MMA tank evacuation in California. Technical explanation. An answer to 10 different assumptions in different threads.

[Melon]

14. It's a pressure issue.

I don’t believe it would involve fire. MMA is highly flammable, but a flame would need to be introduced.

I believe I’d had spoken somewhere that I’ve been around for maybe 3-4 of these in the past. Mostly in drums. None of those ended in a disaster. They used water to cool the reaction. Before it got out of control on a few of them, they were able to add more inhibitor in the material and stop it as low the reaction or the vessels simply swelled and didn’t breach. I was told of events where especially drums will swell and explode like a d sad mall bomb but have never seen the aftermath.

The issue is that once polymerization hits 20% of the material in the tank, the reaction is out of control so you should get away from it. They are too dangerous to approach. At some point the reaction consumes the chemical and it slows and stops. These all don’t end bad.