Explosion Severity (Pmax & Kst) Testing
CONTACT USOur UK-based combustible dust testing laboratory generates explosion severity test data for your combustible dusts. This test generates useful data for any dust that can form a flammable atmosphere. It also determines maximum explosion pressure and provides four key values:
- Pmax – The greatest peak pressure achieved throughout a test series.
- dP/dtmax – The greatest achieved rate of explosion pressure rise.
- Kst – A dusts explosion severity.
- St Class – Classification of dusts into classes to help with selection of protective equipment (i.e. explosion suppression and vent sizing).
The Explosion Severity test will aid in characterising, preventing, protecting and mitigating combustible dust explosions.
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Frequently asked questions
What are your Standards & Schedule of Accreditation
BS EN 14034 parts 1 & 2 / ASTM E1226
What is the explosion severity (Pmax/Kst) test?
The explosion severity test is conducted to determine the maximum pressure (Pmax), maximum rate of pressure rise (dP/dt)max and the dust constant Kst value of an ignited combustible dust, dispersed in the air, as a dust cloud.
How does the explosion severity test work?
Working through a range of potentially combustible dust concentrations, powders are dispersed into a 20L explosion vessel (sphere) using dry compressed air. These suspended dust clouds are then exposed to a large 10 kJ chemical source of ignition and the following dust explosion pressure is monitored, measured, and recorded, using high-accuracy piezoelectric transducers.
Testing is conducted over a wide range of combustible dust powder concentrations that enable explosibility curves of Pm, dP/dt & Kst to be generated, along peak values.
What does explosion severity data do?
Data produced via the 20-Litre demonstrates what the maximum dust explosion pressure would be under optimum concentration.
What are the explosion severity test benefits?
Data generated by the explosion severity test is predominantly used for either the design of dust explosion protection systems (venting, containment, or suppression) or to confirm if a material is appropriate for processes within an established hazard protection system.