Ovens are a key part of any laboratory with a broad range of applications ranging from glassware drying, heat treatment, material testing, heated storage etc. However, for heating and drying in the presence of flammable solvents, ovens with specific safety features are required to address these safety hazards.
Examples of such applications include:
Drying of lacquers and paints, e.g. for testing or quality control
Drying processes with presence of flammable components in development, testing or production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
Drying or heat treating of electronics or metal parts; solvents are often used for cleaning purposes or in production steps
The Fire Triangle:
The fire triangle illustrates the three conditions that are required to cause fire or explosion:
There must be a fuel (the flammable gas or vapor, or combustible dust) in ignitible quantities
There must be an ignition source (energy in the form of heat or a spark) of sufficient energy to cause ignition, and
There must be oxygen, usually the oxygen in the air
Remove any one or more of these three and a fire or explosion cannot occur.
Temperature classification (also known as temperature class, or T class) defines the maximum surface temperature that a product destined for use in a potentially hazardous atmosphere is allowed to operate at, relative to an ambient temperature of -20°C to +40°C. The higher the temperature class, the lower is this maximum surface temperature.
Why is temperature class important?
Temperature classification (also known as temperature class, or T class) defines the maximum surface temperature that a product destined for use in a potentially hazardous atmosphere is allowed to operate at, relative to an ambient temperature of -20°C to +40°C. The higher the temperature class, the lower is this maximum surface temperature.
All flammable gases have an auto-ignition temperature. If a flammable mixture of the gas is exposed to a component above the auto-ignition temperature then the mixture will ignite. Therefore, when selecting equipment, the temperature class must be below the auto-ignition temperature of the potentially explosive atmosphere where it will be installed.
If several different flammable materials may be present within a particular area, the material that gives the lowest auto ignition temperature dictates the overall area classification, and hence T-class.
The table below shows the maximum application temperature of the different ovens for flammable solvents, based on temperature class of the solvent used.
Operator's responsibilities:
Determine temperature class of solvent, and ensure the type of solvent can be handled by the oven.
Ensure the temperature setting is not too high, based on type of solvent.
Calculate admissible amount of solvents (based on standard EN1539) and ensure it's not exceeded.
Verify the inert gas container for emergency inertisation is full and properly connected
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Ovens are a key part of any laboratory with a broad range of applications ranging from glassware drying, heat treatment, material testing, heated storage etc. However, for heating and drying in the presence of flammable solvents, ovens with specific safety features are required to address these safety hazards.
Examples of such applications include:
- Drying of lacquers and paints, e.g. for testing or quality control
- Drying processes with presence of flammable components in development, testing or production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
- Drying or heat treating of electronics or metal parts; solvents are often used for cleaning purposes or in production steps
The Fire Triangle:The fire triangle illustrates the three conditions that are required to cause fire or explosion:
Remove any one or more of these three and a fire or explosion cannot occur.
Temperature classification (also known as temperature class, or T class) defines the maximum surface temperature that a product destined for use in a potentially hazardous atmosphere is allowed to operate at, relative to an ambient temperature of -20°C to +40°C. The higher the temperature class, the lower is this maximum surface temperature.
Why is temperature class important?Temperature classification (also known as temperature class, or T class) defines the maximum surface temperature that a product destined for use in a potentially hazardous atmosphere is allowed to operate at, relative to an ambient temperature of -20°C to +40°C. The higher the temperature class, the lower is this maximum surface temperature.
All flammable gases have an auto-ignition temperature. If a flammable mixture of the gas is exposed to a component above the auto-ignition temperature then the mixture will ignite. Therefore, when selecting equipment, the temperature class must be below the auto-ignition temperature of the potentially explosive atmosphere where it will be installed.
If several different flammable materials may be present within a particular area, the material that gives the lowest auto ignition temperature dictates the overall area classification, and hence T-class.
The table below shows the maximum application temperature of the different ovens for flammable solvents, based on temperature class of the solvent used.
Operator's responsibilities:
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