EcoAtex the first customized anti-static cages on the market
Electrostatic discharges are in first place among the causes of fires and explosions in air dedusting systems. Depending on the type of dust present and in certain environmental conditions, the electrostatic discharge can generate enough energy for a trigger with severe consequences for the system and the people present.
Single or multiple electrostatic discharges are generated by the presence of insulators (bag filters) and coupled conductors (filter cages and tube plates).
It is not always possible to ground all the elements of the filtering machine with the same equipotential.
Bag filter cages are made of steel and are therefore conductors of electrical current.
In the contact and detachment between insulation and conductors, any charges present could trigger a dangerous spark.
The solution proposed by CleanAir Europe, the EcoAtex filter cages, allows to reduce the electrostatic risk to a minimum without having to connect each filter cage to the ground, through an anti-static and static dissipative characteristic of the filter cage itself, superficially treated with a treatment aimed at giving the best class of surface resistivity for a gradual transmission to earth of the charges eventually transferred to the filter cage.
A special marking and the declaration of conformity to the Atex Community Directive complete the offer.
Advantages
No spark
Sparks, single or multiple, cause fires and explosions in filtering machines in environments with explosive or particularly dusty gases. EcoAtex avoids the formation of sparks caused by sudden electrostatic discharges.
No flame
EcoAtex is a good thermal insulator, yields surface overheating, maintains its physical characteristics at higher temperatures than epoxy painting or galvanizing. Reduces the risk of flames originating from rubbing or vibration.
No discharge
EcoAtex engineers have studied the best class of surface resistivity of current to avoid the deposition of electrostatic charges on the surface of the cages and allow their slow discharge to the ground.
Universal
EcoAtex is versatile and increases the safety of the filter in any condition, in combination with any type of filter bags, antistatic or insulating once, providing the best path towards a slow discharge to earth of any unwanted current.
No rust
Metal rust could cause the bag filter and cage to break prematurely, stain and spoil the filter, and spread corrosion to other metal parts of the filter machine. Eco Atex is an excellent defense against rust.
Customized
Each filter system originally has a particular cage designed for that specific solution. With Eco Atex it is always possible to refit and adapt to the different structural types of cage requested. It is a customized product that can be made to measure for the customer.
Surface resistance class (ohm square)
EcoAtex is positioned along the following scale on the border between anti-static behaviour (collects few charges) and static dissipative (discharges them slowly to the ground)
Towards a protected electrostatic area
The graph on the side highlights the four areas of use of the cage in dedusting systems in conjunction with the bag filter. With or without an antistatic bag filter, the EcoAtex cage moves to a safer electrical area reducing the risk of a high potential discharge.
Towards a better energy performance
It is well known that charges of an electrostatic nature tend to form and strengthen in contact between distant elements in the triboelectric scale of materials. The treatment based on EcoAtex epoxy resins reduces the distance in the series compared to bare steel and therefore the collection of the charge in contact with the materials most often used for bag filters such as polyester, polypropylene, PTFE, the Polyimide. Less charge means less adhesion of the dust to the textile filter and consequently less use of the compressor and therefore less energy consumption.
For an analysis of the complete triboelectric series of polymers see:
Journal of electrostatics 62 (2004) 277-290 by a.F.Diaz and R.M. Felix -Navarro.
Resistance to pollutants
In this table we report qualitative indications of the resistance of EcoAtex to the main polluting chemical species normally present in the filter chambers. With the exception of hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids for which it is appropriate to monitor the concentrations, EcoAtex resists all the substances mentioned very effectively.
Degradation of treatment and behavior in temperature
The graph shows how the surface resistivity (10^ ohm square) decreases as the temperature increases and over time, however, remaining within the useful range to guarantee the antistatic characteristic, at least until the corrosion protection layer is sufficient to protect against rust.
EcoAtex an ecological label with a low environmental impact
EcoAtex is a green label according to ISO 14021.
Thanks to the cataphoresis treatment, it prolongs the life of the product over time and consequently reduces the amount of waste. The energy used for the production of the EcoAtex filter cages comes mainly from renewable energy sources. The footprint of the cataphoresis process is among the lowest possible for surface painting treatments.
The Atex marking
In compliance with the directive, the EcoAtex drum is marked Ce and Atex with a special metal plate which also indicates by means of the envisaged coding: the zones classified for use (example II 3D, zone 22), the temperature ranges (example T2), the means of containment (example m), the traceability references of the batch, the name and address of the manufacturer.
Each Atex filter cage is individually identified.
