Mechanical Integrity of  Tubing
   Tubing, including metal tubing, and also tubing 
     made of plastic, rubber, and other materials, is 
     commonly used in process plants, for example:
     For instrument connections
     To flush pump and agitator seals
     For other applications with small flow requirements
   Where do you use tubing in your plant?
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   Incident 1
   • A ½-inch stainless steel tube between a glycol 
    pump and a process vessel failed at a fitting 
    near the process vessel. 
   • The resulting leak sprayed onto a reboiler and 
    ignited causing significant equipment damage. 
   • The tubing failure was concluded to be the 
    result of vibration caused by the glycol pump.
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   Incident 2
   1-in SS tube to a gas scrubber failed at nut and 
     ferrule compression fitting
   Resulting gas leak ignited but self-extinguished 
     without major damage
   Exact cause not determined
     Pressure charts showed over-pressure before the incident
     Tubing possibly damaged or weakened during storms in previous hurricane season
                                                       4
   Incident 3
   Gas leak from ½-in tubing for pump seal 
     was detected during LNG plant startup
   Repairs done by unqualified technician
   When the plant re-started, tubing failed 
     completely causing an LNG leak and fire
                                                       5
   Found during a plant inspection
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