SAFETYINSTRUCTIONSFORHANDLINGANDPROCESSINGALUMINIUMPOWDERJune20072Theinformationprovidedherehasbeencheckedcarefullyandtothebestofourknowledgeandbeliefiscorrect;nevertheless,weacceptnoresponsibilityforit.Checkingwhetherrecommendationshavebeencorrectlyimplementedisoutsideourcontrol.Thisistheresponsibilityoftheuser.Anyliabilityonourpartwhatsoeverisherebyexpresslyexcluded.AmBonneshof540474DüsseldorfPostfach10546340045DüsseldorfTel.:+492114796–0Fax:+492114796–408www.aluinfo.de3SAFETYINSTRUCTIONSFORHANDLINGANDPROCESSINGALUMINIUMPOWDERCONTENTI.CharacteristicsofaluminiumpowdersandtheirhazardpotentialII.Storage,handlingandprotectiveequipmentIII.CausesoffiresandexplosionsandhowtoavoidthemIV.Measurestobetakenincaseofspillage,accidentsandfirefightingV.OtherinstructionsandcharacteristicsAppendix:GlossaryandBibliography4INTRODUCTIONAluminiumpowdercanbesafelytransported,storedandprocessedifafewbasicsafetyinstructionsarefollowed,asdetailed,forexample,intherelevantmaterialsafetysheet.Nevertheless,aswhendealingwithcombustiblepowdersingeneral,theprocessingofaluminiumpowdersinvolvesaresidualriskthatisoftenunderestimated.Apreciseknowledgeofthespecificpropertiesofaluminiumpowderandsafetymeasuresthattaketheseintoaccountallowsthisrisktobeminimisedandpermitthematerialtobehandledsafely.Thisbrochuregivesanoverviewofthecausesofsafetyrisksandhowtoavoidthem,andprovidesinformationonthecorrectwaytohandlealuminiumpowders.Itisaimedmainlyatthemanufacturersofpowdercoatings,whoincorporatealuminiumpowderinmetal-effectpowdercoatingsandallotherusersthathavetodealwithpurealuminiumpowdersorpowdermixtureswithahighaluminiumcontent.Thebrochureisnotaimedatusersofdry-blendedorbondedmetallicpowdercoatingswithanaluminiumpowdercontentlessthan10%whereonecanruleoutthattherewillnotbeanyenrichmentofthealuminiumpowdercontentabovethisfigureduringprocessingorintheresultantproducts,asinsuchcasestheriskisduetothemaincomponentsoftherespectivemixture(seeGlossary:PTB-BerichtW50).Thesesafetyinstructionsrelatetothehandlingofaluminiumpowdersingeneralandthusalsoincludeothermethodsofprocessingaluminiumpigmentpowders.TheyarestronglyorientedtowardstheexistingGermanlegislationforaluminiumpowdermanufacturers.Bycontrast,experiencegainedbyusershandlingdesensitised/stabilisedaluminiumpowdershasalreadyshownthatthereisasignificantreductioninthehazardpotential.Regardlessofthis,however,itisimperativethatoneregardsthesesafetyinstructionsasthecurrentbestpracticeofGermanaluminium-pigmentmanufacturersandasarecommendationforthesafestwayofdealingwithaluminiumpowders.5I.CHARACTERISTICSOFALUMINIUMPOWDERSANDTHEIRHAZARDPOTENTIALWhatarethemostimportantpropertiesofaluminiumpowderforcorrectlyassessingthehazardpotential?•Aluminiumpowderiscombustibleandclassifiedasbeingflammable.•Mixturesofaluminiumpowderandairareignitableoverawiderangeofconcentrationsandcancauseviolentdustexplosions.•Highlyflammablehydrogencanformoncontactwithwaterorotherchemicalsandpresentanadditionalriskofexplosion,andpossiblyberesponsibleforcausingasecondarydustexplosion.•Thestrongelectrostaticchargeonaluminiumpowdercanleadtoelectricaldischarges,whichcanpossiblyigniteacloudofaluminiumdust.Fig.1Examplesofelectrostaticcharges[1]left:metaldrumoninsulatedbase/right:personwithinsulatedfootwearHowstableandhowreactiveisaluminiumpowder?•Whenaluminiumpowderburns,aluminiumoxideisproduced.Noh...
