Reactor Explosions and Runaway Reactions¶
Reactors are among the highest-consequence equipment items in chemical and petrochemical plants — loss of containment or temperature control can quickly escalate to explosions or uncontrolled reactions. These investigations detail the precursor conditions, safeguard failures, and systemic factors the CSB found in each event.
16 CSB investigations in this database involve reactor as a primary or contributing equipment factor, spanning 1998–2024.
Reactor Explosions and Runaway Reactions (16)¶
| Incident | Date | Industry | Key Hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2 Laboratories Inc. Reactive Chemical Explosion | 12/19/2007 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Thermal Runaway |
| Valero Delaware City Refinery Asphyxiation Incident | 11/05/2005 | Petroleum Refining | Asphyxiation |
| Bayer CropScience Pesticide Waste Tank Explosion | 08/28/2008 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Explosion |
| LyondellBasell La Porte Fatal Chemical Release | 07/27/2021 | Chemical Manufacturing | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
| Kuraray Pasadena Release and Fire | 05/19/2018 | Chemical Manufacturing | Chemical Release, Fire |
| Husky Energy Superior Refinery Explosion and Fire | 04/26/2018 | Petroleum Refining | Explosion, Fire |
| Formosa Plastics Vinyl Chloride Explosion | 04/23/2004 | Chemical Manufacturing | Explosion, Fire |
| MFG Chemical Inc. Toxic Gas Release | 04/12/2004 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Toxic Release |
| Yenkin-Majestic Resin Plant Vapor Cloud Explosion and Fire | 04/08/2021 | Chemical Manufacturing | Vapor Cloud Explosion, Explosion |
| Morton International Inc. Runaway Chemical Reaction | 04/08/1998 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Thermal Runaway |
| KMCO LLC Fatal Fire and Explosion | 04/02/2019 | Chemical Manufacturing | Vapor Cloud Explosion, Flash Fire |
| Union Carbide Corp. Nitrogen Asphyxiation Incident | 03/27/1998 | Chemical Manufacturing | Asphyxiation, Toxic Release |
| BP Amoco Thermal Decomposition Incident | 03/13/2001 | Chemical Manufacturing | Chemical Release, Explosion |
| ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery Explosion | 02/18/2015 | Petroleum Refining | Explosion, Fire |
| Synthron Chemical Explosion | 01/31/2006 | Chemical Manufacturing | Runaway Reaction, Vapor Cloud Explosion |
| Silver Eagle Refinery Flash Fire and Explosion and Catastrophic Pipe Explosion | 01/12/2009 | Petroleum Refining | Flash Fire, Explosion |
Related Hazard Types¶
Chemical Release · Fire · Explosion · Overpressure · Runaway Reaction
Related Equipment¶
Valve Failures in Process Plant Incidents · Pressure Vessel Explosions and Failures · Relief Valve Failures and Overpressure Events · Pipeline Ruptures, Leaks, and Fires · Vent Stack Failures and Release Incidents · Gas Detector Failures and Toxic Release Incidents
Data sourced from CSB.gov public investigation reports. This site is an independent project not affiliated with the U.S. CSB.