material handling & safety for powder activated carbon
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Expertise. Reliability. Compliance.
The best way to manage powdered materials, including PAC, is to avoid spills and to clean up any leaks or spills promptly. Keep the PAC dry and conduct cleanup using tools appropriate to the task.
Monitor storage areas and avoid fluidization/aeration while in storage prior to use. Avoid buildup of PAC inside the process through regular cleaning cycles of baghouses and other procedures.
Think through what can go wrong in advance and develop procedures for the event that something does go wrong. Water should not be introduced to silos, for example. If smoldering is suspected, inerting of the enclosure is preferred. Our team can work with you to develop guidance.
Good Housekeeping
Equipment Controls
Event Response
Our Experts Say
Our Experts Say
Our Experts Say
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Proper Facility Maintenance
Storage & cleaning
Standards & procedures
Material Handling & Safety
PAC has been safely handled at many industrial facilities for decades. Education and planning are the keys. Understand how to handle PAC and other powders safely, and protect personnel with standard PPE. Develop site-specific procedures for the new material. Consult with your ADA Carbon Solutions representative for help in planning management of your PAC and to help you minimize risks proactively.
Know Your Design & Data Sheets
Expertise. Reliability. Compliance.
All combustible dusts can be rated on the ability to create an explosion based on two factors: (1) the Kst value, which is a dust deflagration index that measures the potential explosive nature of a dust, and (2) the minimum ignition energy (MIE) required to create an explosion. The lower the Kst the better, and the higher the MIE the better.
ADA Carbon Solution PACs are rated St 1, similar to powdered milk and sugar. In addition testing on ACS products indicate that the minimum ignition energy is high (greater than 10 joules) and the auto-ignition occurs at temperatures greater than 400 °C.
In manufacturing ADA Carbon Solutions’ PAC has been devolatilized and activated with steam at temperatures greater than ~530 °C.
For additional information on managing combustible dusts, please see the OHSA publication available at: http://osha.gov/Publications/3371combustible-dust.pdf
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) defines a combustible particulate as “a com-bustible particulate solid that presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape.” (NFPA 654-2006)
PACs Engineered For Safety
ADA PACs Are Designed For Safe Handling
ADA Carbon Solution PACs are rated St 1, similar to powdered milk.
What is a combustible dust?
ClassRating
Kst(bar.m/s)
ReactionType
TypicalMaterial
St 0 0 No Explosion Silica
St 1 0 - 200 Weak Explosion Powdered milk, charcoal, sugar
St 2 200 - 300 Strong Explosion Cellulose, wood flour
St 3 300+ Very Strong Explosion Aluminum,magnesium
ADA Carbon Solutions PAC Properties
Auto-Ignition> 400 °C
Kst ClassSt 1
MIn. Ignition EnergyHigh (>10 J)
Sources: OSHA (CPL 03-00-008, Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program); NFPA 68 (Standard on Explosion Prevention by Deflagration Venting).