Prevention and mitigation of dust and hybrid mixture explosions

The results presented in this article focus on the importance of the prevention and mitigation of dust and hybrid mixture explosions. The main objective is to demonstrate the use of the inherent safety principle of moderation to achieve a significant reduction of the risk of explosions. Experiments and a companion modeling study were conducted with a test matrix composed of various size fractions of polyethylene powder together with concentrations of hydrocarbon gas (ethylene, hexane, and propane). The results quantitatively show the increased hazard posed by fine particle sizes of dust and the addition of flammable gases. There are clear implications for industry in terms of moderating the risk of an explosion.