Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride by rail

[F2Andy]

I am a fluorine chemist by trade (hence my user name), and so would like to model an appropriate train (for my era, ca. 1980).

 

Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is the raw material of pretty much all fluorine compounds, and I know it was transported by train at one time.  I believe it was manufactured by ICI at Runcorn, and transported to the BNFL plant near Preston in four-wheeled wagons. It is likely it was also transported to refineries, as it is used to "crack" hydrocarbons.

 

However, I have never come across a photo of such a wagon. I can only find US wagons on Google. Can anyone help me?

[eastwestdivide]

Some hydrofluoric acid tanks here in Paul Bartlett’s collections

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/icichlorine

[F2Andy]

Thanks, that's great. I did have a quick look on that site, but the "liquid chlorine" heading put me off. Should looked deeper!

[russ p]

14 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

Some hydrofluoric acid tanks here in Paul Bartlett’s collections

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/icichlorine

 

Amazing they lasted in service so late with no automatic brakes 

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Amazing they lasted in service so late with no automatic brakes 

Yes, hydrofluoric acid is highly corrosive.

[Andy Hayter]

5 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Amazing they lasted in service so late with no automatic brakes 

 

 

As stated they went out of service in 1983 and probably only lasted that long because of the highly specialised use.    It is as said highly corrosive and my guess would be that the tanks would have been lined with something like polyethylene - even glass is not inert to the chemical attack of Hydrogen Fluoride.   

Edited May 17, 2023 by Andy Hayter

[F2Andy]

Actually some steels are okay to use with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. In the absence of water it is not particular acidic. Still very dangerous - arguably more so, it is readily absorbed through the skin, rather than reacting at the surface.

 

Scary to think it was in unfitted wagons.

[Fat Controller]

I believe Hydroflouric acid continued to conveyed by rail, in ferry tanks, via the Train Ferry until its demise in 1995.

[C126]

Perhaps of peripheral interest, David Radcliffe's 'International train-ferry wagons in colour for the modeller and historian', Hersham : Ian Allan, 2009 has pictures of three different 'Arcton' tanks on pp.52-53.  For use between Runcorn and the continent, the first is a Pickering 1954 build (4-wheel), and the other two built in Germany.  Might be of use for a secondary fluorine traffic.

[beast66606]

3 hours ago, F2Andy said:

Actually some steels are okay to use with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. In the absence of water it is not particular acidic. Still very dangerous - arguably more so, it is readily absorbed through the skin, rather than reacting at the surface.

 

Scary to think it was in unfitted wagons.

 

We (when I worked at BNFL, Capenhurst, in the early 1980s) used HF for etching aluminium welds after we'd cross sectioned them so we could pass or fail the welders based on voids etc. in the work. I once spilt some HF on my finger and had to have it scrubbed under running water for 30 mins each morning for 4 weeks. The site had it's own surgery and medical staff and the girls in surgery (who I eventually worked with in the IT department) were a good laugh so it wasn't an unpleasant experience.

Edited May 17, 2023 by beast66606