ABSTRACT
Accidental dust explosions often bring serious damages, which spread to wide area in a short moment. In order to take appropriate measures against dust explosions, it is indispensable to understand the phenomena of dust explosions. The condition of the gasified phase is determined by the volatility character of the dust. Flame propagation processes in octadecanol dust clouds with three different particle size distributions were recorded to reveal the effects of particle size distributions on flame structures. Dust explosion phenomenon is characterized by the sensitivity and severity parameters whose quantitative evaluation and interrelationship are required for designing adequate explosion safety measures. A weighed amount of combustible dust is placed in a dust sample container at the top of the temperature-controlled furnace with an open bottom. The minimum ignition temperature is the lowest temperature of a hot surface that will cause a dust cloud, rather than a dust layer, to ignite and propagate flame.
