Abstract
This chapter discusses the electrostatics and dust explosions in powder handling. Electrostatic adhesion is a significant nuisance; highly charged particles can coat vessel walls making cleanup more difficult in switch loading operations. Charged particles can also interfere with sensor units and other vessel internals. In electrostatic cohesion, the mutual attraction of oppositely charged particles, can seriously affect fluidization conditions, exacerbate bridging phenomena at discharge chutes, and generally make powder handling a more difficult proposition. Electrostatic discharges can lead to still more serious problems, such as electrical interference that disrupts process instrumentation, physiologically shocks the operating personnel, and, under certain conditions, leads to the ignition of flammable dust/air mixtures. The resulting fires or explosions can cause serious damage and injury, or loss of life in commercial and manufacturing facilities.
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