The explosion of powders is a more or less harmful event caused by a violent combustion reaction of an explosive powder. Five factors (also referred to as the explosion pentagon) must be present to create this event: oxidizer (generally this is the oxygen in the air), combustible powder, confined environment, ignition source, and suspended particles. The explosive property is determined by the chemical and physical characteristics of the powders and by environmental conditions.
The European legislation that controls the risks related to this phenomenon is ATEX and requires all employers to conduct an assessment of the explosion risks in the company in order to identify all the places where explosive atmospheres may form and consequently be able to equip themselves with means and tools to prevent explosions of powders.
