Styrene monomer storage tank explodes in Bangkok

Spanish Market: Petrochemicals
06/07/21

An explosion took place at a styrene monomer (SM) storage tank of an expandable polystyrene (EPS) plant on the outskirts of Thailand's capital Bangkok yesterday, with one dead, dozens injured and thousands evacuated over fears of smoke poisoning and subsequent blasts.

The SM storage tank has a capacity of 1,600t. The fire broke out at around 3am yesterday and took more than 25 hours to put out, with the cause still being investigated. Residents within a 5km radius have been evacuated, with some homes damaged by the blast.

This is the second known incident involving a consumer's SM storage tank during Covid-19 lockdowns. Styrene fumes leaked out of a SM storage tank at a polystyrene producer in India during a nationwide lockdown last May.

SM is a key raw material for EPS production. EPS is used in packaging, disposable food ware and as an insulation layer on buildings. SM is a hydrocarbon liquid with a boiling point of 145°C but it is generally stored at lower-than-ambient temperatures so that it does not polymerise.

Thailand has two SM plants with a total 655,000 t/yr of capacity and imports about 90,000 t/yr to meet its demand.

By Kate Lee

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Styrene monomer storage tank explodes in Bangkok

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