Test on the flowing down of simulated bituminized product

not registered ; Aoyama, Makoto; not registered; Yamanouchi, Takamichi

The fire and explosion incident occurred at Bituminization Demonstration Facility of PNC Tokai Works on March 11, 1997. In order to ascertain the cause of incident, the investigation has been pushed forward. During investigation, we obtained essential information from operators, such as softness of bituminized product, white smoke generated from bituminized product. This condition has never been observed comparing past normal operation. Therefore, we assumed that temperature of bituminized product had increased more than expected. In order to confirm above assumption, we made experiment for obtaining the relationship between temperature and fluidity of bituminized product. Simulated bituminized product was heated up to each temperature (210, 230, 250, 270C) in a pot and poured down into an another pot. We observed the fluidity of bituminized product when it flowing down into a pot. The fluidity of bituminized product increased with high temperature. The fluidity of bituminized product at 270C looked similar to fluidity of bituminized product that had ignited itself at the incident. White smoke generated from bituminized product and amounts of white smoke increased with high temperature. The smoke was considered to be gas that generated through thermal decomposition or volatilization of bitumen.