Powder Handling and Electrostatics

Book excerpt: The subject of this manual is safe practice for avoiding electrostatic discharge hazards in the manufacturing and processing of chemical and plastic powders. It is written with the practicing engineer and plant technician in mind. Practical information to enhance the process safety is provided in straightforward terms. The manual describes the basic phenomena of powder electrostatics, giving special emphasis to polymer powders. The identified types of electrostatic discharges are discussed and explanations of the conditions that favor or inhibit each type are given. A number of industrial incidents where ESD-induced dust ignitions occurred are reviewed, with the authors contributing their own views on causes and preventive measures. The important quantitative measures of electrostatic hazards are identified, along with the methods needed to perform meaningful measurements. Concrete recommendations, based on the authors' experience, are provided in the form of a list of "Do's" and "Don'ts" applicable in the plant environment. Finally, appendices provide a wealth of useful background data plus an informative "Q and A" section covering practical engineering issues. This manual will be extremely useful to chemical plant engineers, operating and maintenance personnel, safety engineers, processing plant engineers, design engineers, and consultants, as well as persons in the chemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, and food handling industries.