Analysis Of Dust Explosion In The Production Of Biomasses

The classification of the risks for chemical processes involving flammable dusts is mandatory by enforced norms. However, safety management should be aware of hazards of dust explosions in a more general sense. Indeed, variation of chemical and physical properties along the process life may allow the definition of priority for the prevention and mitigation of risks unless extensive and expensive program are due. For the same reason, explosion protection of process units should include consideration on the strength of the enclosure itself in the mainframe of risk assessment. In the paper, discussion on the preventing and mitigating aspects for dust explosion in the production of biomasses are given and some suggestion for exeedance curves rather than 20lt-bomb derived worst case assumptions are presented. An experimental campaign aiming at assessing the explosivity parameters along the process line, in order to recognize the differences of reactivity of the same substance (the final product) at different chemo-physical characteristics, is also presented.