Non-sparking Materials

[Fred]

Our project consists of a system (like a gun) to fill a tank with hydrocarbure.

Thank you to give us any information about non-sparking materials : definitions, caracterisations, list of materials, surface treatements, specifications and normalisations.....

What do you think about material coupling like stainless steels-anodised aluminium

 

[CdotS]

I think Aluminium bronze (Cu-Al) is generally used in mining situations where wear resistance is required. You can also get other non-sparking materials in powder form, if you can coat your components by a thermal or plasma spraying method.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Beryllium alloys have been used for non-sparking tools. Here is a web site that may be of interest:

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/hand_tools/nonsparking.html

 

[unclesyd]

There is one caution that has to be considered when using nonsparking tools made of any material.
They are not always nonsparking.
If you happen to strike and steel or cast iron painted with Al paint you could get a spark or very hot particle to be emitted. If there is any iron oxide under the Al paint you get thermite reaction, very high temperature.
You can demonstrate this at night by lightly striking an Al painted steam trap with a glancing blow with a nonsparking tool.
I know of three incidents where this reaction caused a fire, one with butadiene, one with acrylic acid, and one with a monomer(dust) on a wall. All were flash fires only by favorable circumstances, not much fuel.