ASTM E2931-13
(Test Method)Standard Test Method for Limiting Oxygen (Oxidant) Concentration of Combustible Dust Clouds
Standard Test Method for Limiting Oxygen (Oxidant) Concentration of Combustible Dust Clouds
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method provides a procedure for performing laboratory tests to evaluate relative deflagration parameters of dusts.
5.2 Knowledge of the limiting oxygen (oxidant) concentration is needed for safe operation of some chemical processes. This information may be needed in order to start up, shut down or operate a process while avoiding the creation of flammable dust-gas atmospheres therein, or to pneumatically transport materials safely. NFPA 69 provides guidance for the practical use of LOC data, including the appropriate safety margin to use.
5.3 Since the LOC as measured by this method may vary with the energy of the ignitor and the propagation criteria, the LOC should be considered a relative rather than absolute measurement.
5.4 If too weak an ignition source is used, the measured LOC would be higher than the “true” value and would not be sufficiently conservative. This is an ignitability limit rather than a flammability limit, and the test could be described as “underdriven.” Ideally, the ignition energy is increased until the measured LOC is independent of ignition energy (that is, the “true” value). However, at some point the ignition energy may become too strong for the size of the test chamber, and the system becomes “overdriven.” When the ignitor flame becomes too large relative to the chamber volume, a test could appear to result in an explosion, while it is actually just dust burning in the ignitor flame with no real propagation beyond the ignitor (1-3).5 This LOC value would be overly conservative.
5.5 The recommended ignition source for measuring the LOC of dusts in 20-L chambers is a 2500-J pyrotechnic ignitor.6 This ignitor contains 0.6 g of a powder mixture of 40 % zirconium, 30 % barium nitrate, and 30 % barium peroxide. Measuring the LOC at several ignition energies will provide information on the possible overdriving of the system to evaluate the effect of possible overdriving in a 20-L chamber, comparison tests may also be m...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is designed to determine the limiting oxygen concentration of a combustible dust dispersed in a mixture of air with an inert/nonflammable gas in a near-spherical closed vessel of 20 L or greater volume.
1.2 Data obtained from this method provide a relative measure of the deflagration characteristics of dust clouds.
1.3 This test method should be used to measure and describe the properties of materials in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to describe or appraise the fire hazard or fire risk of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions. However, results of this test may be used as elements of a fire risk assessment that takes into account all of the factors that are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard of a particular end use.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautionary statements are given in Section 8.
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Designation:E2931 −13
Standard Test Method for
Limiting Oxygen (Oxidant) Concentration of Combustible
1
Dust Clouds
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2931; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
1.1 This test method is designed to determine the limiting
E177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in
oxygen concentration of a combustible dust dispersed in a
ASTM Test Methods
mixture of air with an inert/nonflammable gas in a near-
E1226 Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds
spherical closed vessel of 20 L or greater volume.
E1515 Test Method for Minimum Explosible Concentration
1.2 Data obtained from this method provide a relative
of Combustible Dusts
measure of the deflagration characteristics of dust clouds.
E2079 Test Methods for Limiting Oxygen (Oxidant) Con-
1.3 Thistestmethodshouldbeusedtomeasureanddescribe centration in Gases and Vapors
3
the properties of materials in response to heat and flame under
2.2 NFPA Publications:
controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to
NFPA 69 Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems
4
describe or appraise the fire hazard or fire risk of materials,
2.3 CEN/CENELEC Publications:
products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions. However,
EN 14034–4 Determination of the explosion characteristics
results of this test may be used as elements of a fire risk
of dust clouds—Part 4: Determination of the limiting
assessment that takes into account all of the factors that are
oxygen concentration LOC of dust clouds
pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard of a particular end
use.
3. Terminology
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
3.1.1 dust concentration—the mass of dust divided by the
standard.
internal volume of the test chamber.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.2 limit of flammability—the boundary in composition
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
space dividing flammable and nonflammable regions.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
3.1.3 limiting oxygen (oxidant) concentration (LOC) of a
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
fuel-oxidant-inert system—the oxygen (oxidant) concentration
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precau-
atthelimitofflammabilityfortheworstcase(mostflammable)
tionary statements are given in Section 8.
fuel concentration.
3.1.3.1 Discussion—The Limiting Oxygen (oxidant) Con-
2. Referenced Documents
centration is sometimes also known as Minimum Oxygen
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
(oxidant) Concentration or as Critical Oxygen (oxidant) Con-
D3173 Test Method for Moisture in the Analysis Sample of
centration.
Coal and Coke
3.1.4 P —the absolute pressure at the time the ignitor
ignition
D3175 Test Method for Volatile Matter in the Analysis
is activated, see Fig. 1.
Sample of Coal and Coke
3.1.5 ∆P —the pressure rise in the chamber due to the
ignitor
ignitor by itself in air at atmospheric pressure.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E27 on Hazard
3.1.6 P —the maximum explosion pressure (absolute)
ex,a
Potential of Chemicals and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E27.05 on
reached during the course of a single deflagration test.
Explosibility and Ignitability of Dust Clouds.
Current edition approved June 1, 2013. Published July 2013. DOI: 10.1520/
E2931-13.
2 3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or Available from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471, http://www.nfpa.org.
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Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from European Committee for Standardization (CEN), Avenue
the ASTM website. Marnix 17, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium, http://www.cen.eu.
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E2931−13
sufficientlyconservative.Thisisanignitabilitylimitratherthan
a flammability limit, and the test could be described as
“underdriven.” Ideally, the ignition energy is increased until
the measured LOC is independent of ignition energy (that is,
the “true” value). However, at some point the ign
...
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