Preventing dust explosions in sugar production, handling
Careful attention to prevention, mitigation and isolation will ensure the protection of both personnel and plant while limiting the potential for preventable business interruptions
Sugar is combustible and therefore presents an explosion hazard when it is finely divided and dispersed as a dust cloud in air. All that is needed is an ignition source.
Sugar fines from the handling of crystalline sugar can trigger an explosion. The finer the sugar, the greater the risk. So, confectioner/powdered sugar (i.e.- 10X), which has a particle size in the order of 60 microns, can be a particular hazard. The milling of the sugar to achieve this fine particle size presents a potential ignition source as well.