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Kice Industries, Inc.
FLT-M03-0002
012420
Combustible Dusts and Explosion Protection
Many fine dusts collected by filters are combustible. Most dusts can catch fire if three components are
present: fuel, ignition source and oxygen. Dust is the fuel, a spark or flame may provide the ignition
source, and air provides the oxygen. The deflagration index (Kst) and the maximum deflagration
pressure (Pmax) of a particular dust will determine the violence of the fire and the amount of destructive
force that has to be vented from the filter. This information, provided by the operator, will be used to
calculate the number of explosion vents required for Kice Filters.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provided comprehensive guidelines and standards for
dealing with explosive dusts and fires. The following publications provide valuable information on fire
and explosion protection and can be helpful to insure your facility is properly equipped.
• NFPA 652 – Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust
• NFPA 61 - Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food
Processing Facilities
• NFPA 68 - Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting
• NFPA 69 - Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems
• NFPA 77 - Recommended Practice on Static Electricity
• NFPA 654 - Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing,
Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids
• NFPA 664 - Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and
Woodworking Facilities
This is not a comprehensive list of standards for all applications. These and other standards and
guidelines from the NFPA that may be applicable for your facility can be ordered or viewed at
http://www.nfpa.org.
General Information Continued