5/12/2011 <>
I worked at the MORTON THIOKOL -VENTRON DIVISION off rte114 in danvers. There were two sections to the plant ..three almost.
"THE HILL" where the water tower was..STILL?
was a chemical manufacturing facility for SODIUM BOROHYDRIDE..
.IE SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANT...MORTON THIOKOL Solid Rocket Booster-read Space Shuttle_ CHALLENGER- O-RINGS- OOPS
The plant was built in the late 50's from a Navy contract for A high altitude aircraft propulsion system.
Sodium Borohydride is also used in manufacturing process's as a bleaching agent ( paper) and as a microbiological retardant against organic decay...Hence beer in clear bottles... MILLER
there was rail access to the site and it looks like the car shed is still there...SODIUM was of loaded from tanker cars by menans of a "heating Jacket" that would re-liquify the sodium from the solid it was transported as to a molten hot liquid it was pumped in and out by
The SODIUM would be so hot it was almost a vapor more so than a liquid...nasty nasty stuff..there was a coupling failure once and some guys got burned pretty bad..melted the clothes right off them
it was tricky stuff to work with as a finished product As a powder in airtight drums or as a liquid in 55 Gal drums
you could tell the new guys from the experienced hands as we more so than not would have a chem burn on the bridge of our noses from not taking off gloves before pushing up glasses
you learned real quick not to touch any part of your self when gloved or suited...real quick
the other part of the plant on the lower end was a research and development lab and a quality lab
very tricky place to work all the supply lines were pressurized and had steam heatinmg jackets on them..
essentially the "HILL " was a no go for any one but employees...the local fire departments were only to assist on site when requested and our guys were trained for chem fires..
essentially if things got bad we were told to hit the alarm panel and run like hell to 114 as fast as possible...many memories from "THE HILL"
p. s ..our work jumpers boots and clothing were subject to contamination we had our own laundry room and did all our work clothes on site...we weren't allowed to even put them in our cars....