Dust explosion hazard in the textile industry

Abstract The textile industry is not considered among those at high dust explosion risk, as official statistics ( CSB 2010 , Abbasi and Abbasi 2007, Yuan et al. 2015) account for a low incidence of episodes. Despite these data, there is also evidence that dust explosions may affect the textile industry with severe consequences. The Harbin linen explosion in China (Hailin 1988, Bowen 1988, Eckhoff 2003) is probably recognized as having been the most severe episode. Fiorentini and Marmo (2019) , Marmo et al. (2010), Piccinini (2008), Salatino et al. (2012) and the U.S. Fire Administration (1995) have discussed dust explosion episodes involving the textile compartment, with nylon flock and wool dust explosions. Amyotte summarized the state-of-the-art knowledge about flocculent materials (which mainly originate from the textile industry), explosion hazards, and the related studies in chapter thirteen of his well-known book ( Amyotte 2013 ). The textile industry has two particular features regarding the dust explosion risk. The number of flocculent dust studies is somewhat limited. The role played by the particle size and aspect ratio (namely the diameter-to-length ratio) in explosibility proneness is still unclear. Worsfold et al. (2012) reported the importance of enlarging the knowledge on the hazards related to unconventional dust since most studies have focused on traditional dust. This work investigates the explosion hazards related to dust generated in the textile industry. Moreover, it presents some experimental results obtained by the authors, and detailed in Marmo et al. (2016, 2018), and illustrates the perspective of the study to increase the safety culture of these particular materials.