Dust Explosion

Basics

• An explosion causing a typically stable, yet combustable fuel to have more surface area (due to forming a dust cloud) and thus ignight and Deflagrate, and often Detonate
• Can lead to MAJOR industrial accidents SUCH AS
• Main industries at risk are sugar mills, flour mills, metal powder production, saw mills, and essentially anything dealing with powder, or processes that can produce it
• The ignition source can be somthing as small as static electricity, or machine heat
• This is also the operating principle behind educational labs, entertainment devices , and thermobaric explosives

Avoidance Strategies

Dust Reduction

• Source collection via shop vac attachments etc
• Collection devices such as Cyclonic Seperators and Electrostatic Precipitators as well as other Air Purifiers and Air Scrubbers
• Humidifiers to reduce dust levels

Design Considerations

• Close at risk areas off/modularise them
• Reducing oxygen (either by reducing the levels in the work area/room to lower levels, or via working under an inert atmosphere (may not need argon etc, notrogen should work assuming the process allows for it)

Internal Links

• Charcoal Powder
• Sawdust

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Dust Explosions