DUST EXPLOSIONS AND

HAZARDOUS AREA CLASSIFICATION

ATEX AND BEYOND
Presented by Eur Ing Keith Plumb CEng, CSci,
FIChemE
EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES
DEFINED BY THE ATEX DIRECTIVE AND IEC STANDARDS

— Explosive atmosphere
- A mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions of
flammable substances in the form of dust, fibres or flyings
which, after being ignited, permits self-sustaining flame
propagation.
— Atmospheric conditions
- Conditions that include variations in pressure and
temperature above and below reference levels of 101.3 kPa
and 20°C, provided that the variations have negligible effect
on the explosive properties of the flammable materials.
Note: The standards do not apply to
conditions other than atmospheric conditions.

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 RELEVANT SUBSTANCES – IEC 60079-10-2
— Combustible Dusts
- Finely divided solids, 500 microns or less in nominal size, which may be
suspended in air, may settle out of the atmosphere under their own
weight, can burn or glow in air and may form explosive atmospheres
with air at atmospheric pressure and normal temperatures.
— Combustible Flyings
- Solid particles, including fibres, greater than 500 microns in nominal
size, which can be suspended in air, may settle out in the atmosphere
under their own weight, can burn or glow in air, and may form explosive
mixtures with air at atmospheric pressure and normal temperatures.
— Dust Layers
- A layer of dust, which is not likely to form a dust cloud, but may
ignite due to self heating or exposure to hot surfaces or thermal flux
and cause a fire hazard or over heating of equipment. The ignited
layer may also act as an ignition source for an explosive atmosphere.

3
 EXPLOSION PENTAGON
Fuel Oxidant An explosion cannot
occur without all five
components being
present.

However, a flash fire

(still potentially
dangerous) can occur if
there is no
confinement.
Dispersion Ignition
Source A fire can occur if only
the fuel, oxidant and
ignition source are
present.
Confinement

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 UNWRAPPED EXPLOSION PENTAGON
Risk of Explosive Risk of
Atmosphere Creation Ignition
Flame
Fuel Acceleration

Flame
Dispersion Ignition Confinement Pressure Rise
Propagation

Oxidant

Hazardous Area Equipment Impact of Confinement

Classification Selection

Risk of an Explosion Severity of an Explosion

Unwrapping the explosion pentagon as shown above provides an excellent

way of understanding the issues associated with dust explosions.

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EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES RISK ASSESSMENT
START Step 5 Step 6
Minimise Sources of Assess Confinement/
Ignition Consequences Step 8
Webinar 1
Is Residual
Webinar 3 Risk
Acceptable?
Step 1 Step 4 Step 7
Fuel Carry Out If Necessary, Reduce Risk
present? Hazardous Area Using Simple Measures
Classification No Yes
This Yes Webinar 4
Step 9
No Yes Webinar Step 10 Yes Can oxidant
Provide system to be excluded
eliminate oxidant from the
Step 2 No Step 3 process?
Can the Fuel Is there a
be dispersion
Eliminated? mechanism? No
Step 11
END
Yes No Mitigate consequences

Change process to Explosive atmosphere

eliminate fuel cannot be created

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HAZARDOUS AREA CLASSIFICATION
— Follows BS EN/IEC 60079 Part 10-2 "Classification
of areas – Combustible dust atmospheres" or
similar standard
— This is based on "Sources of Dispersion" and gives
two outcomes for each source.
1. The probability of an explosive atmosphere being
present - expressed in the form of four zones, Zone
20, 21 and 22 and a non-hazardous area.
2. The size of each zone.

NOTE: BS EN/IEC Standard 60079 Part 10-2 refers to "Sources

of Release" but this presentation uses "Sources of Dispersion"
because in many cases the explosve atmosphere is inside
equipment and is not the result of a release.

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METHOD
I. Record relevant combustibility properties for
the "fuel" on a data sheet.
II. Record all "Sources of Dispersion".
III. Identify the grade of dispersion for each
source.
IV. Note the operating pressure and temperature
for each source.
V. Note the level of ventilation associated with
each source.
VI. Identify the zone for each source of dispersion.
VII. Calculate the size of each zone.
VIII.Plot the zones on plan and elevation drawings

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STEP I - RECORD COMBUSTIBILITY DATA

— Data sheet for dusts and flyings

- Dust and flyings data sheet

9
FUEL – DUSTS AND FLYINGS
— The relevant properties for Hazardous Area
Classification are;
- Minimum Explosive Concentration (MEC) g/m3
- Mean particle size and settling velocity
- Dispersibility
— Sources of information
- Some literature information on MECs is available that is
indicative but not suitable for design, e.g. Reference 2
- Laboratory testing of the actual materials being used is
normally required.
- Meaningful information for dispersibility is difficult to
find.

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MEC CONSIDERATIONS
— Typical MEC for dusts is 30 to 60 g/m3 or greater
- A 25 watt light bulb can be just be seen through a two
metre coal dust cloud with a concentration of 40 g/m3.
- It would be difficult to read a newspaper in typical
explosive dust cloud.
— Typical OEL for a pharmaceutical
powders, for example, is:
- 1 – 10,000 µg/m3 or less
- There is a 1,000 to 1,000,000 fold
difference!
— Typical OEL for a nuisance dust is 10 mg/m3
— It is quite difficult to create a cloud this concentrated
that will last more than a few minutes. To achieve this
you must have a DISPERSION MECHANISM.

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OTHER RELEVANT PROPERTIES
— There are other combustibility properties that
are relevant to the overall risk assessment that
can be recorded at the same time. These
include;
- Minimum ignition energy (MIE) mJ
- Minimum ignition temperature (MIT) for a cloud and a 5
mm layer °C
- Maximum explosion pressure Pmax bar g
- Maximum rate of pressure rise KSt bar m/s
- Bulk electrical resistivity Ωm
- Limiting oxygen concentration %
— It is important to note that these properties are
highly dependent on particle size and moisture
content.

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 MINIMUM EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION
10000 1000
Lactose

Minimum Explosive Conc - g/m3

Minimum Ignition Energy - mJ

1000 R² = 0.1764
R² = 0.6926 100

100

10
10
Minimum Ignition Energy
Minimum Explosive Concentration
1 1
0 100 200 300
Mean Particle Size - µm
Source: BIA-Report 13/97 Combustion and explosion characteristics of dusts

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STEP II - IDENTIFY ALL SOURCES OF
DISPERSION AND TABULATE THEM.

— Sources of dispersion table

- Sources of dispersion table

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IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF DISPERSION
— Historically standards have used 2 methods
- Generalized method; this involves making judgments
about quite large areas of plant.
● e.g.. 'blanket' zone 22 inside building, 1m zone 21 around openings,
zone 20 inside equipment etc.
- Source of hazard (dispersion) method; each source is
analysed to determine the distance at which the
concentration of the fuel falls below the MEC (by a
margin).
● Standard IEC 60079-10-2 use the source of hazard method.

— Generalized method
- Tended to be conservative and expensive but can fail to
identify small high hazard points such as equipment
glands.
- Does not allow for risk minimisation.

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DISPERSION MECHANISMS
Where do they occur?
● Inside the Equipment
– Processing activities e.g.
milling, fluid bed drying,
pneumatic conveying etc.
● Local Exhaust Ventilation
● Outside the Equipment
– Uncontained tipping,
conveying etc.
– Leaks, spillage, blow back
etc.
● Layers - Heating of layers
on hot surfaces can be a
source of ignition.
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Can they create an
explosive atmosphere?
Critical material properties
● Minimum Explosion
Conc'n (MEC)
– Typical MEC for dusts is 30
to 60 g/m3
● Dispersibility (D)
– Measure of the strength of
the inter-particle bonds
● Settling Velocity (U)
– A high settling velocity will
cause particles to drop out
rapidly.
WORK APPLIED BY DISPERSION PROCESS
— The work (energy) applied by a dispersion
process (Wp) will depend on that process.
- For example milling will apply more work than
pouring a powder into a vessel.
— Not all of the work applied by the dispersion
process will be applied to breaking the
particle bonds.
— Some dispersion processes will be more
efficient at breaking bonds than others and
hence at creating a dust cloud.
— Work for breaking bonds Wd = k’Wp

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 EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE BOUNDARY

Wd
Wd = Work applied to the dust that
breaks bonds
Wd = k’Wp

Explosive
Atmosphere Pexp = Propensity to form an explosive
atmosphere = f (D/MEC, 1/U)
Formed

Explosive
Atmosphere
NOT Formed

Pexp

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 THE DISPERSIBILITY PROBLEM
Tested as per VDI 2263 Part 9
Dustiness
Dust
Group
Wheat Flour 1

Wood 2

Skimmed Milk Powder 3

Maize Starch 4

Lignite 6

Potato Starch 6

Dust clears in Highest concentration at the

SECONDS end of the test is NOT the
Reference: Klippel, A., Schied, M., Koperski. J., Wappler, M., Krause. U.,
(2013) Influence of dustiness on small-scale vented dust explosion,
material with the highest
Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 26, 1433-1441. dustiness group

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DISPERSION PROCESSES
— Low Energy Dispersion
- Sack rip and tip operations
- Pouring operations
- Tumble/IBC Blenders
- Sieving
- Leaks and back flow from low pressure systems.
— Medium Energy Dispersion
- Agitated blenders and dryers
- Low speed lump breakers and mills
- Leaks from high pressure systems
— High Energy Dispersion
- High speed mills
- Fluid bed dryers
- Spray dryers

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 HOW MUCH DISPERSION
Assumes that a homogeneous mixture is formed.

Mass of Solid Percentage Dust Generation

Charged to 1m3
vessel (kg)
0.5% {1} 3.0% {2} 17.0% {3}
2.5 12.5 g/m3 75.0 g/m3 425.0 g/m3
5.0 25.0 g/m3 150.0 g/m3 850.0 g/m3
10.0 50.0 g/m3 300.0 g/m3 1700.0 g/m3

The higher concentrations are in line with tests at an industrial scale as

shown on the next slide.
{1} Plinke, A. E., Leith, D., Boundy. M. G., Löffler, F. (1995) Dust generation from handling powders in industry, Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., 56, pp 251-257- High (> 1%) moisture content solids
{2} Plinke et al - Low (~0.1%) moisture content solids
{3} Ansart, R., de Ryck, A., Dodds, J. A. (2009) Dust emissions in powder handling: Free falling particle plume characterisation, Chemical Engineering Journal, 152, Issues 2-3, pp 415-420

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DUST CONCENTRATION IN A 12 M3 SILO

Solid fed pneumatically via a vertical nozzle at the centre of the

top of 12 m3 silo. With no solid in the hopper in the left hand
graph and with solid in the hopper in the right hand graph.

See reference 20 for more details

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 Fig. 4

Dust Concentration in a 12 m3 Silo

Concentration after 80
seconds

Validated against
experimental results. See
reference 20 for
experimental results.
Process Safety and Environmental Protection 2015 96, 14-21DOI: (10.1016/j.psep.2015.04.003)
Copyright © 2015 Institution of Chemical Engineers
DISPERSION CONCLUSION
— To create a dust cloud with a concentration
greater than the MEC some form of dispersion
mechanism is required.
— The work applied to the powder by this
mechanism must be great enough to break
inter-particle bonds.
— The particle settling velocity will have an impact
on the concentration of the cloud formed and
time the cloud will remain above the MEC.
IMPORTANT
With the current state of knowledge the only safe
assumption is that if a dispersion mechanism is present
then an explosive atmosphere will form.

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ANY QUESTIONS

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 STEP III - IDENTIFY THE GRADE OF DISPERSION
— Continuous Grade
- Continuous or is expected to occur frequently or for long
periods (typical ~ 1000+ hrs/annum)
- E.g. Inside processing equipment
— Primary Grade
- Expected to occur periodically or occasionally during
normal operation (typically~ 10 – 1000 hrs/annum)
- E.g. Loading powders into vessel without LEV
— Secondary Grade
- Not expected to occur in normal operation and, if it does
occur, is likely to do so only infrequently and for a short period.
- Typically < 10 hr/yr AND a persistence of max 1 hour
- E.g. Equipment joints or spillage
Note 1. Layers, deposits and heaps of combustible dust must be considered as any other source which can form an explosive atmosphere.
Note 2. "Normal operation" means the situation when installations are used within their design parameters.

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STEP IV - NOTE OPERATING TEMPERATURE
AND PRESSURE
— Operating pressure
- Relevant to source of dispersion since a source
under pressure is more likely to disperse a dust
than one under vacuum.
- Also relevant to consequences of an explosion as
will be discussed in Webinar 4.
— Operating temperature
- This may be relevant to the particle moisture
content which could impact dispersivity.
- Also relevant to the sources of ignition as will be
discussed in Webinar 3.

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STEP V. NOTE LEVEL OF VENTILATION
— Relevant to dispersion and persistence of a dust
cloud.
- Not considered in IEC 60079-10-2 but obviously relevant
— Natural versus artificial – general or local
— Degree of ventilation
- High – Can reduce the dust concentration virtually instantly.
- Medium – Can control the dust concentration and maintain a stable
zone boundary.
- Low – Cannot control the dust conc’n nor prevent long persistence.
— Availability of ventilation
- Good – present virtually continuously (min. 0.5 m/s for natural
ventilation). Process expected to stop if ventilation fails.
- Fair – expected to be present during normal operation
- Poor – discontinuities are not expected to occur for long periods

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 STEP VI. IDENTIFY THE HAZARDOUS ZONES
— Zone 20
- A place in which an explosive atmosphere is present
continuously, or for long periods or frequently.
— Zone 21
- A place in which an explosive atmosphere is likely to
occur in normal operation occasionally.
— Zone 22
- A place in which an explosive atmosphere is not likely
to occur in normal operation but, if it does occur, will
persist for a short period only.
Note: "Normal operation" means the situation when installations are used within their
design parameters.

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 IMPACT OF VENTILATION
GRADE VERSUS ZONE

Ventilation
High Medium Low None
Grade of
Dispersion Availability
Good, Fair Good, Fair
Good Fair Poor Good Fair Poor
or Poor or Poor
Non- Zone 20 + Zone 20 +
Continuous Zone 22 Zone 21 Zone 20 Zone 20 Zone 20
hazardous Zone 22 Zone 21
Non- Zone 21 + Zone 21 +
Primary Zone 22 Zone 22 Zone 21 Zone 21 Zone 20
hazardous Zone 22 Zone 22
Non- Non-
Secondary Zone 22 Zone 22 Zone 22 Zone 22 Zone 21 Zone 20
hazardous hazardous

The Non-hazardous areas arise because the zone is so small (defined as

Negligible Extent) and igniting such a zone has been shown to result in a
flash fire with low consequences.

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 STEP VII. ASSESS THE SIZE OF EACH ZONE
— Zone 20
- Usually inside equipment that determines the size of the zone.
- If this is outside the equipment housekeeping will be a problem.
— Zone 21
- LEV may down grade this to a Zone 22 or reduce the size.
- The size depends on dispersion mechanism.
- 1 m from the source with a vertical extension to a solid floor.
— Zone 22 See standard IEC 60079 Part 10-2 for more details
- Size depends on dispersion mechanism. The zone will usually
extend down to a solid floor.
- Mechanical barriers such as walls may limit the extent.
- The presence of dust layers may extend the Zone 22 or turn a
Zone 22 into a Zone 21.

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CALCULATION RELEVANT TO ZONE SIZE

Percentage of 20 kg Sack Dispersed to Create

the Mean Concentration
Radius of Zone 0.5m 1.0m 1.5m 2.0m 2.5m 3.0m
15 0.04% 0.31% 1.06% 2.51% 4.91% 8.48%
concentration

30 0.08% 0.63% 2.12% 5.03% 9.82% 16.96%

Mean

g/m3

45 0.12% 0.94% 3.18% 7.54% 14.73% 25.45%

60 0.16% 1.26% 4.24% 10.05% 19.63% 33.93%

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 STEP VIII. PLOT
THE ZONES ON THE
PLAN AND
ELEVATION OF THE
EQUIPMENT

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 DUST ZONING EXAMPLE
Bag emptying station with Bag emptying station
no LEV within a building with LEV

Does not consider

the zone of rotary
Zone 20 valve which is
important since it
Taken from BS EN Zone 21 is non-electrical
equipment
60079-10-2 Zone 22 internally.

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BAG EMPTYING STATION - NO LEV
— Zone 20
- Inside the hopper because an explosive dust/air mixture is
present frequently or even continuously.
- The size of the zone is determined by the hopper.
— Zone 21
- The open manway is a primary grade of release.
- Zone 21 exists around this manway extending 1 m from the
edge of the manhole and extending down to the floor.
— Zone 22
- Accidental spillage of the bag could cause a dust cloud to
extend beyond the Zone 21.
- Zone 22 extends 3m from the edge of the Zone 21 so in effect
fills the whole of a room.

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 BAG EMPTYING STATION WITH LEV
— Zone 20
- Inside the hopper because an explosive dust/air mixture is
present frequently or even continuously
— Zone 21
- There is no Zone 21 in this case due to the dust extraction
system
— Zone 22
- The open manhole is a secondary grade of release. There is no
escape of dust in normal circumstances because of the dust
extraction system in a well designed extraction system, any dust
released will be sucked inside. Consequently, only a Zone 22 is
defined around the manhole extending for 3m from the edge of
the manhole and extending down to the floor.
Note earlier example calculations!
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CALCULATIONS RELEVANT TO ZONE SIZE

Percentage of 20 kg Sack Dispersed to Create

the Mean Concentration
Radius of Zone 0.5m 1.0m 1.5m 2.0m 2.5m 3.0m
15 0.04% 0.31% 1.06% 2.51% 4.91% 8.48%
concentration

30 0.08% 0.63% 2.12% 5.03% 9.82% 16.96%

Mean

g/m3

45 0.12% 0.94% 3.18% 7.54% 14.73% 25.45%

60 0.16% 1.26% 4.24% 10.05% 19.63% 33.93%

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 REFERENCES
1. BIA Report 11/97 Dokumentation Staubexplosionen – Analyse und Einzelfalldarstellung
2. BIA Report 13/97 Combustion and explosion properties of dusts.
3. M. Murtomaa, E. Laine, Electrostatic measurements on lactose-glucose mixtures, J. Electrostat. 48 (2000)
4. BS EN IEC 60079-0:2012 Explosive atmospheres – Part 0: Equipment – General Requirements
5. BS EN IEC 60079-10-1:2009 Explosive atmospheres – Part 10-1: Classification of areas –Explosive gas atmospheres
6. BS EN IEC 60079-10-2:2009 Explosive atmospheres – Part 10-2: Classification of areas – Combustible dust atmospheres
7. BS EN IEC 60079-14: 2014 Explosive atmospheres. Electrical installations design, selection and erection
8. EN 1127-1:2007 (E) Explosive atmospheres. Explosion prevention and protection. Basic concepts and methodology
9. EN 13463-1:2009/ISO 80079-36.2: 2014 Non-electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres - Basic
methods and requirements
10. J. Barton, Dust Explosion Prevention and Protection – A Practical Guide, IChemE
11. R. K. Eckhoff, Dust Explosions in the Process Industries, 3rd Edition, 2003, Gulf Process Publishing.
12. Guidelines on the application of Directive 94/9/EC, 3rd Edition, June 2009, European Commission – Enterprise and Industry
13. A.W. Cox, F.P. Lees, M.L. Ang, 'Classification of Hazardous Locations'; IChemE
14. Report 2006-H-1, November 2006, US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Combustible dust hazard study
15. Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) for the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations. L138, Health
and Safety Executive.
16. Safe Handling of Explosive Dusts, HSG 103. Health and Safety Executive
17. Fire Safety in Construction, HSG 168. Health and Safety Executive
18. Baker, Q. A., Kolbe, M., Kinston Dust Explosion, Proceedings of the 5th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion
Hazards, Edinburgh, UK, 23-27 April 2007
19. US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Case Study, Ink Dust Explosion and Flash Fires in East Rutherford,
New Jersey, January 2015.
20. Hauert, F., and Vogl, A., Measurement of Dust Characteristics in Industrial Plants, Final Technical Report, January 1995
21. Rani, S.I., Aziz, B.A., Gimbun, J., Analysis of dust distribution in silo during axial filling using computational fluid
dynamics: Assessment on dust explosion likelihood. Process Safety and Environmental Protection 96 (2015) 14–21

38
 Many thanks for listening

I will now answer some frequently

answered questions

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FAQS
— Why are you emphasising sources of
dispersion when the standards refer to
sources of release?
— You consider dispersion due to a powder
falling but have not focused so much on other
dispersion mechanisms.
— Can you say more about zone sizing?
— Can you explain more about the impact of
ventilation?

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