Avoiding Static Ignition Hazards

Avoiding Static Ignition Hazards

-By Laurence G. Britton, Process Safety Technology Group, Union Carbide Corporation

-308 pp; Hardcover

-Pub G-67; ISBN: 0-8169-0800-1

-$60 for AIChE Members; $75 all others

This "Concept" book, published by AIChE's Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), is designed to assist the reader in controlling the hazards associated with the generation, accumulation, and discharge of static electricity.

Chemical engineers and other technically trained personnel will find the material particularly useful in safety analyses and accident investigations in chemical operations.

The book is organized into six sections that cover the nature of static electricity; characteristics and effective energies of different static resources; techniques for identifying and assessing static electricity hazards; general bonding, grounding, and other techniques used to control static or prevent ignition; gases and liquids; and powders and hybrid mixtures. The book includes previously unpublished information, an extensive literature review, and case histories.

While elementary electrostatic theory is used throughout the book, more advanced concepts are introduced where necessary, such as in discussions of tank filling and cleaning methods.

Intended to bridge the gap between recommended practice and the general literature on static electricity, the author has added a large amount of original material either derived from the critical review or taken from more than 20 years of personal experience.