粉塵之燃燒、爆炸與安全防護——以八仙樂園事件為例

Protecting Safety During Dust Fires and Dust Explosions- The Example of the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park Accident

本文探討彩色玉米粉之燃燒、爆炸特性和粉塵之火災爆炸安全防護，除對塵爆之五要素進行分析與說明外，亦對黃色、金黃色、粉紅色、紫色、橘色及綠色等六種顏色之玉米粉進行各項火災爆炸特性量測。從實驗中發現玉米粉塵不易被引燃，即使引燃也會立即熄滅。但若將其乾燥後，不但可被引燃且會持續燃燒，燃燒等級會由原先之2級變為5級。玉米浮塵著火溫度（燃點）約在385℃至405℃，其中以黃色燃點最高，粉紅色最低。各顏色玉米粉體不具衝擊敏感性，體積電阻係數都約為10^8Ω.m，屬非導電性粉塵。在打火機與香菸引燃之模擬中，前二火源之溫度都可將玉米粉浮塵引燃。最後探討塵爆預防措施:耐爆措施、洩爆措施、抑爆措施及爆炸隔離措施，且需配合教育訓練方能有效防制塵爆危害。期望本文能協助大眾對可燃性粉體之火災爆炸特性、塵爆發生原因，及塵爆之預防與控制有正確之認知。

This paper will explore the fire and explosion characteristics of cornstarch powder as well as strategies for protecting the safety of people who are involved a dust fire or dust explosion. We discuss the 5 elements of dust explosions and conduct tests to analyze the fire and explosion characteristics of differently colored powders (yellow, golden yellow, pink, purple, orange and green). The results show that, while all of the tested powders were difficult to ignite, low moisture content was associated with significantly greater risks of ignition and flame spread. We found the auto-ignition temperature (AIT) of air-borne cornstarch powder to be between 385℃ and 405℃, with yellow-colored cornstarch powder showing the highest AIT and pink-colored cornstarch powder showing the lowest AIT. The volume resistivity of all powder samples was approximately 108 Ω.m, indicating that they were nonconductive. Lighters and cigarettes are effective ignition sources, as their lit temperatures are higher than the AIT of cornstarch powder. In order to better protect the safety of individuals at venues where cornstarch powder is released, explosion control measures such as explosion containment facilities, vents, and explosion suppression and isolation devices should be installed. Furthermore, employees that work at these venues should be better trained in explosion prevention and control measures. We hope this article is a reminder to the public to recognize the fire and explosion characteristics of flammable powders as well as the preventive and control measures for dust explosions.