Combustible Dust Testing

Laboratory testing to quantify dust explosion and reactivity hazards

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Gas and Vapor

Laboratory testing to quantify explosion hazards for vapor and gas mixtures

UN-DOT
Classification of hazardous materials subject to shipping and storage regulations
Hydrogen
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Thermal Stability

Safe storage or processing requires an understanding of the possible hazards associated with sensitivity to variations in temperature

Adiabatic Calorimetry
Data demonstrate the consequences of process upsets, such as failed equipment or improper procedures, and guide mitigation strategies including Emergency Relief System (ERS) design
Reaction Calorimetry
Data yield heat and gas removal requirements to control the desired process chemistry
Battery Safety

Testing to support safe design of batteries and electrical power backup facilities particularly to satisfy UL9540a ed.4

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Cable Testing
Evaluate electrical cables to demonstrate reliability and identify defects or degradation
Equipment Qualification (EQ)
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Water Hammer
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent unwanted hydraulic pressure transients in process piping
Acoustic Vibration
Identify and eliminate potential sources of unwanted vibration in piping and structural systems
Gas & Air Intrusion
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent intrusion of gas or air in piping systems
ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the field of Testing

ISO 9001:2015
Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001:2015
Dust Hazards Analysis
Evaluate your process to identify combustible dust hazards and perform dust explosion testing
On-Site Risk Management
On-site safety studies can help identify explosibility and chemical reaction hazards so that appropriate testing, simulations, or calculations are identified to support safe scale up
DIERS Methodology
Design emergency pressure relief systems to mitigate the consequences of unwanted chemical reactivity and account for two-phase flow using the right tools and methods
Deflagrations (Dust/Vapor/Gas)

Properly size pressure relief vents to protect your processes from dust, vapor, and gas explosions

Effluent Handling

Pressure relief sizing is just the first step and it is critical to safely handle the effluent discharge from an overpressure event

FATE™ & Facility Modeling

FATE (Facility Flow, Aerosol, Thermal, and Explosion) is a flexible, fast-running code developed and maintained by Fauske and Associates under an ASME NQA-1 compliant QA program.

Mechanical, Piping, and Electrical
Engineering and testing to support safe plant operations and develop solutions to problems in heat transfer, fluid, flow, and electric power systems
Hydrogen Safety
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Thermal Hydraulics
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Nuclear Safety
Our Nuclear Services Group is recognized for comprehensive evaluations to help commercial nuclear power plants operate efficiently and stay compliant
Radioactive Waste
Safety analysis to underpin decomissioning process at facilities which have produced or used radioactive nuclear materials
Adiabatic Safety Calorimeters (ARSST and VSP2)

Low thermal inertial adiabatic calorimeters specially designed to provide directly scalable data that are critical to safe process design

Other Lab Equipment and Parts for the DSC/ARC/ARSST/VSP2 Calorimeters

Products and equipment for the process safety or process development laboratory

FERST

Software for emergency relief system design to ensure safe processing of reactive chemicals, including consideration of two-phase flow and runaway chemical reactions

FATE

Facility modeling software mechanistically tracks transport of heat, gasses, vapors, and aerosols for safety analysis of multi-room facilities

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Published May 1, 2023

FAI Flammability Testing

Ask Us About Testing

Video Transcript

This video will cover 5 flammability tests. When it’s over you’ll understand what the flammability tests are, why you need them, and how they relate to each other. The first thing we must understand is the FIRE TRIANGLE. Combustion cannot occur unless all three aspects of the triangle are present. Those three aspects are: Fuel, or any reducing material capable of being oxidized; Oxidant, or an oxidizing material capable of being reduced; And Ignition Source, an external source of energy. Most of these tests are dependent on these factors: Geometry, Strength of Ignition Source, Direction of Flame Propagation, Temperature, Pressure, Levels of Inerts/Oxidizers, Mixture Composition, and Vessel Size. It is important to test at conditions that are as close as possible to actual process conditions for the most applicable results. As we look at this graph:

FlammabilityGraph

We see how four of the five tests are related to each other as functions of temperature vs. fuel concentration. The remaining test will be discussed later in this video.

Vapor Pressure - Vapor pressure is the force applied by a vapor in equilibrium with its solid/liquid phase at a set temperature or range in a closed system. As temperature and vapor pressure increase, if the material is flammable, eventually there will be enough flammable vapors to create a potential fire hazard. Remember, liquids do not ignite, it’s the vapors of liquids that ignite. The threshold where a material becomes a flammable hazard is the Flash Point.

The Flash Point is the lowest temperature where the necessary vapor concentration has been reached that allows for the propagation of a flame when an ignition source is applied.

Flammability Limits - You’ve got your LFL and your UFL. The flammable region begins and ends between the two. In order to conduct an LFL, the chemical must have a flash point, and the temperature of the testing environment must be above it. Knowing these limits is valuable, because operating close to, but outside of them, maintains safety while also potentially keeping product yields high. Chapter 8 of NFPA 69 advises the permissible safety margin necessary when operating near the flammability limits. If operating outside of the flammable region is not possible, the oxidizer can be reduced to create an inert environment.

Limiting Oxidant Concentration - The limiting oxidant concentration is the minimum amount of an oxidant needed to support an ignition. Knowing the LOC helps determine proper inerting and purging procedures to maintain safety while remaining inside of the flammable region. Chapter 7 of NFPA 69 advises the permissible safety margin necessary when operating below the LOC.

Autoignition Temperature or (AIT) – Is the lowest temperature at which a gas or vapor will spontaneously ignite with heat acting as the ignition source. Knowing the AIT is important if chemicals are being handled or processed under elevated temperature conditions.

So there you have it! Now you understand what the flammability tests are, why you need them, and how they relate to each other. For more information, please contact flammability@fauske.com Thank you for watching!

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