What happens when a BLEVE occurs?

• A. Violent rupture of a pressurized container
• B. Slow leakage of gas
• C. Expansion of material without rupture
• D. Cooling of a pressurized vessel

Answer: (A)

A BLEVE happens when a container holding a pressurized liquefied gas is heated, causing the liquid to boil and build up high pressure inside the vessel. The heat weakens the container, and when the vessel fails, the trapped liquid flashes to high-pressure vapor and expands rapidly outside the container. This combination of catastrophic container rupture and explosive vapor expansion produces a violent blast and fireball. It’s not simply a slow gas leak, nor just the material expanding without breaking the container, nor cooling the vessel.