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• Combustable material
• Fine dispersion (< 500 microns) , conc.
> lel
• Oxygen (from air...)
• Effective ignition source
1 Explosion hazard and electrostatic charging
• Hot surfaces
• fires
• flames
• smoldering material
• mechanical and electric
generated sparks
• discharges of static electricity
Ignition sources differ according to (among other things) their energy content.
The explosive mixtures also exhibit different ignition sensivities.
Not every ignition source has sufficient energy to ignite all types of explosive
mixtures.
In other words, not every ignition source is incendive in a given situation, it is
usually necessary to investigate the ignition sources in detail to assess the
ignition hazard in conjunction with the explosive mixtures.
1 Explosion hazard and electrostatic charging
Charge separation
separation processes usually between
product and plant units to charging of the
surfaces in contact.
Charge accumulation
Charges can accumulate for example on
products, plant units, packaging, containers
and persons.
Charge dissipation
If a connection of sufficient conductivity is
established between ground and the sites of
the accumulated charge, the charge can
safely flow to ground.
1 Explosion hazard and electrostatic charging
• charge separation
• charge accumulation
• charge dissipation
1 Explosion hazard and electrostatic charging
• charge separation
• charge accumulation
• charge dissipation
• Ignition
2 Origin of electrostatic charges (charge separation)
a person walking on
a floor unrolling of a film
Induction:
It is a phenomenon which
is characterized by the
ability of charges on a
conductive surface to be
moved by the effect of
charges on a neighboring
surface (electric field) so
that charging results.
Examples:
Pipe section • on conductive parts eletrically
with insulating insulated from ground
seals
• on surfaces of insulating
metal drum on materials and parts
insulating support
•in insulating liquids, suspensions
metal turnings in and emulsions
plastic container
• on deposits of insulating bulk
materials
person with
insulating shoes • in clouds of charged dust
particles or droplets
metal flange on
glass pipe
2 Origin of electrostatic charges (charge separation)
conductivity= 1/ resist.
ground leakage
Volume resistance: resisitance:
= total resistance = total resistance
between 2 points between a point
of an object and ground
(Non-) conductive Liquids
Ohm*m
CS2 1016
Hexan 1015
Diesel Oil 1013
Toluene 1013
Chloroforme 108
Methanole 106
Acetic Acid 105
Nitrobenzene 104
Glycol 103
Powder Resistivity
Combustable powder ohm*m
Additive 1012-1014
PE 108-1010
Metals 10-5-10-8
Grounding of a Grounding of
person: plant units:
Charges can be classified into different types which can be assigned various
energy values.
• Spark discharge
• brush discharge
• corona
• propagating brush discharge
• cone discharge
• lightning-like discharge
4. Types of discharge and incendivity
Flange 10 10 0,5
person 150 12 11
W = 1/2 C * U2
Lowering of a conductive
grounded sampling can
or level probe
How can brush discharges be avaided ?
Even for charged areas of 0,1 m2 the energy can amount to several joules.
Where there are explosive mixtures of gas, solvent vapor or dust with air,
ignition by propagating brush discharges must be expected.
How can propagating brush discharges be avoided ?
Goal Measures
Keep charging rate low by restricting all separation and
Avoidance conveying rates, assist non-hazardous charge dissipation by
of high charges use of conductive materials and grounding.
Neutralize charges by use of active or passive ionizers.
Avoidance
of incendive Assess incendivity of the possible discharges and the ignition
discharges sensitivity of the possible explosive mixtures.
Exclusion of incendive discharges.
Avoidance Avoid explosible concentrations of flammable material, lower
of explosion the oxygen content (inerting).
atmosphere
Restriction
of explosion Constructional explosion protection, e.g. explosion venting,
effects to a explosion suppression.
tolerable level
Examples illustrating the avoidance of high charges in practice.
charge neutralization.
Transfer of chargeable liquids through pipelines and hoses
Stirring of a
nonconductive Spraying of a
liquid liquid (conductive
or nonconductive)
Increasing the charging of a liquid by admixture of nonconductive solids
(suspensions)
Pure liquid
Suspension:
high charge
Gas flow (separation process)
Flow of contaminated
air:
charging of the dust
particles
Formation of charges through friction.
Examples of measures in the handling of flammable liquids in practice:
Examples of measures in the handling of flammable liquids in practice:
Inerting of a centrifuge as an example of an explosion protection measure in
the handling of suspensions and emulsions of flammable liquids.
Examples of measures in handling of combustable dusts in practice:
Grounding of all
Grounding of
conductive plant
all conductive
units
containers,
bulk bags
Explosion Grounding of
suppression persons when
as construct. handling bulk
Explos. Prot. materials very
sensitive to
ignition.
Measures in pneumatic transport of combustable dusts:
grounding of all conductive parts and use of an inner coating with max.
4 kV breakdown voltage.