Combustible dust hazard management (CDHM) takes many forms, all beginning with the characterization of specific dusts to define potential hazards. Recent regulations (NFPA 652) require facilities to determine if dusts are combustible or explosible using screening tests, such as burn rate and go/no go screening tests.
Used to determine the explosibility of a combustible dust-air mixture.
Determines whether a dust is sensitive to hot surfaces.
Used to assess a dust’s sensitivity to hot surfaces, such as dryers, bearings and other mechanical parts.
Assesses the tendency of the material to generate an electrostatic charge under flow conditions.
Provides insight into the lowest concentration of oxygen that will propagate a flame.
Used to assess the likelihood of ignition during processing and handling.
Measurement of Volume Resistivity and Charge Relaxation Time (MCRT) testing assesses electrostatic hazard.
Provides insight into the minimum amount of combustible dust that will explode when dispersed in air.
Characterize dust material combustibility with the ASTM E 1226 Standard Test Method.
Observe the flame propagation of a layer of dust in a burn rate test. Historically completed as part of UN and DOT requirements, this test has now been incorporated into recent NFPA standards as a means of measuring combustibility of a dust layer (e.g. NFPA 652).
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