Is spherical aluminum powder really classified as a hazardous material? When it comes to this issue, I believe many of you feel deeply concerned. After all, we’ve seen numerous news reports about explosions at aluminum powder chemical plants, resulting in multiple casualties. As a result, many people are now worried about the safety of spherical aluminum powder. So, is spherical aluminum powder indeed considered a hazardous material? Let’s let Xuyang’s editor guide you through a brief overview right now.
Is spherical aluminum powder really classified as a hazardous material? According to our editor, spherical aluminum powder is primarily produced by atomizing molten aluminum through a specialized process. It’s widely used in industries such as metal pigments, refractory materials, and chemicals, playing a crucial role across various sectors.
Before the editor answers whether spherical aluminum powder is classified as a hazardous material, we need to understand its characteristics. As we all know, spherical aluminum powder contains aluminum, which is chemically highly reactive and prone to undergoing chemical reactions with water and air. Therefore, during the production and storage of aluminum powder, special attention must be paid to safety issues—such as regularly inspecting products and equipment, and installing anti-static devices. In addition, the manufacturing process itself also plays a crucial role.
Spherical aluminum powder is classified under Class 4 of hazardous materials in the standard: flammable solids, spontaneously combustible substances, and substances that become flammable upon contact with moisture. Often, when people see videos of explosions at aluminum powder chemical plants, many of these incidents are traced back to airborne spherical aluminum powder. The process used to produce this airborne spherical aluminum powder is air atomization—a dry-process method that creates the final product through air-induced atomization. While this process boasts high production capacity and low costs, its major drawback lies in its poor safety profile. During manufacturing, aluminum powder tends to remain suspended in the air, often accompanied by static electricity. If the concentration reaches a critical level and comes into contact with even a tiny spark, an explosion can occur. In contrast, another production method yields aluminum powder created via nitrogen atomization—commonly known as "nitrogen-spherical aluminum powder." This wet-process technique employs a fully enclosed production system throughout, ensuring that inert gases continuously coat the powder particles, effectively eliminating the risk of explosions altogether. At Xuyang, all our spherical aluminum powder products are manufactured exclusively using the nitrogen atomization process, significantly reducing the likelihood of aluminum powder-related explosions.
As shown above, spherical aluminum powder is indeed classified as a hazardous material, but there's no need to be overly concerned—simply choose products from reputable manufacturers, and it remains safe to use.
That’s all for today’s topic: "Is Spherical Aluminum Powder Really a Hazardous Material?" We hope this information was helpful. Don’t forget to stay tuned—see you next time!
