Pharmaceutical manufacturing, synthesis and areas handling solvents or powders
Synthesis, drying and granulation with solvents and powders need ATEX equipment for gas and dust zones that is easy to clean. Maffioletti supplies it.
In pharmaceutical production, hazardous areas are found in active ingredient synthesis, which uses solvents such as alcohols and acetone, in solvent stores and wherever powders are handled: milling, granulation, drying and blending. Vapours call for Zones 0, 1 and 2; for dusts, Zone 20 is typical inside mills, dryers and filters, Zone 21 around openings and charging points, and Zone 22 where dust escapes only in abnormal conditions.
Hybrid mixtures, such as solvent-wet powders during drying, are typical of the sector. Excipients such as lactose and starch are non-conductive Group IIIB dusts; for active ingredients, group and ignition temperatures depend on the substance.
We design and assemble custom Ex enclosures, junction boxes and control stations in-house, and the online configurator lets you prepare your request in a few steps. As an authorised partner of Pepperl+Fuchs, we help you choose sensors, barriers and HMIs.
Atex Italia supports you with consulting on area classification, training and inspections. Contact us to define the requirements for your production area.
The inside of a fluid bed dryer, where powder is kept in suspension during operation, is usually classified Zone 20; if the powder is wet with a flammable solvent, the vapour must also be considered as part of a hybrid mixture. The classification outside the dryer depends on openings, filters and how dust deposits are managed.
They are mixtures of combustible dust and flammable gas or vapour present at the same time, common when solvent-wet powders are dried. They can ignite at lower energies, even when the dust and the vapour are each below their own lower explosive limit, so they need a specific assessment.
It depends on the type: Type C FIBCs are conductive and must be earthed during filling and emptying, while Type D bags dissipate charge without an earth connection. Types A and B have restrictions in explosive atmospheres, so choose the type according to the zone and the substances present.