T2 Laboratories, Reactive Hazard Recognition

At 1:33 pm on December 19, 2007, a powerful explosion in a 2,450-gallon chemical reactor and subsequent chemical fire destroyed T2 Laboratories, Inc. (T2), a chemical manufacturer in Jacksonville, Florida. The explosion killed four T2 employees, including a co-owner. It injured 32, including four T2 employees and 28 members of the public in neighboring businesses. Debris from the reactor was found up to one mile away, and the blast pressure from the explosion damaged buildings within one quarter mile of the facility.

The CSB found that a runaway exothermic reaction occurred during the first (metalation) step of the MCMT process. The CSB conducted chemical testing of the batch recipe used by T2 on the day of the incident to determine the most likely failure scenario. A loss of sufficient cooling during the process likely resulted in uncontrollable pressure and temperature rise in the reactor.

This paper presents the key findings of the CSB investigation and the causes of the incident. The paper also includes recommendations to enhance the education of chemical engineers and chemists with respect to reactive hazards. These recommendations are aimed at increasing the awareness of reactive hazards among the chemical engineers and chemists.