The effect of selected inhibitors on the characteristics of wood dust explosion

The Main School of Fire Services, Faculty of Fire Safety Engineering, 52/54 Slowackiego St., 01-629 Warsaw, Poland

^* Corresponding author: lzubek@sgsp.edu.pl

Abstract

The mass concentration of four inhibitors which is required to suppress pine dust explosion were measured in laboratory-scale system. Measurements were conducted using four commercially available additives commonly used to decrease the fire and explosion hazards, three extinguishing powders: BC FOREX C, ABC Favorit X90, BC 101K and rock dust powder consisting calcium carbonate CaCO₃ and magnesium carbonate MgCO₃. The inhibition effect was investigated by measuring explosion pressure of various dust/powder mixtures using a 20 dm³ sphere by PN-EN 14034. On the basis of pressure-time curves the derivatives of pressure with respect to time (dp/dt), maximum explosion pressure p_max and maximum rate of explosion pressure rise (dp/dt)_max were determined. It was found that inhibiting dust explosions with additives of various dry powders is a very effective way to decrease explosion effects. The experimental results have also shown that inhibiting effectiveness is strictly related to chemical composition of the powder. The order of effectiveness was monoammonium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate and rock dust.