SDS

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FOR AN EXPLOSION TO OCCUR, FOUR CONDITIONS MUST EXIST: FIRST, OXYGEN MUST BE PRESENT.
SECOND, THERE MUST BE AN IGNITION SOURCE (E.G. ELECTRICAL SHORT, SPARKS, ETC.). THIRD,
THERE MUST BE FUEL (E.G. GRAIN DUST IN SUSPENSION). FOURTH, THERE MUST BE CONTAINMENT
OF SUSPENDED GRAIN DUST (I.E. SILO, VESSEL, ETC.). ALTHOUGH AN EXPLOSION WILL NOT OCCUR IF
THERE IS NO CONTAINMENT, THE DUST CAN STILL IGNITE, RESULTING IN A FIRE.
AS NOTED EXPLOSIONS ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE CONCENTRATION OF THE FUEL (E.G. GRAIN DUST
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR. THE MINIMUM EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION (MEC) FOR GRAIN DUST IS
AROUND 55 G/M3 THE MEC VARIES ACCORDING TO THE PARTICLE SIZE AND CALORIC PROPERTIES OF
THE PRODUCT. IN ADDITION, THE SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS OF THE GRAIN DUST WILL AFFECT THE
MEC. THEREFORE, THE LISTED MEC RANGE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THE FOLLOWING INSERT TAKEN FROM "PREVENTING GRAIN DUST EXPLOSIONS" EXPLAINS
EXPLOSIVE LIMITS FOR GRAIN DUST:
"A TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY DUST CONTROL SCIENTIST SUGGESTS THAT THE MEC RANGE IS ABOUT 50 TO
150 GRAMS PER CUBIC METER, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DUST AND THE SIZE OF PARTICLES
(PARNELL, 1998). THIS EQUATES TO THE SAME MEC LEVEL USED BY THE NATIONAL GRAIN AND FEED
ASSOCIATION (NGFA). NGFA STATES THAT THE BROAD, GENERALLY ACCEPTED MEC FOR GRAIN DUST
EXPLOSIONS IS ABOUT 0.05 OUNCES PER CUBIC FOOT OF VOLUME. IT SAYS THAT THE OPTIMUM
EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION (DEC) IS ABOUT 0.5 TO 1.0 OUNCES PER CUBIC FOOT - ABOUT 10 TIMES THE
MEC (GILLIS, 1985, P. 43)."
ODOR: NO DISTINCT ODOR (OUT-OF-CONDITION PRODUCTS MAY BE SOUR OR MUSTY)
VAPOR PRESSURE: N/A ODOR THRESHOLD: N/A VAPOR DENSITY: N/A
PH: N/A MELTING POINT/FREEZING POINT: N/A
SOLUBILITY(IES): N/A INITIAL BOILING POINT AND BOILING RANGE: N/A
PARTITION COEFFICIENT N-OCTANOL/WATER: N/A
FLASH POINT: N/A AUTO-IGNITION TEMPERATURE: N/A
EVAPORATION RATE: N/A DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE: N/A
SECTION 10: STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
STABILITY: CONDITION TO AVOID: DISPERSING DUST IN AIR, ABOVE MEC, AND EXPOSURE TO
POTENTIAL IGNITION SOURCES STABLE: X
INCOMPATIBILITY (MATERIALS TO AVOID): NONE KNOWN
HAZARDOUS DECOMPOSITION OR BYPRODUCTS: CO2 H2S AND OXYGEN DEFICIENT ATMOSPHERE
UNDER IMPROPER STORAGE CONDITIONS.
HAZARDOUS POLYMERIZATION: CONDITION TO AVOID: N/A
WILL NOT OCCUR: X
REACTIVITY:
SECTION 11: TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: INHALATION: X SKIN: X EYES: X INGESTION: UNLIKELY
CARCINOGENICITY: NTP: NO ARC MONOGRAPHS: NO OSHA REGULATED: NO
ACUTE: MAY BE MECHANICAL IRRITANT TO SKIN AND EYES. EXCESSIVE INHALATION OF GRAIN DUSTS
MAY AFFECT THE NOSE, THROAT, AND LUNGS.
CHRONIC: REPEATED AND PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO GRAIN DUSTS MAY AFFECT THE RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM OR CAUSE SENSITIZATION. SMOKERS HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF RESPIRATORY EFFECTS.