Research on explosion hazard and prevention of ultrafine aluminium powder based on orthogonal matrix analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the coupled effects of multiple factors, namely dust mass concentration, dust particle size, and oxygen volume concentration, on the explosion intensity of ultrafine aluminium powder (UAP); the study determined the weight of each factor by using an orthogonal experimental design. Explosion intensity was evaluated using the maximum explosion pressure (MEP) and MEP rise rate (MEPR) of UAP. Explosion tests were performed using a 20 L standard spherical explosive device. A weight matrix for the explosion intensity was calculated. The results revealed that the MEP and MEPR increased most with the oxygen volume concentration. They also increased with the dust mass concentration to a lesser extent. The dust particle size had the smallest effect; the MEP and MEPR initially increased and then decreased as the particle size increased. The weights for oxygen volume concentration, dust mass concentration, and dust particle size were 69.191%, 18.761%, and 13.038%, respectively. The optimal factor combination for minimizing intensity was a dust mass concentration of 500 g/m3, an oxygen volume concentration of 9 vol%, and a dust particle size of 0.172 µm. On the basis of these findings, the study proposes industrial explosion-proofing countermeasures to increase the safety of production in aluminium-related enterprises.