With the continuous expansion of warehousing functions and scale, and the widespread application of FIBCs in bulk packaging, the control and prevention of static electricity hazards in packaged goods has attracted great attention. To strictly control quality, gain a larger market share, and ensure the safety of cargo transportation, understanding the static electricity hazards and prevention knowledge of FIBCs in warehousing is crucial. While the hazards of static electricity are a major concern in the packaging industry, their prevention remains a weak link in the storage and transportation of packaged goods.
Static electricity is mainly generated for two reasons:
One is internal causes, namely the conductivity of the material;
The other is external causes, namely, friction, rolling, and impact between materials. Many commodity packagings have internal conditions that generate static electricity. Furthermore, handling, stacking, and covering operations are inseparable from warehousing. Therefore, friction, rolling, and impact between packages are inevitable.
To avoid static electricity in FIBCs, FIBC manufacturers have summarized the following suggestions:
1. Packaging materials should be kept as free of static electricity as possible.
For example, when handling flammable liquids, excessive shaking within the packaging drums should be limited, loading and unloading methods should be controlled to prevent leakage and mixing of different oils, and water should be prevented from entering the steel drums.
2. Take measures to dissipate static electricity as quickly as possible and avoid accumulation.
For example, install good grounding devices on handling equipment, increase the relative humidity of the workplace, lay conductive flooring, and spray conductive coatings on certain tools.
3. Add a certain amount of counter-charge to charged bodies to prevent static electricity from rising (e.g., using inductive static neutralizers).
4. In some cases, static electricity accumulation is unavoidable, and the static voltage rises rapidly, even generating static sparks. In this case, measures should be taken to ensure that although the static electricity discharges, it will not cause an explosion. For example, inert gas should be filled into the storage space for flammable liquids, and alarm devices and exhaust systems should be installed to prevent flammable gases or dust in the air from reaching their explosive limits.
5. In chemical hazardous materials storage areas, and in fire and explosion hazard areas where workers wear conductive shoes and anti-static work clothes, static electricity on the human body should be eliminated promptly. During transportation, static electricity hazards associated with ton bags and the use of anti-static container bags can generate static electricity, regardless of whether the material is powder, fine particles, or granular.