Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies
Polymers and their processing by engineering production technologies (injection, molding or additive manufacturing) are increasingly being used. Polymers used in engineering production technologies are constantly being developed and their properties are being improved. Granulometry, X-ray, FTIR and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4203 |
| _version_ | 1797631430146129920 |
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| author | Richard Kuracina Zuzana Szabová Eva Buranská László Kosár Peter Rantuch Lenka Blinová Dagmar Měřínská Peter Gogola František Jurina |
| author_facet | Richard Kuracina Zuzana Szabová Eva Buranská László Kosár Peter Rantuch Lenka Blinová Dagmar Měřínská Peter Gogola František Jurina |
| author_sort | Richard Kuracina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polymers and their processing by engineering production technologies (injection, molding or additive manufacturing) are increasingly being used. Polymers used in engineering production technologies are constantly being developed and their properties are being improved. Granulometry, X-ray, FTIR and TGA were used to characterize polymer samples. Determination of the fire parameters of powder samples of polyamide (PA) 12, polypropylene, and ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene is the subject of the current article. An explosive atmosphere can be created by the powder form of these polymer materials, and introduction of preventive safeguards to ensure safety is required for their use. Although the fire parameters of these basic types of polymers are available in databases (e.g., GESTIS-DustEx), our results showed that one of the samples used (polypropylene) was not flammable and thus is safe for use in terms of explosiveness. Two samples were flammable and explosive. The lower explosive limit was 30 g·m<sup>−3</sup> (PA12) and 60 g·m<sup>−3</sup> (UHMW polyethylene). The maximum explosion pressure of the samples was 6.47 (UHMW polyethylene) and 6.76 bar (PA12). The explosion constant, K<sub>st</sub>, of the samples was 116.6 bar·m·s<sup>−1</sup> (PA12) and 97.1 bar·m·s<sup>−1</sup> (UHMW polyethylene). Therefore, when using polymers in production technologies, it is necessary to know their fire parameters, and to design effective explosion prevention (e.g., ventilation, explosive-proof material, etc.) measures for flammable and explosive polymers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e8edb405a324ad9a5e2d1124bbd08c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e8edb405a324ad9a5e2d1124bbd08c12023-11-10T15:10:32ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-10-011521420310.3390/polym15214203Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production TechnologiesRichard Kuracina0Zuzana Szabová1Eva Buranská2László Kosár3Peter Rantuch4Lenka Blinová5Dagmar Měřínská6Peter Gogola7František Jurina8Institute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Integral Safety in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaDepartment of Production Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Vavrečkova 5669, CZ-760 01 Zlín, Czech RepublicInstitute of Materials in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaInstitute of Production Technologies in Trnava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ul. Jána Bottu 2781/25, SK-917 24 Trnava, SlovakiaPolymers and their processing by engineering production technologies (injection, molding or additive manufacturing) are increasingly being used. Polymers used in engineering production technologies are constantly being developed and their properties are being improved. Granulometry, X-ray, FTIR and TGA were used to characterize polymer samples. Determination of the fire parameters of powder samples of polyamide (PA) 12, polypropylene, and ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene is the subject of the current article. An explosive atmosphere can be created by the powder form of these polymer materials, and introduction of preventive safeguards to ensure safety is required for their use. Although the fire parameters of these basic types of polymers are available in databases (e.g., GESTIS-DustEx), our results showed that one of the samples used (polypropylene) was not flammable and thus is safe for use in terms of explosiveness. Two samples were flammable and explosive. The lower explosive limit was 30 g·m<sup>−3</sup> (PA12) and 60 g·m<sup>−3</sup> (UHMW polyethylene). The maximum explosion pressure of the samples was 6.47 (UHMW polyethylene) and 6.76 bar (PA12). The explosion constant, K<sub>st</sub>, of the samples was 116.6 bar·m·s<sup>−1</sup> (PA12) and 97.1 bar·m·s<sup>−1</sup> (UHMW polyethylene). Therefore, when using polymers in production technologies, it is necessary to know their fire parameters, and to design effective explosion prevention (e.g., ventilation, explosive-proof material, etc.) measures for flammable and explosive polymers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4203polyamidepolypropyleneUHMW polyethylenedust explosionhazard |
| spellingShingle | Richard Kuracina Zuzana Szabová Eva Buranská László Kosár Peter Rantuch Lenka Blinová Dagmar Měřínská Peter Gogola František Jurina Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies Polymers polyamide polypropylene UHMW polyethylene dust explosion hazard |
| title | Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies |
| title_full | Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies |
| title_fullStr | Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies |
| title_short | Study into the Fire and Explosion Characteristics of Polymer Powders Used in Engineering Production Technologies |
| title_sort | study into the fire and explosion characteristics of polymer powders used in engineering production technologies |
| topic | polyamide polypropylene UHMW polyethylene dust explosion hazard |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4203 |
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