You Are Here: Home > Industries > Paints & Coatings
Paints & Coatings
Solvents and combustible organic powders are heavily utilised constituents of decorative and protective paints and coatings.
Although more stringent VOC targets are in place, the use of solvents is still important in aerospace, marine, electronics and general industrial protective coating applications. The milling, grinding and extraction of organic powders and mixing and blending of solvents can generate hazardous levels of static electricity and this risk must be managed effectively through the application of fit for purpose grounding and bonding static control equipment.
Static Hazards
|
|
Tnak trucks are capable of storing large amounts of electrostatic charges that result from the transfer of large volumes of charged liquids and powders. Ungrounded road tankers can discharge incendive static sparks above 1000mJ of energy into potentially flammable and combustible atmospheres if the container body is not correctly grounded. |
| Vacuum trucks and tank trucks often have to transfer combustible material without the presence of an installed static ground monitoring system. The Earth-Rite MGV is a truck mounted system that can verify that objects it is connected to (e.g. ground rods, pipes running into ground) will function as a reliable static earth ground for the truck. | |
|
|
Large conductive bodies like railcar tanks are capable of storing large amounts of electrostatic charges if the tank is not correctly grounded. Vibration pads, bearings and anti-friction greasing isolate container bodies from the rail tracks impeding their capacity to dissipate hazardous electrostatic charges. |
|
|
The mixing or blending of 2 phase solids and liquids generate hazardous levels of electrostatic charges on vessels and material being processed. Vessels operating in potentially flammable and combustible atmospheres should be fully grounded to ensure electrostatic charges are not permitted to accumulate on the vessel. For large volumes it is advisable to interlock the grounding equipment with the motor or other safety measures like emergency sounders. |
|
|
Filling IBCs and large containers with flammable liquids has the potential to generate a serious fire hazard if the IBC is not correctly grounded. Wherever possible output contacts should be used to stop filling should the IBC lose its ground connection thereby preventing the rapid accumulation of static charges on the IBC. |
|
|
Powder conveying and filling generates high levels of electrostatic charge on FIBC bags. It is essential that Type C FIBC bags regularly used in potentially combustible or flammable atmospheres are capable of dissipating electrostatic charges to ensure the powder or FIBC bag is not capable of releasing high energy static sparks or propagating brush discharges into the local atmosphere. |
|
|
For low volume liquid transfers it is important to fully bond or ground small drums and cans to ensure any charge generated is quickly dissipated as static sparks can readily ignite the liquid being handled. |
