Wet Scrubbers Can Help Prevent Fires and Explosions | Aerodyne
Preventing fire and explosion risks in industrial dust collection equipment
Wet scrubbers are used in industrial dust collection for a variety of reasons, one of which is to help prevent fires and explosions.
Wetting Particles Using Wet Scrubber
Since wet scrubbers use water to help with dust removal, their environments usually have a very high humidity. In this environment dust particles become wet, which helps prevent them from catching fire and/or exploding. Materials like wood have significantly different fire risks when wet versus dry.
As we see on the news, when there is a drought, there tend to be more forest fires around the country. The same logic applies to wet scrubbers. Spraying water on solids helps to prevent an explosion or fire, because wetting the particles makes it harder for them to combust. Wet scrubbers also help to inhibit any spark or fire that could cause an explosion.
Material Used vs. Wet Scrubber
If you are using a wet scrubber there are some things to keep in mind: some materials, such as alkali metals, will react with water and create potential explosion hazards. Other metals, like magnesium, can also cause fires and become combustible when they come in contact with water. Keep in mind that there should be a safeguard controls in place to monitor water in the wet scrubber system, because if it loses water, an explosive situation could quickly develop.
So when looking at an explosive application, wet scrubbing can often provide the right kind of dust removal– but not always. There are certain disadvantages of wet scrubbing that should be reviewed before determining if it is the right solution for your application.
To learn more about the right dust collection solutions for your application, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.dustcollectorhq.com.
To improve efficiency and safety, there is no substitute for an on-site inspection by an experienced expert. Click below to start with a free 20-minute phone consultation by clicking the button.
