Non-sparking materials?

[JasonLouie]

Hello,
I have also posted this in the Pump engineering forum.
Would somebody be able to tell me if ductile iron and stainless steels are considered to be "non-sparking" materials? Our pump data sheet calls for non-sparking materials but the listed materials are A 536 (ductile iron) and 17-4 PH stainless steel.

I appreciate any help you can provide!

 

[Mr168]

Are any other materials listed? I see the two routinely used in "non-sparking" specifications if brass, Cu-Be alloys, etc are also included. Ductile/galvanized or ductile/SS without anything else is what I usually see if non-sparking is not specified.

 

[JasonLouie]

Mr168,
Thank you for your response. The pumps were requested to have all non-sparking materials for the process-wetted components. The rotor and casing were specified to be ductile iron and the shaft to be 1045 steel.

The vendor came back with A 216 (WCB) rotor and A 105 casing with 17-4 PH shaft. I have been just told that the shaft will not see the process fluid, so I guess it's just the rotor and the casing which need to be non-sparking. I do not know what the materials are of the other components.

I would have thought that any iron based materials would NOT be considered as non-sparking, therefore all these listed materials would not be suitable (ductile iron, 1045 steel, carbon steel, and 17-4 PH steel). Can ductile iron be considered non-sparking, if I do not know what the materials of construction of the other components are?

 

[rconner]

I would think just about everything could "spark" in some fashion, given some conditions e.g. see

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/flammable_static.html

(However, I guess there should be some standard explaining exactly what kind of cvoltage/current/spark, grounding conditions etc. may be involved in the application and how they must be resisted )?

 

[mshimko]

Almost nothing is "non-sparking". One company conducts tests to determine what kinetic energy (i.e. a fall from what height) can produce significant sparking, and designs/guidance are prepared accordingly.

 

[coatingengineer]

Hi.

'Sparks' are produced from friction, ejection of loosely-held electrons. Surely, that includes metals.

Which surfaces need to be spark-proof? For overhead crane-lifts calling for similar requirements, epoxy paints can work well.

Good luck!



William Gunnar

http://www.IndustrialCoatingsWorld.com