connected to the eduction pipes as shown in figure. The toners are always stored horizontally and valves are always in vertical plane. When the two valves are in vertical plane, then gaseous chlorine can be drawn by opening the upper valve and liquid chlorine by opening the lower valve.

1 Properties of Chlorine Chemical Formula : Cl2 Molecular Weight : 70.906 Boiling Point : - 34.6 C Relative Density (Liquid) : 1.468 at 20C and 6.86 atm (Water = 1) Relative Vapor Density (Gas): 2.482 at 20C and 1 atm (Air=1) Color and Odour : Greenish-yellow gas with pungent and irritating odour. Liquid chlorine has amber colour. Solubility in water : 1.0% maximum at 10C. Solubility decreases with rise in temperature.

TLV 2 Detection of Chlorine leakage

: 1.0 ppm

To detect the chlorine leak an ammonia tourch or spray is used. Chlorine gives white dense fumes of ammonium chloride with liquor ammonia. Chlorine is greenish-yellow gas with pungent and irritating odour. 3 General instructions during chlorine leakage : 1. Chlorine is heavier than air and settles at ground level. It does not diffuse quickly in atmosphere. 2. Always use respiratory equipment before going near the leakage. 3. Always stand in the upwind direction, while attending the leakage or standing near the leakage. 4. Persons going to attend leakage emergency should wear Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Set (SCBA Set) before attending the leakage emergency. 5. Roll the tonner to bring the leaking valve/hole to the upper most position, if required. 6. The best effort should be made to contain the spilled liquid. It should be recovered to the extent possible and neutralized before it is discharged in to the effluent stream. 7. Effluent treatment plant should be informed immediately to take corrective action. 8. Only trained employees should be allowed to go near the danger area with proper safety equipment and emergency kit to stop the leak. 9. All other employees should assemble as per the instruction of incident controller. 4 Use of Valve Leakage emergency kit : Valve leakage emergency kit should be used when the minor leakage observed from the valve only. If needed roll the tonner to bring the leaking valve to the upper most position. Vent valve should be opened by removing the outlet cap of the vent valve, which is attached to the hood of emergency kit. Loosen the adjusting screw and jackscrew by sufficient amount so that adjustable bar assembly can be fixed on the tonner. Put the chain of mild steel on the tonner and tighten the adjusting screws, so that the frame is tightly fitted to the ends of the tonner. Gasket should be inserted on the leaking valve and placed over the hood.

 Now tighten the cap screw, in such a way that hood and gasket will be pressed to the head of the tonner and form a seal. Undue pressure should not be applied on the cap screw other wise gasket will get cut. Close the vent valve of the hood, check leakage from the vent valve. After fixing an assembly leakage should be checked by ammonia tourch. Cap screw should be tightened if gas is found to be leaking. Connections should be made for transferring leaky gas to the process or the neutralization system.

5 Use of Chlorine Tonner Hood : When leakage is found difficult to stop by valve leakage emergency kit or from the body of the tonner, Chlorine tonner hood should be used. Place the hood on the tonner, which is connected with Scrubber. Start the scrubber pump and blower to scrub the gas in scrubbing solution. Check the pH of the scrubbing solution frequently and add caustic lye to maintain the pH of scrubbing solution alkali. Scrub total volume of chlorine gas in scrubbing solution.