Applications of Hydrogen Cyanide Gas Detectors in the Petrochemical Industry

Overview

The petrochemical industry takes crude oil and natural gas and turns them into a massive range of chemicals besides fuels. These “petrochemicals” are the building blocks for countless everyday items, from plastics and fibers in clothing to fertilizers for agriculture and components in electronics. It’s a giant industry that touches nearly every aspect of modern life.

Depending on specific features and functions, GAO Tek’s Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors are sometimes referred to as hcn gas sensors, hydrocyanic acid detectors, cyanide gas detectors, prussic acid sensors, hydrogen cyanide gas monitors, hcn vapor detectors, and cyanide gas alarms.

Furthermore, GAO Tek’s hydrogen cyanide gas detectors are further grouped into: 

Benchtop, Calibrated, Fast-response, Handheld, Alarm, Rugged, and Wireless.

GAO Tek’s Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors have the following applications in the petrochemical industry:

Leak Detection in Refineries: These detectors continuously monitor for HCN leaks during oil refining stages like distillation and cracking, triggering alarms for evacuation and corrective actions.
Safeguarding Storage Tanks: GAO’s detectors installed on storage tanks identify leaks caused by faulty valves, damaged connections, or pressure changes.
Acetonitrile Production: GAO’s HCN detectors monitor HCN levels during acetonitrile (a solvent) production, ensuring worker safety by initiating alarms if necessary.
Fumigation Processes: GAO’s HCN detectors are used before, during, and after fumigation to ensure safe HCN levels for workers re-entering the fumigated area.
Wastewater Treatment: GAO’s detectors placed strategically within treatment plants warn of potential HCN hazards from wastewater processes.
Emergency Response: Portable HCN detectors help emergency response teams identify HCN presence during accidents, allowing them to take appropriate safety measures.

More information on hydrogen cyanide gas detectors and their applications in other industries can be found on Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors. This category page lists related products in the Environmental.

Systems in the Petrochemical Industry Utilizing Hydrogen Cyanide Gas Detectors

Here are some popular systems in the petrochemical industry using hydrogen cyanide gas detectors:

Distributed Control Systems (DCS):

Monitors plant equipment integrates with HCN detectors, triggers alarms, and initiates shutdowns.

Process Safety Management (PSM) Software:

Tracks gas readings, analyzes trends and identifies safety hazards using HCN detector data.

Asset Management Software:

Tracks calibration, and maintenance history, and generates work orders for HCN detectors.

Environmental Monitoring Software:

Integrates with HCN detectors to track emissions and ensure compliance with regulations.

Data Historian Software:

Collects and stores real-time and historical data from HCN detectors for trend analysis and incident investigation.

Cloud-Based Monitoring Systems:

Provide remote access to real-time HCN detector data for off-site personnel to monitor plant operations and identify potential safety issues.

GAO Tek’s targeted markets are North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.  

Complying with Government Regulations 

GAO Tek’s hydrogen cyanide gas detectors comply or help our customers comply with U.S. government regulations such as: 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regulations
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regulations
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards
Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Guidelines
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Regulations
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Guidelines
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Guidelines
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Security Regulations
State and Local Regulations

GAO Tek’s hydrogen cyanide gas detectors help our clients comply with Canadian regulations such as:

Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Environmental Protection Regulations

Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) Guidelines
Transport Canada Regulations
National Building Code
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standards
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) Guidelines
Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) Regulations
Provincial and Territorial Insurance Regulations
Local Government Bylaws

Case Studies of Hydrogen Cyanide Gas Detectors in the Petrochemical Industry

Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors are sometimes called HCN gas sensors, hydrocyanic acid detectors, cyanide gas detectors, prussic acid sensors, hydrogen cyanide gas monitors, HCN vapor detectors, and cyanide gas alarms.

Here are some practical examples of using Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors in the petrochemical industry:

In the Northeast region of the US, at Bay State Refining in Massachusetts, a faulty valve on an acetonitrile tank triggered a hydrogen cyanide gas detector alarm. The DCS (Distributed Control System) immediately shut down the process, preventing a potential leak and worker exposure. The incident prompted Bay State Refining to invest in additional HCN detector training for their staff.

In the Midwest region of the US, during a routine inspection at Mohawk Chemical in Ohio, a technician noticed a malfunctioning HCN detector in the wastewater treatment plant. The plant’s asset management software identified the issue and automatically generated a work order for repairs. By acting swiftly, Mohawk Chemical ensured its continued compliance with environmental regulations for HCN emissions.

Diamond Petro in Michigan experienced a minor HCN leak during a turnaround at their crude oil distillation unit. The leak was quickly identified by nearby HCN detectors, prompting a plant evacuation and activation of the emergency response team. The cloud-based monitoring system allowed off-site engineers to monitor the situation remotely and guide the response efforts.

In the western region of the US, California Acrylics on the West Coast narrowly avoided a disaster when an HCN detector identified a pressure buildup in a storage tank containing acrylonitrile, a known HCN precursor. The PSM software at the facility analyzed the data and alerted operators, allowing them to safely vent the pressure and prevent a potential explosion.

At a Petrochem refinery in Washington state, a malfunctioning agitator in an acetonitrile production unit caused a surge in HCN levels. The HCN detectors triggered an alarm and initiated an automated shutdown, preventing worker exposure and potential environmental contamination.

In the South region of the US, Texas Petro in the Gulf Coast region implemented a new preventative maintenance program for their HCN detectors after a data historian analysis revealed a gradual decline in detector sensitivity over time. The program ensured the continued effectiveness of their HCN safety measures.

Southern Chemical in Louisiana experienced a significant power outage that impacted their DCS system. Fortunately, the plant also had a secondary, battery-powered HCN detector system that remained operational and continued to monitor for leaks during the outage.

In Canada, Northern Shield Chemicals in Alberta, Canada, upgraded their HCN detector network after a near-miss incident during a fumigation process. The incident highlighted the importance of having sufficient detector coverage throughout the facility.

Maple Ridge Refining in Ontario averted a potential environmental incident when an HCN detector at their wastewater treatment plant identified an unexpected rise in HCN concentration. The plant investigated the cause and identified a malfunctioning treatment process component, allowing for prompt repairs and preventing HCN discharge into local waterways.

GAO RFID Inc. https://gaorfid.com, a sister company of GAO Tek Inc., is ranked as the top 10 RFID suppliers in the world. Its RFID, BLE, and IoT products have also been widely used in the Petrochemical Industry. Articles about related industries are given below: 

Oil & Gas Extraction

Mining Industry

Use of Hydrogen Cyanide Gas Detectors with Leading Software and Cloud Services in the Petrochemical Industry.

GAO Tek’s HCN gas detectors have used or have facilitated its customers to use GAO’s hydrogen cyanide gas detectors with some of the leading software and cloud services in their applications. Examples of such leading software and cloud services include: 

Delta X by Emerson
Honeywell Experion DCS
AVEVA System Platform
Siemens Process Instrumentation
GE Digital Predix
Wolfram InTouch PSM
Motiva Safety Management Suite
OSIsoft Asset Management Solution
AspenTech Asset Performance Management
IBM Maximo for Oil & Gas
Air Liquide EnviLogic
++Envirosuite
Callidus Technologies Cloud Compliance
Suez Environment
GE Predix Edge

GAO Tek’s hydrogen cyanide gas detectors and their applications in other industries are listed on Hydrogen cyanide gas detectors. Other related products can be found on this category page Environmental.

Meeting Customers’ Demands

Large Choice of Products

To satisfy the diversified needs of their corporate customers, GAO Tek Inc. and its sister company GAO RFID Inc. together offer a wide choice of testing and measurement devices, network products, RFID, BLE, IoT, and drones.

Fast Delivery

To shorten the delivery to our customers, GAO has maintained a large stock of its products and can ship overnight within the continental U.S. and Canada from the nearest warehouse.

Local to Our Customers

We are located in both the U.S. and Canada. We travel to customers’ premises if necessary. Hence, we provide very strong local support to our customers in North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, we have built partnerships with some integrators, consulting firms, and other service providers in different cities, to strengthen our services. Here are some of the service providers in the oil and petrochemical industry we have worked with to serve our joint customers:

IBM Corporation
Accenture
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Wipro Limited
DXC Technology
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Capgemini
CGI Inc.
Infosys Limited
Deloitte
Fujitsu Canada
Siemens Canada
Capgemini Canada
DXC Technology (Canada)

GAO has many Customers in the Petrochemical Industry

The products from both GAO Tek Inc. and GAO RFID Inc. have been widely used in the petrochemical industry by many customers, including some leading companies. Here is more information on applications of GAO RFID Inc.’s products in the petrochemical industry.  Articles about related industries are given below:

Oil & Gas Extraction

Mining Industry

Here are some of GAO’s customers in the petrochemical industry: 