Electrostatic Protection Measures for Gaseous (or Powdered) Materials
Electrostatic protection is a vital means of ensuring safety in industrial production. Proper management of these protective measures facilitates safe operations and helps to reduce or prevent electrostatic-related accidents. The following measures can be implemented for the handling of gaseous (or powdered) materials:
(1) Prevent abnormal leaks from pipelines and containers holding combustible gases. Particular caution is required when leaks occur in high-pressure equipment, as these are highly prone to generating static electricity; the installation of automatic gas leak detection and alarm systems is recommended to ensure timely identification and response.
(2) Prevent the accidental ingress of foreign gases into systems used for the transport of gaseous (or powdered) materials.
(3) Avoid using non-conductive (insulating) materials for pipelines or components whenever possible. If such materials must be used, their potential for static generation should be specifically evaluated or measured.
(4) Where necessary, install metal wires-grounded at both ends-within the pipelines of gas transport systems to lower the electrostatic potential, or utilize specialized in-line electrostatic eliminators.
(5) Highly charged powdered materials may first be discharged into a smaller, grounded metal container; once the static charge has dissipated, the material can then be transferred into a larger storage silo.
(6) Large storage silos should be free of any protruding grounded conductors. When top-loading is employed, the inlet must not extend into the silo; it should be flush with the silo roof.
(7) Equipment used for the collection or filtration of powdered materials should consist of electrostatically conductive components, and all filter screens must be properly grounded.