Electrostatic hazards of pneumatic conveying of powders

The potential for dust explosion from electrostatic discharge in pneumatic Conveying systems has been reviewed. The importance of lab testing to determine electrostatic charging of powders in contact with materials of construction is illustrated. Correlation of predicted voltage fields (from lab testing) to full scale is good. With the voltage field information, ESD potential at various parts of the pneumatic conveying system can be determined (primarily in receivers, silo and separator).