What is Exproof?
Exproof is an abbreviation for “Explosion Proof.” It is translated into Turkish as “Alev Sızdırmaz.”
These are specialized products used for safety purposes to prevent explosions in work environments containing hazardous and explosive materials, such as oil and petroleum product facilities, refineries, gas stations, and loading yards, as well as coal mines, the iron and steel industry, and sugar and flour mills.
In the work environments mentioned above, gases leaking from the plant process can mix with the atmosphere and create an explosive atmosphere. When standard electrical devices are in operation, the static heat they generate and the arcs they produce during operation can create a hazard in the area, potentially causing an explosion that endangers personal safety. Due to this hazard, the electrical equipment used in hazardous facilities is different.
These materials are subject to specific international standards. They are designed in accordance with Directive 2019/34/EU and the EN 60079 standard. Products manufactured in compliance with these standards are designed with numerous details, including flame paths, impact resistance, flame-retardant properties, and specific protection types. After undergoing a rigorous testing process by accredited organizations, they are certified with ATEX/IECEx certificates.
In our country, the requirement to use explosion-proof materials in facilities with an explosion risk was published in the Official Gazette No. 26392 dated December 30, 2006; manufacturers, sellers, and organizations required to use such materials are subject to inspection by the Ministry of Industry. According to this regulation, all explosion-proof materials to be used must be ATEX (ATmosphere EXplosive) certified. The use of materials that do not comply with this requirement is not only unsafe but would also constitute a violation of the European Union’s Directives 94/9/EC and 1999/92/EC, as well as the aforementioned regulation and the “Regulation on the Protection of Workers from the Hazards of Explosive Atmospheres” published in the Official Gazette No. 25328 dated December 26, 2003.
What Is an Explosive Atmosphere?
An explosive atmosphere refers to areas where explosive, flammable, or combustible gases, dust, or vapors mix with air, creating a risk of explosion. An explosive atmosphere consists of three elements, which are:
- Explosive substances, explosives, flammable and combustible gases, vapors, or dust
- Oxygen
- Energy (spark)
Read our article on the classification of hazardous environments: https://zonex.com.tr/tehlikeli-bolge-siniflandirmalari-zone/
Industrial processes typically use, process, and/or store substances in the form of gases, vapors, mists, or dust that could create hazardous atmospheres if released into the environment.
ATEX stands for "ATmosphere Explosive."
To prevent ignition in explosive atmospheres, explosion-protected electrical equipment must be manufactured in accordance with safety requirements.
