Timet takes steps to prevent future fires

Titanium Metals Corporation announced Friday that the cause of a fire at its industrial plant early Tuesday morning was an overflow of molten magnesium due to a clogged feeder pipe.

The fire, that caused no injuries, began at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday and was put out by Clark County Firefighters by 3:30 a.m.

Timet uses Argon gas to push the magnesium through a feeder pipe and into a vessel that is 7 feet in diameter and 22 feet long.

"The magnesium was obstructed as it made its way into the vessel and overflowed rupturing two water lines and spilling onto the plant floor," said Brent Peterson, Timet's director of human resources. "The hot magnesium combined with the water caused steam which resulted in our first explosion, or exothermic reaction."

The magnesium then may have come in contact with traces of titanium causing a second reaction before the magnesium spread back into the collection system and into an air scrubbing unit, Peterson said. The fiberglass wrapped scrubber pipe then caught fire resulting in the third explosion of the morning.

Damages were originally estimated at $300,000, but Peterson said that now looks to be a low number.

There is an ongoing investigation into whether human error was a cause of the fire, but it is being considered a personnel matter and will not be released to the media, Peterson said.

In order to ensure that another fire does not occur, Timet is working with fire investigators to improve the magnesium feed system.

"Timet is working on a new scrubbing system and they will give all the information on that to us," said Michael Cyphers, Clark County Fire Department chemical engineer. "The pipe on the scrubber will be made of black iron instead of fiberglass wrapped piping.

"There will also be a steel tent put around the pipe to help catch any future spills."

Timet is hoping to have a new scrubber installed in 12 weeks, but the corporation will apply to the Air Pollution Control Board next week for a variance that will allow for production without the scrubber.

In the mean time safety is the company's biggest concern, Peterson said.

"Employees will be going through a refresher course in plant safety," Peterson said. "We will upgrade the safety procedures in the facility and learn from our mistakes."

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