Is there any possibility of an FCC catalyst dust explosion in confined space because of static charge?
Answers
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23/02/2011
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A:
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Alan Goelzer, Jacobs Consultancy, alan.goelzer@jacobs.com
This is a new one for me---so I can NOT be 100% positive.
FCC catalyst dust [even if spent catalyst from the reactor] is almost all inorganic minerals [over 99 wt%] Combustion potential at / near ambient temperatures is essentially nil.
I believe that this means that a dust cloud combustion incident [dust explosion] is unlikely in the absence of additional fuel gases at or above the lower combustion value.
Most of the catalyst dust should be larger than 10 microns although also less than 100 microns. This means that the catalyst dust is not particularly desirable if breathed. Only small amounts should be PM2.5 and smaller with potential for adverse deep lung penetration.
None-the-less, dust levels in any confined space should be mitigated by aggressive ventilation.
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