An Introduction to Dust Explosions

<p>1. INTRODUCTION: Dust Explosions – Myth or Reality?</p> <p>2. MYTH NO. 1 (FUEL): Dust does not explode.</p> <p>3. MYTH NO. 2 (FUEL): Dust explosions only happen in coal mines and grain elevators.</p> <p>4. MYTH NO. 3 (FUEL): A lot of dust is needed to have an explosion.</p> <p>5. MYTH NO. 4 (FUEL): Gas explosions are much worse than dust explosions.</p> <p>6. MYTH NO. 5 (FUEL): It’s up to the testing lab to specify which particle size to test. </p> <p>7. MYTH NO. 6 (FUEL/IGNITION SOURCE): Any amount of suppressant is better than none. </p> <p>8. MYTH NO. 7 (IGNITION SOURCE): Dusts only ignite with a high-energy ignition source. </p> <p>9. MYTH NO. 8 (IGNITION SOURCE): Only dust clouds – not dust layers – will ignite.</p> <p>10. MYTH NO. 9 (OXIDANT): Oxygen removal must be complete to be effective.</p> <p>11. MYTH NO. 10 (OXIDANT): Taking away the oxygen makes things safe.</p> <p>12. MYTH NO. 11 (MIXING): There’s no problem if dust is not visible in the air.</p> <p>13. MYTH NO. 12 (MIXING): Once airborne, a dust will quickly settle out of suspension.</p> <p>14. MYTH NO. 13 (MIXING): Mixing is mixing; there are no degrees.</p> <p>15. MYTH NO. 14 (CONFINEMENT): Venting is the only/best solution to the dust explosion problem.</p> <p>16. MYTH NO. 15 (CONFINEMENT): Total confinement is required to have an explosion. </p> <p>17. MYTH NO. 16 (CONFINEMENT): Confinement means four walls, a roof and a floor.</p> <p>18. MYTH NO. 17 (PENTAGON): The vocabulary of dust explosions is difficult to understand</p> <p>19. MYTH NO. 18 (PENTAGON): Dust explosion parameters are fundamental material properties.</p> <p>20. MYTH NO. 19 (PENTAGON): It makes sense to combine explosion parameters in a single index.</p> <p>21. MYTH NO. 20 (PENTAGON): It won’t happen to me.</p> <p>22. CONCLUSION: Dust Explosion Realities</p> <p>INDEX</p>