Static Electricity and Chemical Safety

Vahid Ebadat, Ph.D., M.Inst.P., MIET, C.Phys.

Stonehouse Process Safety, Inc.

Princeton, New Jersey
Call: +1 609 455 0001
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.stonehousesafety.com

Presentation at
2019 Spring Meeting
Society for Chemical Hazard Communication
Las Vegas, NA
March 20th, 2019

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 1

Static Electricity and Chemical Safety

Presentation Outline

• Introduction

• A Systematic Approach to Electrostatic Hazard

Assessment

• Control of Electrostatic Hazards

• Discussions

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 2

Fire Triangle

• Fuel - A gas, liquid vapor, mist, or solid

material capable of being oxidized

• Oxidant - A material that may cause or

enhance the combustion of other
materials, usually oxygen in air

• Ignition source - An energy source

capable of initiating a combustion
reaction

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 3

 Ensuring Safety Through Prevention &
Hazard Protection

Management • Elimination of fuel

• Elimination of oxidant
• Elimination of ignition sources
• Explosion protection

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NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static
Electricity (Ref. NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169)

• Purpose - Provide assistance in controlling the

hazards associated with the generation,
accumulation, and discharge of static electricity

• Contains:
o A basic understanding of the nature of static
electricity
o Guidelines for identifying and assessing hazards
of static electricity
o Techniques for controlling the hazards of static
electricity
o Guidelines for controlling static electricity in
selected applications

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Electrostatic Hazard Assessment - Systematic
Approach

Charge Electrostatic Minimum Ignition Flash Fire /

Charge Generation
Accumulation Discharges Energy explosion?

Isolated
Spark
Contact Conductors

Insulating Objects Brush

Smallest static
spark energy to Ignition occurs if
Induction Personnel Propagating Brush ignite a discharge energy
flammable > MIE
atmosphere
Powders Cone

Corona
Liquids Corona

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 7

Charge Generation - Contact Charging

• Electrostatic charge is usually generated when any two materials make and
then break contact, with one becoming negative and the other positive

Picture Ref. Lumen Learning

• Build up of the charge on electrically isolated conductors and/or on insulating

materials, can give rise to electrostatic discharges
• Ignition is expected if discharge energy is greater than Minimum Ignition
Energy (MIE) of the flammable atmosphere

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 8

Electrostatic Charge
Generation -
Examples
• Personnel
o Walking on insulating flooring
o Removing coveralls while wearing
insulating shoes
• Powders
o Sieving
o Pouring
o Auger or screw-feed transfer
o Grinding
o Micronizing
o Pneumatic conveying

• Liquids
o Liquid transfer in hoses & pipes
o Mixing / Agitation
o Filtration

• Movable Items
o Metal carts with rubber/plastic wheel

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 9

Electrostatic Data / Properties

Proper assessment of electrostatic hazards requires

certain information on properties of plant and the
materials handled/processed, such as:

• Minimum Ignition Energy of flammable atmospheres*

• Resistance-to-Ground of conductive (metal) plant and
objects**
• Resistance-to-Ground of operators’ footwear and floors**
• Volume Resistivity of powders*
• Volume Resistivity of hoses*
• Conductivity of liquids*
• Surface Resistivity of containers and liners*
• Electrostatic Chargeability of powders and liquids*/**

* Laboratory Measurement
** On site measurement

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Typical Minimum Ignition Energy Values
Flammable Atmosphere Minimum Ignition Energy (mJ)
Carbon Disulfide 0.009
Hydrogen 0.016
Acetylene 0.017
Gas / Vapor
Methanol 0.14
(ref. NFPA 77, 1 Batterymarch Park, Acetone 0.19
Quincy, MA 02169) Methane 0.21
Ethyl Acetate 0.23
Propane 0.24
PVC 1,500
Zinc 200
Wheat Flour 50
Polyethylene 30
Dust Cloud1 Sugar 30
(ref. various sources)
Sulphur 15
Aluminum 10
Epoxy Resin 9
Zirconium 5

1. Values quoted in this table must not be used for the determination of explosion prevention and/or protection
measures. Factors such as test method, composition, particle size, moisture content may affect the results. Test data
from a representative sample from your own process must be used

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 13

Controlling
Electrostatic Hazards
- Metal Plant

• Accumulation of static charges can be prevented

by grounding isolated conductors
• Grounding - The process of bonding one or
more conductive objects to the ground, so that
all objects are at zero (0) electrical potential
(voltage); also referred to as earthing
• A resistance <106 ohms is generally adequate
• All metal system, resistance in continuous
ground paths typically is <10 ohms
• Effective bonding & grounding requires:
o Identification of conductive equipment and objects
within a process
o Periodic inspection and testing of bonding and
grounding systems

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Controlling Electrostatic
Hazards - Metal Containers
• Ensure grounding at all times during
filling and emptying operations
• Apply grounding clamp prior to
commencing filling and emptying
operations
• Use grounding clamp with hardened
steel points that will penetrate through
paint, corrosion, and material buildup

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 16

 Controlling Electrostatic
Hazards - Fiberboard
Containers

• Uncoated fiberboard (including paper

& wood) is static dissipative
• Ensure grounding through the metal
chime at all times during filling and
emptying operations
• Apply grounding clamp prior to
commencing filling and emptying
operations

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 Controlling Electrostatic
Hazard

• Insulating Hoses with Imbedded

Metal Spiral Wire
o Ground metal wire at both ends of
the hose
o Propagating Brush discharges are
still possible from inside surfaces of
the hose
o Use “conductive” or “static
dissipative” hoses

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 18

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards - Personnel

• Human body is an electrical conductor and can accumulate static charge if

insolated from ground
• During normal activity, the voltage (potential) on the human body can typically
reach 10kV to 15kV. At a capacitance of about 200pF the accumulated energy
available for a spark can reach 10mJ to about 30mJ
• A person insulated from ground can accumulate a significant charge by:
o Walking on an insulating surface
o Manual pouring of powders and liquids from one container to another while wearing
insulating footwear or standing on insulating flooring
o Touching an already charged object such as a Type A, B, and D FIBCs (supersacks)
during filling and emptying
o Brushing against surfaces while wearing insulating footwear
• Electrostatic sparks from human body have been responsible for numerous
flash fire and explosion incidents

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Controlling Electrostatic Hazards - Personnel

• Static dissipative footwear used together with conductive or static dissipative

flooring provides a practical means to control and dissipate static charges from
the human body
o Resistance to earth through static dissipative footwear and conductive or static
dissipative flooring should be between 106 ohms & 108 ohms
• Grounding wrist straps can also be used but may not be practical where
personnel need to move around

Illustration of static dissipative

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 20 footwear tester (Source: Neilson-Gail.com
Electrostatic Hazards
- Insulators

• Examples - plastic hoses, bags,

liners, drums
• Surface Resistivity >1011
ohm/square
• Grounding of insulating objects
would not typically result in
relaxation of charge to ground
• Build up of static charge
• Insulating containers prevent
the relaxation of static charge
from their contents (powders
and liquids) to ground

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 22

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards - Insulators

• Consider conductive or static dissipative materials with a

Surface Resistivity <1011 ohm/square

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Controlling Electrostatic
Hazards - Plastic Liners

• Depending on breakdown voltage

of the liner and product charge
density there is a possibility of
“propagating brush” discharges
• Use antistatic or conductive liners
with Surface Resistivity <1011
ohm/square
• In the absence of flammable vapor
atmospheres insulating liners may
be used if breakdown voltage of
liner is <4kV

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 25

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards - Liquids

• Electrostatic charge generation can arise in various liquid handling

operations such as filling, sampling, filtration and mixing
• Electrostatic charge can accumulate on:
o Low conductivity liquids
o Liquids in non-conductive containers and vessels
o Liquid mist regardless of liquid conductivity

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 26

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards - Liquids

• Use Electrically Grounded Conductive (Metal) Plant

o All plant items such as pipes, vessels, containers etc.
should be electrically conductive and/or static dissipative
and grounded
• Increase Liquid Conductivity
o Where a conductive and a nonconductive liquid are to be
blended, add conductive liquid first
o Adding a conductivity-enhancing agent (antistatic
additive
 Antistatic additives normally are added in parts-per million
concentrations

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 29

Controlling
Electrostatic
Hazards - Liquids

• Control of Liquid Entry to Vessel

o Design inlet to minimize jetting of
highly charged product to the surface
and to minimize the disturbance of
the vessel contents
o Avoid splash filling through bottom
filling or by using an inlet dip pipe
extending close to the tank bottom
o Where the process requires top filling
use a fill pipe directed toward the
inner wall of the tank

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 30

 Insulating Containers
for Liquids
• How about these items?

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 32

Controlling Static
Hazards - Powders

• Bulking of highly charged insulating

powder in containers causes a partial
surface discharge over the top of
powder pile that appears as a
luminous, branched channel flashing
radially from the wall toward the
center of the pile - “Bulk”/”Cone”
Discharge
• Discharge energy depends on powder
“Volume Resistivity”, “Electrostatic
Chargeability”, “particle size”, and
“vessel dimensions”
• Bulk/Cone discharges have been
attributed to explosions of dusts
having MIEs less than 20mJ

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 33

Controlling Electrostatic
Hazards - Powders
• Assessment of ignition hazards caused by Bulk/Cone
discharges:
o Powder Volume Resistivity <109 ohm.m
No electrostatic charge accumulation and hence no
“Bulk” discharge if powder is handled in grounded
conductive plant
o Powder Volume Resistivity >109 ohm.m and
Minimum Ignition Energy >20mJ
Even if Bulk/Cone discharges are present, no static
ignition hazard in grounded conductive plant
o Volume resistivity > 109 ohm.m and Minimum
Ignition Energy <20mJ
For sufficiently high electrostatic charging (high
chargeability) conditions possibility of Bulk/Cone
discharges cannot be ruled out. Consider:
 Inert gas blanketing, or
 Explosion protection, or
 Reduction of electrostatic charges (ionization)

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 34

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards

• Effect of Humidity on Charge Accumulation

o Water vapor - if present in air - absorbs onto
surfaces and forms a slightly conducting
surface layer
o Factors affecting the extent of water
absorption onto the surface include:
 Chemical properties of the surface, and
 Quantity of moisture content (humidity) in air
o Maintaining the relative humidity level higher
than about 65% can reduce electrostatic
charge accumulation

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 35

Controlling Electrostatic Hazards

• Effect of Humidity on Charge Accumulation

o Electrostatic Voltages Resulting from (Contact) Triboelectric Charging at
Two Levels of Relative Humidity (RH) (Ref: NFPA 77, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169)

Electrostatic Voltages (kV)

Situation
RH 10% - 20% RH 65% - 90%
Walking across a carpet 35 1.5
Walking across a vinyl floor 12 0.25
Working at a bench 6 0.1
Vinyl envelopes for work instructions 7 0.6
Poly bag picked up from bench 20 1.2
Work chair padded with polyurethane foam 18 1.5

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 36

IEC 61340-4-4, Edition 3.0, 2018-01

Standard Test Methods for

Specific Applications –
Electrostatic Classification of
Flexible Intermediate Bulk
Containers (FIBCs)

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 37

IEC 61340-4-4, Edition 3.0,
2018-01
• Type A - Constructed from insulating fabric or plastic sheet
with no provision for controlling any type of static discharge
o Must not normally be used in presence of flammable atmosphere
with MIE ≤1,000mJ
• Type B - Constructed from insulating fabric or plastic sheet
designed to prevent “Sparks” and “Propagating Brush
Discharges”
o Safe for use in dust environments with ignition energies greater
than 3mJ. There must be no flammable vapors/gases present
• Type C - Constructed from fully inter-connected conductive
threads
o Relies on grounding to prevent electrostatic hazards (shall have a
resistance to groundable point of <1.0x108 Ω)
o Safe for use in the presence of flammable vapors, gases, or dusts
with MIE ≤3mJ
• Type D - Constructed from fabrics with special static
protective threads and/or properties
o Controls discharge incendivity without requiring earthing
o Safe for use where flammable vapors, gases, or dusts with MIE
≤3mJ are present

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 38

 Use of Different Types of FIBC

Bulk Product in FIBC Surroundings

Gas Zones 1 – 2 or
Non Flammable Dust Zones 21 – 22
MIE of Dust Dust Zones 21 – 22
Atmosphere 1000mJ > MIE > 3mJ
MIE ≤ 3mJ

MIE > 1,000mJ A, B, C, D B, C, D C, D

1000mJ > MIE > 3mJ B, C, D B, C, D C, D

MIE ≤ 3mJ C, D C, D C, D

o Additional precautions are usually necessary when a flammable gas or vapor atmosphere is
present inside the FIBC, e.g. in case of solvent wet powders
o Non-flammable atmosphere includes dusts having a MIE >1000mJ
o Use of Type D FIBCs shall be limited to atmospheres with MIE ≥0.14mJ

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 41

Explosion Protection

Ensuring Safety Through Prevention & Protection

• Explosion Prevention
o Elimination of Fuel
o Elimination of Oxidant
o Elimination of Ignition Sources

• Explosion Protection
o Protection measures must be considered when preventative measures on
their own may not ensure acceptable level of safety
o Explosion protection measures include:
 Explosion venting to a safe place (NFPA 68)
 Explosion suppression by injecting a suppressant (NFPA 69)
 Containment by explosion resistant construction (Design based on ASME Boiler
and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division I)
Ignition Source

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 43

Thank You
We partner with our clients in the process industries to help them
identify, assess, prevent, and control fire, explosion, and accidental
loss of containment hazards in their operations.

We would like to hear from you. Please contact us!

Vahid Ebadat, Ph.D.

Stonehouse Process Safety, Inc.
Princeton, New Jersey
Call: 609 455 0001
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.stonehousesafety.com

©2019 Stonehouse Process Safety. All rights reserved. Page 44