"On March 5, 2018, an unfortunate industrial accident occurred involving Wang Nan, the deputy director of a hydrogenation workshop. During the afternoon, Wang Nan was operating the No. 1 hydrogenation reactor. He removed a catalyzer from the hydrogenation furnace and opened its vacuum valve. This action led to a large influx of air into the reactor, which mixed with ethanol vapor, creating a highly explosive mixture. In a crucial safety oversight, the reactor was not filled with nitrogen gas for protection after its manhole was opened. The vacuum pump's activation compounded the danger by allowing more air to mix with the ethanol vapor. This mixture, combined with the exposure of the catalyst Raney nickel to air, led to spontaneous combustion and a flash explosion. Wang Nan was near the reactor during this time, rinsing equipment. He was caught in the explosion's shock wave. The explosion resulted in one fatality and an immediate economic loss of approximately 1.446 million yuan (around $216 million USD)."
